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THE    LIFE    A'"^^^  '  ~  ,,,/^ 

OCT  12  1931 


OF    THE 


REV.   GEORGE   WHITEFIELD, 


B.A.,    OF    PEMBROKE    COLLEGE,    OXFORD. 


REV.  L.  TYERMAN, 


AUTHOR    OF 


"THE  LIFK  AND  TIMES  OF  THE  REV.  SAMUEL  WESLEY,   M.A.,  RECTOR  OF  EI'WORTU;" 

"the  life  and  times  of  the  REV.  JOHN  WESLEY,   M.A.  •" 

AND    "the  oxford   METHODISTS." 


JN  TIVO    VOLUMES 

VOL  II. 


NEW  YORK: 
ANSON   D.    F.    RANDOLPH   &   COMPANY, 

900   BROADWAY,    COR.    20th    STREET. 
1877. 


GENERAL  CONTENTS. 

VOL.  II. 


SECOND  VISIT  TO  SCOTLAND. 
June  to  October,  1742. 

PAGE 

Marvellous  Work  of  God — Revivals  at  Cambuslang,  Kilsyth,  etc. 
— Letter  to  Lord  Rae — Erection  in  the  Hospital  Park,  Edinburgh — 
Great  Commotions — Opposition  of  the  "  Associate  Presbytery " 
— Mr.  Robe's  Answer — Letter  to  Ebenezer  Erskine — Public  Fast — 
Anti-Whitefieldian  Declaration — Letter  from  Gentleman  in  Boston 
—Hostile  Pamphlets — Pamphlet  by  Whitefield  on  New  England 
Revival — Whitefield's  Financial  Report  of  Orphan  House — Letter 
to  Rev.  Mr.  Willison — Young  Truants — Invasion  of  Georgia — 
Whitefield's  Chaplain  and  Surgeon  Imprisoned — Letter  to  Trustees 
of  Georgia^ — Whitefield's  Vindication  of  himself— Methodism  in 
Wales  —  Whitefield's  Letter  to  his  Mother  —  Second  Visit  to 
Cambuslang — The  Moravians — Letter  to  Habersham — Revivals  in 

"  Scotland — Letter  to  Colonel  Gardiner — Whitefield  and  Wesley 
Reconciled — Collections  in  Scotland.         ......     i — 35 

IN  ENGLAND  AND  WALES. 

November,  1742,  to  August,  1744. 

Letter  to  Habersham- -Aristocratic  Hearers— Letter  to  Lady  Frances 
Gardiner  —  Rev.  John  Meriton— Persecution  in  Wales  — John 
Cennick  in  Trouble— Letter  to  Bishop  Sherlock— Orphan  House- 
Letter  to  Ingham— Letter  to  Colonel  Gardiner— Letter  to  Hervey 
— Methodism  in  Wales— Whitefield  in  Gloucestershire — Second 
Conference  of  Calvinistic  Methodists  —  Rev.  Howell  Davies— 
Whitefield  elected  Moderator— Tour  in  Wales— David  Taylor — 
In  West  of  England -Association  at  Trevecca — Rev.  Richard 
Thomas  Bateman  —  Thomas  Adams  —  Persecution  at  Minchin 
Hampton— John  Syms— Proposed  Conference— Separation  from 
Church— Narrow  Escape — Dissenters  Alarmed — Birth  of  Son— In 
Devonshire  and  Cornwall— Letter  to    Howell    Harris— Wiltshire 


IV  Contents. 

PAGE 
Societies — In  Staffordshire,  etc. — Association  at  Watford — White- 
field's  Poverty — Death  of  his  Child — Trial  at  Gloucester  Assizes — 
Fly-Sheets  of  Bishop  of  London— Whitefield's  Answers— A  Furious 
Pamphleteer — Rev.  Thomas  Church— Fine  Picture  of  Enthusiasm 
— Bishop  Smalbroke's  Charge  —  Whitefield's  Answer  —  Brutal 
Treatment  at  Plymouth  —  Labours  at  Plymouth  —  Rev.  Henry 
Tanner  —  Rev.  David  Crossly  —  Thomas  Beard  —  Methodist 
Soldiers — The  Christian  /^zj-Z^/j— Whitefield's  Preachers — Out- 
rages at  Exeter 3^ — ^  ^  9 

THIRD  VISIT  TO  AMERICA. 

August,  1744,  to  June,  1748. 

Dangerous  Voyage— Whitefield  111 — Prince's  Christian  History — Sir 
William  Pepperell — Letter  by  Whitefield's  Wife— Dr.  Timothy 
Cutler — Rev.  Charles  Chauncy,  D.D. — Rev.  Zachary  Grey,  D.D. 
Whitefield's  Answer  to  Chauncy — Hostile  Publications — Friendly 
Publications — Summary — Whitefield  in  Boston — A  Convert — Rev. 
Thom.as  Prince — ^  Paper  Warfare  —  Cennick's  Secession  —  Cape 
Breton  Expedition  —  Sermon  in  e  Thunderstorm  —  Brainerd — 
Receipts  and  Disbursements  for  Orphan  House  —  Bickerings — • 
Associations  of  Calvinistic  Methodists  —  Whitefield's  Preachers 
— Outrage  at  Plymouth  — Whitefield^s  Loyalty — In  Maryland — In" 
Virginia  —  Rev.  Samuel  Davies — Rev.  Samuel  Finley,  D.D. — 
Countess  of  Huntingdon — Whitefield  a  Slave-Owner — Loss  of 
Health — Letter  to  Cennick — Again  Itinerating— Letter  to  John  and 
Charles  Wesley — Rev.  Samuel  Moody — Hunting  after  Sinners — 
Visit  to  Bermudas — Voyage  Home — The  Revival  in  America     120 — 185 

THREE  YEARS  IN  GREAT  BRITAIN  AND  IRELAND. 

July  i,  1748,  to  August  29,  1751. 

Popularity  in  London  —  Lady  Huntingdon  and  the  Calvinistic 
Methodists — Whitefield  as  Moderator — Resolves  not  to  found 
Societies — Ceases  to  be  Moderator — Howell  Harris  his  Successor 
— New  Scheme  -Whitefield  becomes  Lady  Huntingdon's  Chaplain 
— Earl  of  Bath — Earl  of  Chesterfield — Lord  Bolingbroke — Dr. 
Stonehouse— Whitefield  in  Scotland — Synod  of  Glasgow — Pro- 
ceedings of  other  Synods,  and  of  the  Associate  Presbytery — Bishop 
Lavington  Enraged — Persecution  in  Wales — Whitefield  Visits  Dr. 
Watts — Thomas  Olivers  Converted — Whitefield  wishes  to  have 
Slaves  —  Letter  to  Dr.  Doddridge  —  Aristocratic  Hearers — Dr. 
Stonehouse  afraid  to  become  a  Methodist — Whitefield  in  the  West 
of  England — Rev.  Andrew  Kinsman — Mr.  Robert  Cruttenden — A 
Reverend  Slanderer — John  Sladdin's  Pamphlet — Whitefield  and 
Bishop    Lavington  —  '■'■The  DeviPs   Castaways'^  —  Whitefield   at 


Contents,  V 

PAGE 
Portsmouth  —  In  Wales — An  Indigent  Minister — New  Jersey- 
College — College  of  Philadelphia — Franklin  on  Reformations^ 
Rev.  Robert  Robinson — Letter  to  a  Bishop — Bishop  Lavington's 
"Enthusiasm  of  Methodists  and  Papists  Compared" — Rev.  George 
Thompson — At  Exeter — Letter  to  Hervey — Tour  to  the  North  of 
England — Wesley  and  Grace  Murray — Another  Tour— Colonel 
Galatin — Methodism  in  Dublin — Persecution  at  Cork — New  Year's 
Sermon — Rev.  William  Baddiley — Dr.  Andrew  Gifford — Persecu- 
tion in  Ireland  —  Whitefield  helping  Wesley  —  Government  of 
Georgia — At  Gloucester,  etc. — Letter  to  Franklin — In  Cornwall^  ■ 
New  Jersey  College — At  Northampton— Persecution  at  Rother- 
ham— Rev.  John  Thorpe— "  Ingham's  Circuit" — In  Scotland^ 
James  Nimmo,  Esq. — Old  Friends  Meet  again — Rev.  Martin 
Madan — Rev.  Moses  Browne— Memorable  Visit — Methodism  in 
Canterbury —  Letter  on  Marriage  —  Original  Letter  by  Gilbert 
Tennent — Moses  Browne  Embarrassed — "  A  House  of  Mourning" 
— Hostile  Publications  —  Whitefield  on  Slavery — In  Ireland — 
Original  Letter  by  Whitefield's  Wife— Leaving  England     .     186—277 

FOURTH  VISIT  TO  AMERICA,  AND  RETURN  TO 
ENGLAND. 

SEPTEMBER,-  I751,   TO    MARCH,    1754. 

In  America — Letter  on  Wesley  •*- Sudden  Return  to  England—^ 
Original  Letter  to  Blackwell— Tour  to  West  of  England  and  Wales 
— Letter  to  Franklin— Success  in  Scotland — In  Yorkshire,  etc  — 
John  Edwards  and  Dublin  Methodists — The  Orphan  Hous.e — John 
and  Charles  Wesley — The  New  Tabernacle — The  Moravians — 
Whitefield's  Hymn  Book— Specimens  of  Preaching— Foundation 
Laid  of  New  Tabernacle— Methodism  in  Norwich — Whitefield's 
"  Expostulatory  Letter"  to  Zinzendorf— Letters  by  James  Hutton, 
Peter  Bohler,  and  Count  Zinzendorf— Andrew  Fre/s  Pamphlet — 
Letter  to  John  Syms— New  Tabernacle  Opened — Tour  to  Scotland 
— Glasgow  Playhouse — Glorious  Seasons  in  Yorkshire— Another 
Tour — Norwich  Tabernacle — Bristol  Tabernacle — Wesley  dan- 
gerously 111 — Letters  concerning— Visit  to  England  of  Gilbert 
Tennent  and  Samuel  Davies — New  Tabernacle  paid  for      .     27S— 324 


FIFTH    VISIT    TO    AMERICA. 

March,  1754,  to  May,  1755. 

Popery  in  Lisbon— Learning  Lessons— Arrival  in  America— Itine- 
rating— New  Jersey  College— Government  of  Georgia— Scenes  at 
Boston,  etc.— Revival  in  Virginia— Visit  to  Orphan  House— Return 
to  England 325—540 


vi  Contents. 

EIGHT  YEARS  IN  THE  UNITED  KINGDOM. 

1755  TO  1763. 

PAGE 

Evangelical  Clerj,'ymen — Trying  to  Serve  a  Friend — Whitefield's 
"Communion  Morning's  Companion" — Death  of  Lady  Anne 
Hastings — Cornelius  Winter — Methodists  at  Norwich — Wesley 
and  Hervey— Charles  Wesley's  Poem  on  Whitefield — Commence- 
ment of  the  "  Seven  Years'  War" — Tour  to  Newcastle — Long  Acre 
Chapel— Bishop  Pearce — Letters  to — Long  Acre  Riots — Arch- 
bishop Herring  on  Whitefield  and  Wesley — Threatening  Letters 
— Advertisement  in  London  Gazette — Whitefield's  "  Address  to 
Persons  of  All  Denominations  " — National  Alarm — Collection  on 
Fast-Day — Tottenham  Court  Road  Chapel — Rev.  Dr.  Thomas 
Haweis  ^Wesley's  Letter  to  William  Law  —  Franklin's  Novel 
Scheme— Visit  to  a  Murderer  —  Tour  to  Scotland  —  Rev.  John 
Fawcett,  D.D. — Samuel  Whitaker — Labours  in  Scotland — Helping 
Charles  Wesley — Rev.  Henry  Venn — Congregations  in  London — 
Faithful  Preaching — Balaam-like  Pamphlets —  Shuter,  the  Comedian 
Memorable  Visit  to  Scotland — Thomas  Rankin — Visit  to  Ireland 

—  Nearly  Murdered — Methodist  Clergymen—"  Mission  Week"  at 
Cheltenham — Death  of  Belcher  and  Burr — Whitefield's  Health 
Failing — Almshouses  at  Tottenham  Court  Road  Chapel — Letter 
to  Professor  Francke — Journey  in  One-Horse  Chaise — "  Spiritual 
Routs"— Rev.  Robert  Robinson — Visit  to  Berridge — In  Scotland —  •• 
Thanksgiving    Sermons — Return   to    London — Deatlj.   of  Hervey 

—  Dr.  Free  -  Remarkable  Meetings — -Lady  Himtingdon  and 
Methodism  in  Brighton — Whitefield  Publishes  a  Sermon  by  John 
Foxe,  the  Martyrologist — Seven  Weeks  in  Scotland — The  Orphan 
House — Rev.  Samuel  Clarke's  "Annotations"— Three  Thanks- 
giving Sermons — Sermon  Against  Theatres  —  Enlargement  of 
Tottenham  Court  Road  Chapel — Whitefield  Publishes  a  Pamphlet 
on  "Russian  Cruelty"  —  Collections  on  Fast-Day — Riot  at 
Kingston-on-Thames — Earl  Ferrers — Burial  of  an  Executed  Felon 
— Preaching  Journeys— Samuel  Foote  —  "The  Minor" — Large 
Number  of  Disgraceful  Pamphlets  Published — Madan's  Letter  to 
Garrick — Painful  Year— Foote  after  Whitefield's  Death — Sermons 
and  Collections  on  Fast-Day — Berridge  Helping  Whit:field — 
Whitefield  seriously  111 — Scurrillous  Publications — Jonas  Hanway 
— Bishop  of  Lincoln- — At  Bristol — Trip  to  Holland — Wesley's  Con- 
ference at  Leeds — In  Scotland — In  the  West  of  England — Relieving 
the  Poor — Trying  to  Settle  his  Affairs — Whitefield's  Trustees — A 
Farewell  Sermon — Extracts  from  other  Sermons  —  Volume  of 
Seimons,  Published  by  Gurney — Answer  to  Bishop   Warburton's 

"  Observations  " — Tour  to  Scodand — Embarks  for  America     341 — 466 


Contents.  vii 


SIXTH     VISIT    TO    AMERICA. 
June  4,  1763,  to  July  8,  1765. 

PAGE 
At  Sea — Pastoral  Letter — At  Philadelphia — Prevented  Going  to  his 
Orphan  House — At  New  York — Letter  to  Charles  Wesley — At 
Boston — Harvard  College — Dr.  Wheelock's  School— The  Orphan 
House — Again  at  New  York — At  Philadelphia — Letter  to  Wesley — 
The  "  New  Lights  " — Arrival  at  Savannah — Proposal  to  Convert 
the  Orphan  House  into  a  College — Memorials— Orphan  House 
Accounts — At  Bethesda  —  Tour  to  Philadelphia  —  Embarks  for 
England — John  Harman — Lloyd's  Evening  Post  .        .     ifi-j — 486 

WHITEFIELD'S  LAST  FOUR  YEARS  IN  GREAT  BRITAIN. 

July  7,  1765,  to  September  5,  1769. 

Health  not  Improved — Supplies  for  his  Chapels — Important  Letter 
— Lady  Huntingdon — Chapel  at  Bath — Memorial  to  George  III. — 
Whitefield  a  Peacemaker — Methodists  at  Sheerness — "  Brilliant 
Audiences  " — Samson  Occum — Thomas  Powys,  Esq. — "  Quadruple 
Alliance  " — John  Fawcett  begins  to  Preach — Letter  to  Gustavus 
Gidley^ — Whitefield's  Loyalty — A  Royal  Marriage — Fletcher  of 
Madeley  helps  Whitefield — At  Bath  and  Bristol — Captain  Torial 
Joss — Captain  Scott — Rowland  Hill^"  Lecture  upon  Heads" — 
The  Methodist  and  Mimic — The  Methodist— \jiXX.^x  to  Thomas 
Powys.  Esq. — "Preface"  to  Bunyan's  Works — Cornelius  Winter 
— Winter's  Delineation  of  Whitefield — Re-opening  of  Brighton 
Chapel — Rev.  Richard  de  Courcy — Another  Preaching  Tour — 
Services  at  Haverfordwest — Letter  by  Fletcher  of  Madeley — 
Letter  to  Rowland  Hill — Chandler's  Proposal  respecting  Colonial 
Bishops — Whitefield's  Correspondence  with  the  Archbishop  of 
Canterbury  respecting  Orphan  House — Proposal  to  make  Orphan 
House  a  Public  Academy— Letters  to  Rowland  Hill — Whitefield 
Attends  Wesley's  Conference — His  Kindness  to  Wesley's  Preachers 
—Tour  to  Newcastle-on-Tyne  — A  Burglary— 'Visit  to  Venn  at 
Huddersfield— Wesley's  Northern  Societies— A  Remarkable  Service 
.—Troubles  of  Methodist  Students  at  Cambridge— Death  of  Earl 
of  Buchan— The  Young  Earl  of  Buchan— Correspondence  with 
Benjamin  Franklin  —  Trevecca  College  —  Expulsion  of  Oxford 
Students— Whitefield's  Letter  to  Dr.  Durell— Hostile  Publications- 
Curious  Engraving— A  Felon  Executed— Visit  to  Tunbridge  Wells 
—Letter  by  Rowland  Hill— Death  of  Whitefield's  Wife— Opening 
of  Trevecca  College— Whitefield  Ruptures  a  Blood-vessel— His 
Portrait— Remarkable  Meetings  at  Lady  Huntingdon's— Orphan 
House  Enlargements— Opening  of  Chapel  at  Tunbridge  Wells- 
Extracts  from  Last  Sermons  in  England— Rev.  George  Burder— 
Gurney's  Volume  of  Whitefield's  Sermons    ....     487-568 


vill  Contents. 

SEVENTH  VISIT  TO  AMERICA. 
September,  1769,  to  September,  1770. 

PAGE 

Embarks  for  America — Letter  to  Wesley — Detention  in  the  Downs — 
Ordination  Service  at  Deal — Last  Sermons  at  Ramsgate — Arrival 
at  Charleston — At  Bethesda — Letter  to  Charles  Wesley — Memo- 
rable Day  at  the  Orphan  House — Whitefield's  Memorable  Sermon 
there — Ophan  House  Accounts — Rules  for  Orphan  House  Academy 
— Subsequent  History  of  Orphan  House — Wesley's  Letter  respect- 
ing Orphan  House — Happy — Another  GospelTour — Meets  Wesley's 
Missionaries — Rev.  Dr.  Kirkland — Preaching  on  a  Felon's  Coffin — 
A  Rebuke— Whitefield's  Popularity — Whitefield's  Preaching  Places 
during  Last  Two  Months  of  his  Life — -His  Last  Letters — Riots  at 
Boston — His  Last  Sermon — Rev.  Jonathan  Parsons — Whitefield's 
Death — His  Funeral — Benjamin  Randall — Mourning  at  Savannah 
— Whitefield's  Corpse-^His  Centotaph- — Proposed  Monument — 
Visits  to  Whitefield's  Sepulchre — One  of  his  Bones  Stolen — His 
Will — Elegies,  Charles  Wesley's,  Cowper's^Funeral  Sermon  by 
Wesley — Funeral  Sermons  Preached — Funeral  Sermons  Published 
• — Rev.  Jonathan  Parsons  on  Whitefield— Dr.  Pemberton  on  Ditto 
— Rev.  Henry  Venn  on  Ditto  —  Toplady  on  Ditto —Rev.  John 
Newton  on  Ditto — The  Scots  Magazine  on  Ditto — The  Pennsyl- 
vania Journal  on  Ditto  —  Dr.  Gillies  on  Ditto  —  Concluding 
Remarks         .        .        •        •        • 569 — 635 


THE    LIFE 


The  rev.  GEORGE  WHITEFIELD,  B.A. 


SECOND    VISIT  TO  SCOTLAND, 
June  to  October,   1742. 

WHEN  Whitefield  arrived  in  Edinburgh,  a  minister  told  1^2 
him,  that,  though  seven  months  had  elapsed  since  Age  27 
his  departui'e,  scarcely  one  of  his  converts  had  "  fallen  back, 
either  among  old  or  young." ^  This  was  a  remarkable  fact; 
but  there  was  also  another,  equally  deserving  notice.  As 
already  shewn,  up  to  the  time  of  Whitefield's  first  visit  to 
Scotland,-  the  churches  of  that  country,  like  those  of  England, 
were  in  the  most  deplorable  condition.  In  many  instances, 
ministers  were  unfaithful  ;  in  most  instances,  congregations 
were  dead  ;  and,  as  it  respects  the  outside  populace,  it  is  not 
an  extravagance  to  say,  that,  speaking  generally,  they  were 
almost  entirely  regardless  of  religion,  and  were  steeped  in 
worldliness,  frivolity,  and  vice.  In  the  interval,  however, 
between  Whitefield's  first  and  second  visits,  a  most  marvel- 
lous work  of  God  had  taken  place.  How  far  Whitefield's 
labours  and  influence,  in  1741,  had  contributed  to  this,  it,j 
perhaps,  would  be  presumptuous  to  say.  So  far  as  it  con- 
cerns the  cause  of  Christ,  this  is  of  little  consequence.  Every 
reader  of  the  unvarnished  facts  will  form  his  own  opinion  on 

'  Whitefield's  Works,  vol.  i.,  p.  399. 
VOL,  II.  I 


The  Life  of  Whitefield. 


1742  the  subject.  Many  of  these  facts  have  been  already  given  ; 
Age  27  and  others  must  now  be  mentioned.  Cambuslang  was  then 
a  small  parish,  about  four  miles  from  Glasgow  ;  and  here 
Whitefield  had  preached  with  amazing  power  and  success 
only  a  few  months  before.  The  minister  of  Cambuslang — 
the  Rev.  William  McCulloch — was  a  man  of  "  genuine  piety, 
and  of  considerable  capacity  ;  but  had  nothing  particularly 
striking  either  in  the  manner  or  substance  of  his  preaching."-^ 
During  most  of  the  year  1741,  he  had  strongly  pressed  on 
his  congregation  the  nature  and  necessity  of  the  new  birth. 
In  the  third  week  of  February,  1 742,  three  days  were  specially 
employed  in  prayer.  On  the  fourth  day,  Thursday,  February 
18,  "about  fifty  persons  came  to  Mr.  McCulIoch's  house, 
under  convictions  and  alarming  apprehensions  respecting  the 
state  of  their  souls,  and  desiring  to  speak  with  him."  After 
this,  numbers  of  others  daily  resorted  to  him,  and  he  soon 
found  it  necessary  to  preach  a  sermon  every  day,  and,  after 
the  sermon,  to  spend  some  time  with  the  penitents,  "  in 
exhortations,  prayers,  and  singing  of  psalms."  In  less  than 
three  months,  more  than  three  hundred  were  converted. 
Though  the  parish  was  of  small  extent,  and  most  of  the 
people  lived  within  a  mile  of  Mr.  McCulIoch's  church,  not 
fewer  than  twelve  "societies  for  prayer"  were  begun  by  the 
converts.  In  the  month  of  April,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Willison, 
one  of  Whitefi eld's  correspondents,  visited  the  place,  and 
wrote  :  "  The  work  at  Cambuslang  is  a  most  singular  and 
marvellous  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  I  pray  it  may  be 
a  happy  forerunner  of  a  general  revival  of  the  work  of  God, 
and  a  blessed  means  of  union  among  all  the  lovers  of  Jesus." 
Kilsyth,  a  small  town,  about  twelve  miles  from  Glasgow, 
was  another  place  graciously  visited  by  God's  good  Spirit. 
Its  minister,  the  Rev.  James  Robe,  began  a  series  of  sermons 
on  the  new  birth,  as  early  as  the  year  1 740  ;  but  nothing 
remarkable  occurred  until  May,  1742,  the  month  when 
Whitefield  set  out  on  his  second  visit  to  Scotland.  At  the 
beginning  of  the  month,  "  societies  for  prayer  were  erected 
in  the  parish  ;"  and,  almost  immediately,  great  numbers 
began  to  cry  aloud  for  mercy.      On  May  1 6,  after  dismissing 


Life  of  John  Erskine,  D.D.,"  p.  107. 


Revival  at  Kilsyth. 


his  congregation,  Mr.  Robe  invited  the  penitents  into  his  bam ;  1742 
but  the  numbers  were  so  great,  that  the  barn  could  not  Age^a? 
contain  them  :  and,  nolens  voleits,  he  was  obliged  to  convene 
them  in  his  kirk.  He  says,  "  I  sung  a  psalm,  and  prayed 
with  them  ;  but,  when  I  essayed  to  speak  to  them,  I  could 
not  be  heard,  such  were  their  bitter  cries  and  groans.  After 
this,  I  ordered  that  they  should  be  brought  to  me  in  my 
closet,  one  by  one  ;  and,  in  the  meantime,  I  appointed  psalms 
to  be  sung  with  those  in  the  kirk,  and  that  the  precentor  and 
two  or  three  of  the  elders  should  pray  with  the  distressed." 
Before  the  month  ended, — that  is,  before  Whitefield  had 
arrived  in  Scotland, — the  penitents  at  Kilsyth  numbered 
nearly  a  hundred  ;  and  a  similar  work  was  begun,  and  was 
spreading  in  several  neighbouring  parishes,  as  Kirkintilloch, 
Auchinloch,  Campsie,  and  Cumbernauld.^  Such  was  the  state 
of  things,  in  this  part  of  Scotland,  when  Whitefield  and  his 
wife  reached  Edinburgh,  on  Thursday,  June  3,  1742. 

One  of  his  first  letters,  at  Edinburgh,  was  addressed  to 
Lord  Rae,  the  death  of  whose  wife  had  recently  occurred. 
An  extract  from  it  will  help  to  shew  the  spirit  in  which 
Whitefield  began  his  work  in  Scotland. 

"Edinburgh,  June  &,,  1742. 

My  Lord, — Your  lordship's  kind  letter  was  put  into  my  hands  yester- 
day. I  heartily  sympathise  with  you  ;  but  could  not  help  rejoicing  on  your 
honoured  lady's  account,  knowing  she  is  now  entered  into  her  blessed 
Master's  joy.  Among  Christians,  death  has  not  only  lost  its  sting,  but 
its  name.  I  never  was  so  joyful  as  I  am  now  at  the  death  of  those  who 
die  in  the  Lord  ;  and  never  was  so  reconciled  to  living  myself.  Lately, 
in  London,  we  had  a  sister  in  Christ,  whose  last  words  were, '  Holy,  holy, 
holy.'  She  could  say  no  more  here  ;  but  our  Saviour  sent  for  her  to  finish 
her  song  in  heaven.  I  preached  over  her  corpse  ;  our  Society  attended  ; 
and  surely  never  did  any  triumph  over  death  more  than  we  did  that  night. 
But  your  lordship  may  ask,  'Why  are  you  reconciled  to  life  ?'  Because 
I  can  do  that  for  Jesus  on  earth,  which  I  cannot  do  in  heaven  :  I  mean, 
be  made  instrumental  in  bringing  weary,  heavy-laden  sinners  to  find  rest 
in  His  blood  and  righteousness.  If  our  Saviour  were  to  offer  either  to 
take  me  now,  or  to  let  me  stay  only  to  take  one  sinner  more,  I  would 
desire  to  stay  to  take  the  sinner  with  me. 

"  I  hear  of  wonderful  things  in  Scotland.     I  can  only  fall  down  and 
worship.     I  have  seen  greater  things  than  ever  in  England.     I  expect  to 


'  Gillies'  "  Historical  Collections,"  vol.  ii.,  pp.  339— 39S. 


The  Life  of  Whitefuld. 


Age  27 


1742     see  far  greater  in  Scotland.     Our  Lord  will  not  let  His  people  be  dis- 
appointed of  their  hopes." 

Whitefield  was  in  Edinburgh,  but  where  was  he  to  preach  .? 
The  question  was  soon  solved.  The  following  minute  was 
passed  at  a  meeting  of  the  managers  of  Heriot's  Hospital, 
held  on  June  1 7,  1 742  :  "  The  managers  agree  to  erect  seats 
in  the  Hospital  Park  for  about  two  thousand  people,  part  of 
which  are  to  be  covered  with  shades,  and  let  out  to  the  best 
advantage.  It  is  further  agreed,  that,  out  of  the  profits  arising 
from  these  seats,  after  paying  all  charges  anent  the  same, 
a  sum  not  exceeding  £60  sterling  shall  be  given  to  the  Rev. 
Mr.  George  Whitefield,  for  defraying  his  charges  during  his 
continuance  in  this  country."^  The  seats,  thus  erected,  were 
semicircular  in  form  ;  those  with  shades  were  let  at  three 
shillings  each  for  the  season  ;  and  those  without  shades  might 
be  used  by  paying  a  halfpenny  each  for  them,  every  time  they 
were  occupied.  A  few  seats  outside  the  railing  were  free  ; 
and  the  back  seats  within  were  permitted  to  be  used  by 
soldiers  gratuitously.  The  money  thus  raised  seems  to  have 
amounted  to  ^^"260  3s.,  which  was  distributed  as  follows  : 
For  erecting  seats,  £^0  4s.  ;  for  repairing  the  "park  dikes," 
£2?)  5s.  ;  payment  to  the  tacksvimi  of  the  park  for  damage 
done  to  the  grass,  ^^4  los. ;  gift  to  Whitefield,  ;^6o  ;  balance 
paid  to  the  treasurer  of  the  hospital,  £'i'j  45.^  Such  was 
Whitefield's  cathedral  in  the  metropolis  of  Scotland. 

From  the  day  of  his  arrival,  he  preached  twice  daily, 
expounded  almost  every  night,  and  regularly  visited  the 
three  hospitals.^  On  the  12th  of  June,  in  writing  to  his 
helper,  John  Cennick,  he  remarked:  "  Our  Saviour  deals  most 
lovingly  with  me.  I  never  enjoyed  so  much  happiness  in 
Him  as  now.  Day  and  night.  He  is  pleased  to  shine  upon 
my  soul.  My  success  here  is  great.  I  am  enabled  to  '  be 
instant  in  season,  and  out  of  season,'  and  to  '  reprove,  rebuke, 
and  exhort,  with  all  longsuffering  and  doctrine."^ 

Of  course,  a  little  time  was  requisite  to  erect  Whitefield's 
open-air  church  ;   and   hence,  after  spending    twelve  days   in 


1    c. 


Scots^  Magazine,  1742,  p.  580. 

*  Ibid.,  pp.  437,  580. 

*  Weekly  History,  June  26,  1742, 

*  Christian'' s  Magazine,  1 792,  p.  20. 


Great  Commotions. 


Edinburgh,  he  set  out,  on  June  15,  to  Kilsyth,  Cambuslang-,     1742 
and    other  places,    in   the   west    of   Scotland.       Previous    to  Age  27 
starting,  he  wrote,  as  follows,  to  the  Rev.  William  McCuiloch, 
minister  at  Cambuslang  : — 

"Edinburgh,  June  8,  1742. 
"Reverend  and  very  dear  Brother, — I  heartily  rejoice  at  the 
awakenhig  at  Cambuslang  and  elsewhere.  I  believe  you  will  both  see  and 
hear  far  greater  things  than  these.  I  trust,  that,  not  one  corner  of  poor 
Scotland  will  be  left  unwatered  by  the  dew  of  God's  heavenly  blessing. 
The  cloud  is  now  only  rising  as  big  as  a  man's  hand  :  in  a  little  while,  we 
shall  hear  a  sound  of  an  abundance  of  gospel  rain.  God  willing,  I  hope 
to  be  with  you  at  the  beginning  of  next  week." 

Whitefield    spent    more   than   a  fortnight    in    this   revival 
excursion  to  the  west, — one  of  the    most  remarkable  fort- 
nights in  his  eventful  life.    Hence  the  following  letters  to  his 
friends.     The    first    and    second    were    addressed    to    John    ^ 
Cennick. 

"Glasgow,  June  16,  1742. 
"  Last  Lord's-day,  I  preached,  in  the  morning,  in  the  park  at  Edinburgh, 
to  a  great  multitude.  Afterwards,  I  attended,  and  partook  of  the  holy 
sacrament,  and  served  four  tables.  In  the  afternoon,  I  preached  in  the 
churchyard,  to  a  far  greater  number.  Such  a  passover,  I  never  saw 
before.  On  Monday,  I  preached  again  in  Edinburgh.  On  Tuesday, 
twice  at  Kilsyth,  to  ten  thousand  ;  but  such  a  commotion,  I  believe,  you 
never  saw.  O  what  agonies  and  cries  were  there  !  Last  night,  God 
brought  me  hither.  A  friend  met  me  without  the  town,  and  welcomed 
me  in  the  name  of  twenty  thousand.  The  streets  were  all  alarmed.  By 
three  o'clock  this  morning,  people  were  coming  to  hear  the  word  of  God. 
At  seven,  I  preached  to  many,  many  thousands  ;  and  again  this  even- 
ing. Our  Lord  wounded  them  by  scores.  It  is  impossible  to  tell  you 
■what  I  see.  The  work  flies  from  parish  to  parish.  O  what  distressed 
souls  have  I  beheld  this  day  !  Publish  this  on  the  housetop;  arid  exhort  all 
to  oive  thanks" 

In  this  letter,  Whitefield's  wife  added  a  postscript  : — 

"  My  husband  f>ublicly  declared  here,  that,  he  was  a  member  of  the 
Church  of  England,  and  a  curate  thereof;  and,  yet,  was  permitted  to 
receive^  and  assist  at  tJie  Lord's  supper  in  the  churches  at  Edinburgh."  ' 

"  Jime  19,  1742. 
"  Yesterday  morning,  I  preached  at  Glasgow,  to  a  large  congregatioru 
At  mid-day,  I  came  to  Cambuslang,  and  preached,  at  two,  to  a  vast  body 
of  people  ;    again  at  six,   and  again  at  nine  at   night.      Such    commo- 


Weekly  History,  July  3,  1742. 


The  Life  of  Whitefteld. 


tions,  surely,  were  never  heard  of,  especially  at  eleven  o'clock  at  night. 
For  an  hour  and  a. half,  there  was  such  weeping,  and  so  many  falling  into 
such  deep  distress,  expressed  in  various  ways,  as  cannot  be  described. 
The  people  seemed  to  be  slain  in  scores.  Their  agonies  and  cries  were 
exceedingly  affecting.  Mr.  M'Culloch  preached,  after  I  had  done,  till 
past  one  in  the  morning  ;  and  then  could  not  persuade  the  people  to 
depart.  In  the  fields,  all  night,  might  be  heard  the  voice  of  prayer  and 
praise.  The  Lord  is  indeed  much  with  me.  I  have,  to-day,  preached 
twice  already,  and  am  to  preach  twice  more,  perhaps  thrice.  The  com- 
moiions  increase."' 

On  his  return  to  Edinburgh,  Whitefield  wrote  to  a  friend 
in  London,  as  follows  : — 

"  Edinburgh,  July  7,  1742. 

"  I  arrived  here,  last  Saturday  evening,  from  the  west,  where  I  preached 
all  last  week — twice  on  Monday,  at  Paisley;  three  times  each  day,  on 
Tuesday  and  Wednesday,  at  Irvine  ;  twice  on  Thursday,  at  Mearns  ; 
three  times  on  Friday,  at  Cambernauld;  and  twice  on  Saturday,  at  Falkirk, 
in  my  way  to  Edinburgh.  In  every  place,  there  was  the  greatest  commo- 
tion among  the  people.  The  auditories  were  very  large,  and  the  work  of 
God  seems  to  be  spreading  more  and  more. 

"  Last  Sabbath,  I  preached  twice  in  the  park  at  Edinburgh,  and  once 
in  the  church,  and  I  have  preached  twice  every  day  since.  A  number  of 
seats  and  shades,  in  the  form  of  an  amphitheatre,  have  been  erected  in 
the  park,  where  the  auditory  sit  in  beautiful  order. 

"  I  purpose  going  to  Cambuslang  to-morrow,  to  assist  at  the  communion; 
and  shall  preach  at  various  places  westward  before  I  return  here." 

To  John  Cennick,  he  sent  the  following  : — 

"  New  KiLPATRiCK,  July  15,  1742. 
"  Last  Friday  night,  I  came  to  Cambuslang,  to  assist  at  the  blessed 
sacrament.  On  Saturday,  I  preached  to  above  twenty  thousand  people. 
On  the  Sabbath,  scaixe  ever  was  such  a  sight  seen  in  Scotland.  Two 
tents  were  set  up,  and  the  holy  sacrament  was  administered  in  the  fields. 
When  I  began  to  serve  a  table,  the  people  crowded  so  upon  me,  that  I 
was  obliged  to  desist,  and  go  to  preach  in  one  of  the  tents,  whilst  the 
ministers  served  the  rest  of  the  tables.  There  was  preaching  all  day,  by 
one  or  another;  and,  in  the  evening,  when  the  sacrament  was  over,  at 
the  request  of  the  ministers,  I  preached  to  the  whole  congregation  of 
upwards  of  twenty  thousand  persons.  I  preached  about  an  hour  and  a 
half  It  was  a  time  much  to  be  remembered.  On  Monday-morning,  I 
preached  again  to  near  as  many.  I  never  before  saw  such  a  universal 
stir.  The  motion  fled,  as  swift  as  lightning,  from  one  end  of  the  auditory 
to  the  other.  Thousands  were  bathed  in  tears — some  wringing  their 
hands,  others  almost  swooning,  and  others  crying  out  and  mourning  over 


'   Weekly  History^  July  3, '1742. 


Great  Commotions. 


a  pierced  Saviour.     In  the  afternoon,  the  concern  was  again  very  great.      1742 
Much   prayer   had  been   previously  put  up  to  the  Lord.     All  night,  in     . 
different  companies,  persons  were  praying  to  God,  and  praising  Him. 
The  children  of  God  came  from  all  quarters.     It  was  like  the  passover  in 
Josiah's  time.     We  are  to  have  another  in  two  or  three  months,  if  the 
Lord  will.' 

"  On  Tuesday  morning,  I  preached  at  Glasgow — it  was  a  glorious  time — 
and,  in  the  afternoon,  twice  at  Inchannon.  Yesterday  morning,  I  preached 
there  again;  and  here  twice.  Every  time  there  was  a  great  stir,  especially 
at  this  place.  A  great  company  of  awakened  souls  is  within  the  compass 
of  twenty  miles  ;  and  the  work  seems  to  be  spreading  apace.  I  am  ex- 
ceedingly strengthened,  both  in  soul  and  body,  and  cannot  now  do  well 
without  preaching  three  times  a  day." 

These  were  strange  scenes.  Much  might  be  written  re- 
specting this  remarkable  work  of  God  in  Scotland  ;  but  want 
of  space  prevents  enlargement.  Those  who  wish  for  a  full 
account,  will  do  well  to  get,  (if  they  can,)  and  read,  "  A 
Faithful  Narrative  of  the  Extraordinary  Work  of  the  Spirit 
of  God,  at  Kilsyth,  and  other  Congregations  in  the  Neigh- 
bourhood. Written  hy  James  Robe,  A.M.,  Minister  of  the 
Gospel  at  Kilsyth,^  1742."  (i2mo.  224  pp.)  The  "com- 
motions^' however,  which  Whitefield  mentions,  may  be  briefly 
noticed.  They  were  severely  criticised  at  the  time  ;  and 
even  now  deserve  attention.  What  were  they.''  Mr.  Robe 
shall  answer. 

Besides  the  intense  excitement  among  the  penitents  in 
general,  about  one  in  five  of  them  "  came  under,"  what  Mr. 
Robe  calls,  "faintings,  tremblings,  or  other  bodily  distresses."  ^ 
He  writes  :  "  The  bodies  of  some  of  the  awakened  were 
seized  with  trembling,  and  fainting  ;  in  some  of  the  women 
there  were  hysterics,  and  convulsive  motions  in  others,  arising 
from  an  apprehension  and  fear  of  the  wrath  of  God."  Among 


'  In  one  of  his  last  sermons  in  London,  in  1769,  Whitefield  exclaimed: 
"  Once,  when  I  was  preaching  in  Scotland,  I  saw  ten  thousand  people 
affected  in  a  moment,  some  with  joy,  others  crying,  '  I  cannot  believe,' 
others,  'God  has  given  me  faith,'  and  some  fainting  in  the  arms  of  their 
friends.  Seeing  two  hardened  creatures  upon  a  tombstone,  I  cried  out, 
'You  rebels,  come  down,'  and  down  they  fell  directly,  and  exclaimed, 
before  they  went  away,  '  What  shall  we  do  to  be  saved  .'' '"  (Whitefield's 
Eighteen  Sermons,  published  by  Gurney,  1771,  p.  290.) 

^  Mr.  Robe  had  been  the  pastor  of  the  Kilsyth  church  for  twenty-nine 
years. 

*  Robe's  Narrative,  p.  87. 


8  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1742    those   who    were    not    physically   affected,    there   were   loud 
Age  27  outcries  for  the  mercy  of  God  ;  and,  among  those  who  found 
peace   with    God,  there    were  some  who   experienced  great, 
though  joyous,  agitation.      Mr.  Robe  remarks  :— 

"  Some,  who  had  been  under  deep  apprehensions  of  Divine  wrath,  and 
had  sunk  under  a  sense  of  their  guilt,  when  the  Lord  opened  their  hearts 
to  receive  Him  as  offered  to  them  in  the  gospel,  were  surprised  v/ith  joy 
and  admiration.  Some  cried  out  with  a  loud  voice,  shewing  forth  the 
praises  of  the  Lord.  Others  broke  forth  into  loud  weeping,  from  a  sense 
of  their  vileness  and  unworthiness.  Some  had,  for  a  time,  their  bodies 
quite  overcome,  and  were  ready  to  faint,  through  the  feeling  of  such  un- 
expected happiness.  The  countenances  of  others  quite  changed.  There 
was  an  observable  serenity,  a  brightness,  an  openness,  so  that  it  was  the 
observation  of  some  concerning  them,  that  they  had  got  new  faces."  ' 

This  is  not  the  place  to  enter  into  any  elaborate  defence 
or  condemnation  of  such  religious  phenomena.  They  were 
not  novel.  Similar  scenes  had  been  witnessed,  in  Bristol, 
under  Wesley's  ministry,  only  three  years  before  ;  and,  at 
this  very  time,  and  on  a  large  scale,  similar  scenes  were 
being  witnessed,  among  the  Presbyterians  of  New  England. 
Of  course,  they  were  denounced,  especially  by  the  Erskines 
and  their  friends  ;  but  Mr.  Robe,  while  not  enamoured  of 
them,  endeavoured  to  explain  them,  shewing  that  they  were 
the  natural  results  of  deep  convictions  and  strong  emotions ; 
that  exactly  the  same  sort  of  thing  had  often  happened  in 
the  history  of  the  Christian  Church  ;  and  that  the  Bible 
itself  contained  similar  examples.  One  or  two  extracts, 
from  Mr.  Robe's  " Preface"  must  suffice  : — 

"  I  seriously  beg  those  who  are  prejudiced  against  this  dispensation  of 
God's  extraordmary  grace,  and  look  upon  it  as  a  delusion,  to  direct  me 
and  other  ministers  what  we  shall  answer  the  distressed  persons  of  all 
ages,  who  come  to  us  crying  bitterly  that  they  are  lost  and  undone,  because 
of  their  sins.  Shall  we  tell  them,  that,  their  fears  of  the  wrath  of  God 
are  all  delusion  ?  Shall  we  tell  persons,  lamenting  their  cursing,  swear- 
ing, Sabbath-breaking,  and  other  immoralities,  that,  it  is  the  devil  who 
makes  them  see  these  evils  to  be  offensive  to  God,  and  destructive  to  their 
souls .''  Shall  we  pray,  and  recommend  them  to  pray  to  be  delivered  from 
such  delusions  ?  It  would  be  worse  than  devilish,  to  treat  the  Lord's 
sighing  and  groaning  prisoners  at  this  rate.     And,  yet,  such  treatment  is 

*  Robe's  Narrative,  p.  159. 


opposition  of  ^'' The  Associate  Presbytery P  g 

a  natural  consequence  of  reckoning  this  the  work  of  the  devil,  and  a     1742 

delusion."  . 

Age  27 

In  reply  to  "  The  Associate  Presbytery" — the  Church- 
reformers  of  the  age — who  bitterly  denounced  the  work, 
and  compared  the  converts  to  the  Camisards,^  Mr.  Robe 
remarks  : — 

"  My  dear  brethren,  whatever  bitter  names  you  and  your  party  give  us — 
whatever  bitter  reproaches  you  cast  upon  us — we  take  all  patiently.  There 
are  thousands  of  witnesses,  that  we  return  you  blessing  for  cursing,  and 
that  we  pray  for  you,  who  despitefuUy  use  us.  We  would  lay  our  bodies 
on  the  ground,  for  you  to  go  over,  if  it  could,  in  the  least,  contribute  to 
remove  your  prejudices,  and  advance  the  kingdom  of  our  dear  Redeemer; 
but  we  cannot  look  upon  the  guilt  you  have  brought  upon  yourselves, 
without  the  deepest  grief ;  and  upon  the  opposition  you  give  to  us  in  our 
endeavours  to  recover  sinners  out  of  the  snare  of  the  devil,  without  the 
most  zealous  concern.  You  declare  the  work  of  God  to  be  the  work  of 
the  grand  deceiver.  My  dear  brethren,  for  whom  I  tremble,  have  you 
been  at  due  pains  to  know  the  nature  and  circumstances  of  this  work."* 
Have  you  taken  the  trouble  to  go  to  any  of  these  places,  where  the  Lord 
has  appeared  in  His  glory  and  majesty  ?  Have  you  ever  so  much  as 
written  to  any  of  the  ministers,  to  receive  information  from  them  ?  It  is 
not  consistent  with  common  justice  to  condemn  them  as  deceivers  ;  and  v 
it  is  amazing  rashness,  to  pronounce,  without  enquiry,  that  to  be  the 
work  of  the  devil,  which,  for  anything  you  know,  may  be  the  work  of  the 
infinitely  good  and  holy  Spirit.  Is  not  this  to  be  like  the  scribes  and 
Pharisees,  who  ascribed  the  miraculous  work  of  our  Lord  to  Beelzebub  ? 
Are  you  not  afraid  lest  you  come  too  near  this  sin  ? " 

There  is  something  profoundly  mournful  in  all  this.  The 
Erskines  were  sincere,  but  sour.  Their  zeal  to  reform  the 
Church  of  Scotland  might  be  commendable  ;  their  oppo- 
sition to  the  work  of  God  cannot  be  too  severely  censured. 
They  had  been  the  friends  of  Whitefield.  At  their  invita- 
tion, he,  eleven  months  before,  had  come  to  Scotland  ;  but, 
instead  of  co-operating  with  him,  they  almost  immediately 
disowned  him.  Only  a  week  after  this,  his  second  arrival 
in  Scotland,  he  wrote  a  most  friendly  letter  to  Ebenezer 
Erskine  ;  but,  as  will  soon  be  seen,  without  good  effect. 
The  letter  was  as  follows  :■ — • 


'  An  appellation  given,  by  the  French,  to  the  Calvinists  of  the  Cevennes, 
who  formed  a  league,  in  1688;  and  who,  in  their  boldness,  crimes,  and 
enthusiasm,  resembled  the  Circumcelliones  of  Africa. 


lo  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 


Age  27 


1742  "  Edinburgh,  y«;,!^  10,  1742. 

"  Reverend  and  very  dear  Sir, — The  love  which  I  bear  you,  for 
my  Master's  sake,  constrains  me  to  send  you  a  line.  It  is  some  concern 
to  me,  that  our  difference  as  to  outward  things  should  cut  off  our  sweet 
fellowship  with  each  other.  God  knows,  I  highly  value  and  honour  you. 
Reverend  and  dear  sir,  I  do  assure  you,  I  love  you  and  your  brethren 
more  than  ever.  I  applaud  your  zeal  for  God  ;  and,  though,  in  some 
respects,  I  think  it  not  according  to  knowledge,  and  to  be  levelled  fre- 
quently against  me,  yet  I  feel  no  resentment,  and  should  joyfully  hear  you 
and  your  brethren  preach.  I  salute  them  all ;  and  pray  our  common 
Lord  to  give  us  all  a  right  judgment  in  all  things.  I  hope  the  glorious 
Emmanuel  will  be  present  at  the  sacrament,  and  will  make  Himself  known 
to  you  in  breaking  of  bread.  When  I  shall  come  to  Stirling,  I  know  not, 
O  when  shall  the  time  come,  when  the  watchmen  will  see  eye  to  eye? 
Hasten  that  time,  cur  Lord  and  our  God  !  But,  perhaps,  I  am  trouble- 
some. Forgive  me,  reverend  and  dear  sir,  being,  without  dissimulation, 
your  younger  brother  and  servant  in  the  gospel  of  Christ, 

"  George  Whitefield." 

What  was  the  response  to  this  loving  letter }  Exactly 
five  weeks  afterwards,  on  the  15th  of  July,  "The  Associate 
Presbytery  "  issued  a  document  announcing  a  "  Public  Fast," 
and  the  reasons  for  observing  it.  One  reason  was,  that  the 
"  bitter  outcryings,  faintings,  severe  bodily  pains,  convulsions, 
voices,  visions,  and  revelations,"  connected  with  the  revivals 
at  Cambuslang  and  other  places,  were  a  proof  that  the  work 
there  was  a  delusion,  and  of  the  devil ;  and  another  was, 
"  the  fond  reception  given  to  Mr.  George  Whitefield,  not- 
withstanding it  is  notoriously  known.,  that  he  is  a  priest  of  the 
Church  of  England,  who  has  sworn  the  oath  of  supremacy, 
and  abjured  the  Solemn  League  and  Covenant^  and  endea- 
vours, by  his  lax  toleration  principles,  to  pull  down  the  hedges 
of  government  and  discipline,  which  the  Lord  has  planted 
about  His  vineyard  in  this  land."  ^ 

This  was  bad  enough  to  come  from  Christian  men  ;  but 
worse  followed.  A  month  later,  there  was  published  a 
pamphlet  of  thirty-two  pages,  of  minute  type,  and  closely 
printed,  with  the  title,  "  The  Declaration  of  the  true  Presby- 

'  In  reply  to  this  monstrous  edict,  a  pamphlet  was  published,  with  the 
title,  "  A  Friendly  Caution  to  Seceders,"  in  which  they  were  persuaded 
not  to  make  Whitefield's  success,  and  the  word  of  God  at  Cambuslang 
and  elsewhere,  the  reasons  of  their  fast.  The  author  treats  "  The  Asso- 
ciate Presbytery,"  and  especially  Adam  Gibb,  with  great,  but  deserved, 
severity,  for  their  behaviour  to  Whitefield. 


Opposition  of  "  The  Associate  Presbytery ^        ir 

terians  within    the    Kingdom   of  Scotland,    concerning   Mr.     '742 
George  Whitefield,  and  the  Work  at  Cambuslang."  Age  27 

This  pretentiously  religious,  but  extremely  malignant 
production  begins  as  follows  : — "  The  Declaration,  Protesta- 
tion, and  Testimony  of  the  suffering  Remnant  of  the  anti- 
Popish,  anti-Lutheran,  anti-Prelatic,  anti-Whitefieldian,  anti- 
Erastian,  anti-Sectarian,  true  Presbyterian  Church  of  Christ 
in  Scotland,"  Very  sonorous,  but  very  rancorous  !  White- 
field  is  branded  as  "  an  abjured,  prelatic  hireling,  of  as 
lax  toleration  principles  as  any  ever  set  up  for  the  ad- 
vancing of  the  kingdom  of  Satan."  He  is  "a  wandering 
star,  who  steers  his  course  according  to  the  compass  of  gain 
and  advantage."  He  is  "  a  base  English  impostor,  whom 
the  enemies  of  Christ's  kingdom  have  chosen  as  their  com- 
mander-in-chief, to  lead  the  covenanted  kingdom  of  Scot- 
land back  to  Egypt  and  Babylon,  to  the  bondage  and 
slavery  of  Popery,  Prelacy,  and  Sectarianism."  He  is  "  the 
most  latitudinarian,  prelatic  priest  that  ever  essayed  to 
confound,  and  unite  into  one,  almost  all  sorts  and  sizes  of 
sects  and  heresies  with  orthodox  Christians."  His  "  foul, 
prelatic,  sectarian  hands "  had  administered  the  sacrament 
to  Presbyterians.  He  "  is  not  of  a  blameless  conversation, 
as  the  Word  of  God  requires  all  the  ministers  of  the  gospel 
to  be,  but  is  a  scandalous  idolater,  being  a  member  of  the 
idolatrous  Church  of  England,  which  resembles  the  idola- 
trous Church  of  Rome,  in  many  of  her  idolatries."  He  "  is 
a  poor,  vain-glorious,  self-seeking,  puffed-up  creature."  He 
"  is  a  limb  of  Antichrist ;  a  boar,  and  a  wild  beast,  from 
the  anti-Christian  field  of  England,  come  to  waste  and 
devour  the  poor  erring  people  of  Scotland."  "  In  collecting 
such  vast  sums  of  money  in  Scotland,  his  insatiable  covet- 
ousness  is  shewn  ;  and  it  is  evident,  that,  his  design  in 
coming  is  to  pervert  the  truth,  subvert  the  people,  and  make 
gain  to  himself,  by  making  merchandise  of  his  pretended 
ministry."  The  pamphlet  finishes  by  "  protesting,  testifying, 
and  declaring  against  Whitefield,  and  all,  of  every  rank, 
station,  and  degree,  within  the  kingdom  of  Scotland,  who,  in 
any  manner  of  way,  have  aided,  assisted,  countenanced,  and 
encouraged  him."  The  last  paragraph  in  this  pious  produc- 
tion is  as  follows  : — 


12  '  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 


1742         "And  that  this  our   Declaration,   Protestation,  and   Testimony  may- 
come  to  the  world's  view,  we  do  appoint  and  ordain  our  emissaries,  in 

^^^  ^"^   our  name,  to  pass  upon  the day  of  August,  1 742,  to  the  market-cross 

of ,  and  other  public  places  necessary,  and  there  publish,  and  leave 

copies  of  the  same,  that  none  may  pretend  ignorance  thereof. 
"  Given  in  Scotland,  upon  the day  of  August,  1742. 

"  Let  King  Jesus  reign, 
And  let  all  His  enemies  be  scattered." 

Worse  and  worse  ;  and  yet  there  is  more  to  follow. 
About  the  same  time,  there  was  published,  in  Edinburgh, 
"A  Letter  from  a  Gentleman  in  Boston,  to  Mr.  George 
Wishart,  one  of  the  Ministers  of  Edinburgh,  concerning  the 
state  of  Religion  in  New  England."  (i2mo.  24  pp.)  Three 
extracts  from  this  production  must  suffice. 

"  The  minds  of  the  people,  in  this  part  of  the  world,  had  been  greatly 
prepossessed  in  favour  of  Mr.  Whitefield,  from  the  accounts  transmitted 
of  him,  as  a  wonder  of  piety,  and  a  man  of  God.  Accordingly,  when  he 
came  to  Boston,  about  two  years  ago,  he  was  received  as  though  he  had 
been  an  angel  of  God,  yea,  2l  god  come  down  in  the  likeness  of  man.  He 
was  strangely  flocked  after  by  all  sorts  of  persons,  and  much  admired  by 
\  the  vulgar,  both  g-reat  and  small.     The  ministers  had  him  in  veneration, 

and,  as  much  as  the  people,  encouraged  his  preaching,  attending  it  them- 
selves every  day  in  the  week,  and  mostly  twice  a  day.  The  grand  sub- 
ject of  conversation  was  Mr.  Whitefield,  and  the  whole  business  of  the 
town  was  to  run  from  place  to  place  to  hear  him  preach.  His  reception, 
as  he  passed  through  this  and  the  neighbouring  governments  of  Connec- 
ticut and  New  York,  was  after  much  the  same  manner,  save  only,  that  he 
met  with  no  admirers  among  the  clergy,  unless  here  and  there  one,  any- 
where but  in  Boston.  You  ask.  What  was  the  g'reat  good  this  gentleman 
was  the  instrument  of?  I  answer.  Wherever  he  went,  he  generally  moved 
the  passions,  especially  of  the  younger  people,  and  females  ;  the  effect 
whereof  was  a  great  talk  about  religion,  together  with  a  disposition  to  be 
perpetually  hearing  sermons,  to  the  neglect  of  all  other  business.  In 
these  things  chiefly  consisted  the  goodness  so  much  spoken  of.  I  could 
not  but  discern,  that  there  were  the  same  pride  and  vanity,  the  same 
luxury  and  intemperance,  the  same  lying  and  tricking  and  cheating,  in 
the  town,  as  there  were  before  this  gentleman  came  among  us.  There 
was  also  raised  such  a  spirit  of  bitter,  censorious,  uncharitable  judging,  as 
was  not  known  before  ;  and  the  greatest  friends  of  Mr.  Whitefield  were 
as  much  puffed  up  with  conceit  and  pride  as  any  of  their  neighbours." 

The    writer    then    proceeds    to    say,    that    a    number    of 
imitators  of  Whitefield    sprung  up  after  his  departure,   and 
that  one  of  the  most  famous  of  them  was  Gilbert  Tenncnt, 
"  A  man  of  no  great  parts  or  learning,  and  whose  preaching  was  in  the 


Hostile  Pamphlets.  1 3 

extemporaneous  way,  with  much  noise,  and  little  connection.  Under  his 
preaching,  scores  cried  out,  fell  down,  swooned  away,  and  were  like 
persons  in  fits.  Visions  became  common,  and  trances  also.  Laughino-^ 
loud,  hearty  laughing,  was  one  of  the  ways  in  which  the  new  cojiverts 
almost  everywhere  expressed  their  joy  at  the  conversion  of  others. 
Houses  of  worship  were  scarce  emptied  night  or  day  for  a  week  together, 
and  unheard-of  instances  of  supposed  religion  were  carried  on  in  them. 
In  the  same  house,  and  at  the  same  time,  some  would  he  praying,  some 
exhorting,  some  singing,  some  clapping  theirjtands,  some  laughing,  some 
crying,  some  shrieking,  and  some  roaring  out." 

The  gentleman  in  Boston  concludes  thus  : — 

"  I  am  among  those  who  are  clearly  of  opinion,  that,  there  never  was 
such  a  spirit  of  superstition  and  e7ithrtsias7n  reigning  in  the  land  before  ; 
never  such  gross  disorders,  and  bare-faced  affronts  to  common  deceticyj 
never  such  scandalous  reproaches  on  the  blessed  Spirit,  making  Him  the 
author  of  the  greatest  irregularities  and  conficsions.  Yet,  I  am  of  opinion 
also,  that  the  appearances  among  us  have  been  the  means  of  awakening 
the  attention  of  many  ;  and  a  good  number,  I  hope,  have  settled  into  a 
truly  Christian  temper." 

The  "  Letter "  was  written  with  seeming  candour,  but 
there  can  be  little  doubt  that  its  publication  in  Edinburgh 
added  to  the  difficulties  which  Whitefield  kad  to  en- 
counter among  the  precise  Presbyterians  of  the  kingdom 
of  Scotland.  Almost  *  contemporaneously  wifli  this,  there 
was  published  in  Glasgow,  a  small  12 mo.  book,  of  130 
pages,  entitled,  "  The  State  of  Religion  in  New  England, 
since  the  Rev.  Mr.  George  Whitefield's  arrival  there,  in  a 
Letter,  from  a  Gentleman  in  New  England,  to  his  Friend  in 
Glasgow  :  with  an  Appendix  containing  Proofs  of  the  prin- 
cipal Facts,  and  further  Accounts  of  the  Disorders  in 
matters  of  Religion  lately  introduced  into  various  parts  of 
New  England  and  Carolina."  The  gentleman's  letter  is 
dated  "May  24,  1742." 

The  preface  to  this  publication  contains  the  following : — 

"  Mr.  Whitefield  asks  nothing,  indeed,  for  his  preaching,  but  he  has  a 
brother  Syms  to  suggest,  wherever  he  goes,  what  it  is  decent  to  give  so 
great  a  man  ;  and,  by  these  means,  he  has,  these  four  months  past,  made 
as  much  gain  as  several  of  the  bishops  in  England,  or  any  six  ministers 
in  Scotland,  for  the  same  time  ;  and  that  partly  by  getting  from  some 
poor  parishes,  for  a  day's  holdi7ig  forth,  nearly  as  much  as  they  collect  for 
their  own  poor  in  a  whole  year." 

This    was    a    baseless    slander ;    but    let    it    pass.      The 
'  Gentleman  in  New  England  "  asks  : — 


!r4  The  Life  of  Whifefield. 

1742  " In  what  does  Mr.  Whitefield's  fervour  turn?  Is  it  not  upon  getting 
"""      money  and  popular  applause,  by  perpetually  roaring  out  hcU-flavics,fire 

^^  and  brimstone,  incarnate  devils,  and  damnation  ?  Some  are  frightened  out 
of  their  senses  ;  others  fall  into  convulsions  and  epileptic  fits  ;  and  others 
scream  and  roar  with  hideous  voices.  These  are,  according  to  him,  the 
fruits  of  the  Spirit,  z.vA  gales  from  the  Holy  Ghost." 

Gilbert  Tennent,    the   friend    of   Whitefield,    is   similarly 
abused. 

"  In  the  pulpit,  Gilbert  Tennent  is  an  awkward  and  ridiculous  ape  of 
Whitefield,  for  his  appearance  is  very  clownish.  His  great  business,  in  his 
sermons,  is  either  to  puzzle  or  to  frighten  his  hearers,  but  especially  the 
latter,  which  he  does  by  roaring  and  bellowing  damnation,  devils,  and  all 
the  dreadful  luords  he  can  think  of.  He  is  followed  by  all  sorts  of  people, 
as  much  as  Whitefield  was,  and,  by  many,  is  prefered  to  him." 

Of  the   Presbyterian  helpers,  employed  by  Whitefield  and 
Tennent  in  New  England,  the  "  Gentleman  "  remarks  : — 

''There  is  a  creature  here  whom,  perhaps,  you  never  heard  of  before. 
It  is  called  an  Exhorter.  It  is  of  both  sexes,  but  generally  of  the  male, 
and  young.  Its  distinguishing  qualities  are  ignorance,  impudence,  zeal. 
Numbers  of  these  exhorters  are  among  the  people  here.  They  go  from 
tov.'n  to  town  ;  creep  into  houses  ;  lead  captive  silly  women  ;  and  then  the 
men.  Such  of  them  as  have  good  voices  do  great  execntion.  They  move 
their  hearers,  and  make  them  cry,  faint,  swoon,  and  fall  into  convulsions." 

The   converts   of  Whitefield    and    Tennent   are   thus  de- 
scribed : — 

"  The  converts  are  all  made  in  this  manner.  First,  they  become  con- 
cerned for  their  souls,  and  greatly  distressed,  and  not  rarely  distracted. 
They  continue  in  this  condition  for  some  days,  and  then,  all  at  once, 
without  any  visible  means,  they  come  out  of  their  dark  and  disconsolate 
state  all  light,  joy,  and  ecstasy.  This  they  express  by  their  talk  to  their 
neighbours,  which  they  call  telling  their  experiences  ;  and,  in  many  places, 
by  immoderate  laughter  and  singing  hymns.  Their  joy  is  sometimes  so 
great,  that,  their  eyes  sparkle,  and  their  faces  shine.  These  are  certain 
signs  of  the  Spirit  of  God  being  in  them.  One  of  a  hundred  excepted, 
they  all  make  religion  to  consist  in  the  feeling  of  inward  impulses  and 
impressions,  in  an  inexplicable  faith,  joys,  ecstasies,  and  such-like  things. 
They  are  bigoted  to  certain  opinions,  which  they  do  not  understand  ;  and 
have  not  the  least  degree  of  charity  for  those  who  are  of  another  way  of 
thinking.  All  of  them  are  vain,  self-conceited,  superstitious,  enthusiastic, 
censorious  slanderers.  Reason,  learning,  and  morality,  they  professedly 
disregard.  If  they  hear  a  minister  preach,  in  the  most  evangelical 
manner,  upon  any  moral  duty,  or  if  they  hear-  him  recommend  the 
exercise  of  reason  and  understanding,  they  call  him  a  dry,  husky,  Armi- 
nian  preacher,  and  conclude  for  certain  that  he  is  not  converted." 


Hostile  Pamphlets.  15 

The  reader  may  easily  imagine  the   effects   hkcly  to  be     ^742 
produced,  at  this  juncture,  among  the  Presbyterians  of  Scot-  Age  25 
land,   by  such   infamous   statements   respecting   Presbyterian 
converts  and  congregations  in  New  England. 

The  subject  is  a  loathsome  one  ;  but,  perhaps,  it  is  best, 
once  for  all,  to  exhaust  it.  To  say  nothing  of  objectionable 
passages  in  Ralph  Erskinc's  pamphlet,  entitled,  "  Fraud  and 
Falsehood  Detected,"  and  in  the  sermons  he  preached  at 
different  places  in  the  year  1742,  particularly  those  on 
Luke  xxii.  31,  32;  Heb.  xiii.  8;  and  Rev.  v.  9;^  the 
following  publications  must  have  annoyed  Whitefield,  and, 
also,  injured  him  in  the  estimation  of  the  Scottish  people. 

1.  "  Some  Observations  upon  the  Conduct  of  the  Famous 
Mr.  W — field.  By  a  true  Lover  of  the  Church  and  Country. 
Edinburgh:  printed  in  the  year  i  742."  (i2mo.  12  pp.)  The 
author  of  these  "  Observations  "  told  his  readers,  that,  White- 
field  had  taken  upon  himself  "  the  office  of  a  thirteenth 
apostle  ;"  and  that  he  began  his  work  in  Scotland  "  with  a 
notorious  lie,  for  he  said  he  was  ^600  out  of  pocket  about 
his  Hospital  in  Georgia,  whereas  it  can  be  proved  that  he 
advanced  about  ;^iooo  to  a  captain  of  a  man  of  war,  who 
gave  him  bills  for  it  upon  the  Admiralty,  who  paid  this  sum 
to  him  a  little  before  he  came  to  Scotland."  The  writer 
adds,  "  Instead  of  going  to  Georgia,  this  thirteenth  Apostle 
was  moved  to  take  to  him  a  fellow- mate  ;  so  that  now,  I  am 
afraid,  these  "  (Scotch)  "  collections  will  be  applied  towards 
the  maintenance  of  him,  her,  and  their  issue."  The  anxious 
author,  in  conclusion,  benevolently  remarks  :  "  Let  all  good 
people  beware  of  this  stroller  ;  for  he  will  yet  find'  a  way  to 
wheedle  you  out  of  your  money.  He  is  as  artful  a  mounte- 
bank as  any  I  know." 

2.  "A  Letter  to  a  Gentleman  in  Edinburgh,  containing 
Remarks   upon    a   late   Apology    for    the    Presbyterians    in 


'  "  Fraud  and  Falsehood  Detected"  was  not  published  in  Erskine's  col- 
lected works.  For  the  sermons  here  mentioned,  see  "  The  Sermons  and 
other  Practical  Works  of  the  Rev.  Ralph  Erskine."  8vo.  1777,  vol.  vii., 
p.  373,  etc.,  p.  423,  etc.,  and  p.  441,  etc.  The  first  of  these  sermons  was 
preached  at  Stirling,  June  13,  the  second  at  Dunfermline,  June  iith,  and 
the  third  at  Abbotshall,  August  9th,  1742.  Further  attacks  on  the  great 
revival  may  be  found  in  vol.  viii.,  pp.  47,  104,  190,  etc. 


1 6  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1742  Scotland,  who  keep  Communion,  in  the  Ordinances  of  the 
Age  27  Gospel,  with  Mr.  George  Whitefield,  a  Priest  of  the  Church 
of  England  :  shewing  that  such  a  Practice  is  not  justi- 
fiable by  the  Principles  and  Practice  of  the  Church  of 
Scotland,  from  the  Reformation  to  this  day  ;  nor  by  the 
Westminster  Confession  of  Faith,  Solemn  League  and 
Covenant.  In  which  Mr.  Whitefield's  Religion,  Orthodoxy, 
and  Moral  Character  are  set  in  a  proper  light,  by  Collections 
from  his  own  printed  Performances.  Glasgow,  1742."  (pp. 
112.)  The  letter  is  signed,  "John  Bisset,  Minister  of  the 
Gospel  in  Aberdeen;"  and  is  dated,  "October  26,  1742." 
Upon  the  whole,  the  pamphlet  is  well  written,  and  less 
verbose  than  many  of  the  Scotch  productions  of  that  period. 
Half  of  it  is  an  elaborate  criticism  of  the  "  late  Apology  ;" 
and  the  remainder  a  venomous  attack  on  Whitefield,  who  is 
branded  as  being  "  enthusiastically,  daringly  presumptuous, 
and  popishly  superstitious," — "  a  strolling  impostor,  whose 
cheats,  in  due  time,  will  be  discovered."  In  conclusion,  Mr. 
Bisset  writes  :  "  Mr.  Whitefield  has  done  more  to  promote 
effectually  the  cause  of  Episopacy,  and  a  liking  to  it  in 
Scotland,  than  all  the  means,  fair  and  foul,  that  have  been 
used  since  our  reformation  from  Popery  to  this  day." 

Besides  the  above,  two  other  antagonistic  pamphlets  must 
be  noticed,  which,  though  not  printed  in  Scotland,  were 
doubtless  circulated  there,  and  helped  to  increase  the  diffi- 
culties with  which  Whitefield  had  to  struggle. 

I.  "A  Brief  History  of  the  Principles  of  Methodism, 
wherein  the  Rise  and  Progress,  together  with  the  Causes  of 
the  several  Variations,  Divisions,  and  present  Inconsistencies 
of  this  Sect  are  attempted  to  be  traced  out,  and  accounted* 
for.  By  Josiah  Tucker,  M.A.,  Vicar  of  All  Saints,  and  one 
of  the  Minor  Canons  of  the  College  of  Bristol.  Oxford, 
1742."  (8vo.  51  pp.)  Mr.  Tucker,  in  obsequious  terms, 
dedicated  his  anti-Methodistic  publication  to  Dr.  Boulter, 
Archbishop  of  Armagh,  who  had  treated  Whitefield  with 
great  courtesy  on  his  return  from  America  in  1738.  Mr. 
Tucker  tells  the  Archbishop,  that  Whitefield  left  the  Univer- 
sity of  Oxford  "with  a  crude  and  undigested  notion  of  the 
system  of  William  Law  ;"  and,  that  "  it  happened  through 
a  blunder  on  his  side,  and  a  mistake  of  the  question  on  all 


Hostile  Pamphkh.  17 

sides,  that  he  fell  in  with  the  Calvinistical  party,  and  looked     ^742 
upon   them  as  his   patrons   and    advocates."      "  It  was  some  Age  27 
time,  however,  before  he  understood   his  new  credenda,  or  so 
much  as   knew  the  nature  of  the  Jive  points,  and  how  they 
hang  in  a  chain  one  upon  another." 

2.  "Genuine  and  Secret  Memoirs  relating  to  the  Adventures 
of  that  Arch-Methodist,  Mr.  G.  W — fi— d  :  Likewise,  Cri- 
tical and  Explanatory  Remarks  upon  that  inimitable  piece, 
entitled  '  God's  Dealings  with  the  Rev.  Mr.  Whitefield  ;' 
wherein  is  likewise  proved  (by  his  own  words),  that  he  has 
had  pretty  large  dealings  also  with  Satan  :  the  whole  inter- 
spersed with  observations  instructive  and  humorous.  Col- 
lected and  published,  by  a  Gentleman  of  Oxford,  for  general 
information  ;  and  necessary  to  be  had  in  all  families  as  a 
preservative  against  Enthusiasm  and  Methodism.  Oxford, 
1742."      (8vo.  85  pp.) 

This  was  a  most  disgraceful  and  disgusting  pamphlet. 
To  quote  its  obscenity  would  be  criminal.  It  finishes  with 
eight  verses,  entitled  "  The  Field-Preacher.  To  the  Tune  of 
the  Queen's  Old  Courtier."  The  first  of  these  verses  is  as 
follows  :^-*^ 

"  With  face  and  fashion  to  be  known, 
With  eyes  all  white,  and  many  a  groan, 
With  arms  atttstretched,  and  snivelling  tone, 
And  handkerchief  from  nose  new-blown, 
And  loving  cant  to  sister  yoan. 

{Chorus)  'Tis  a  new  teacher  about  the  town, 
Oh  !  the  town's  new  teacher  ! " 

Abuse  like  this  was  not  pleasant.  It  is  true,  that  White- 
field  had  long  been  used  to  it ;  but  the  repetition  of  the 
thing  did  not  abate  its  hardship.  Most  of  it  was  utterly 
untrue,  the  remainder,  to  a  great  extent,  was  ill-tempered 
banter,  and  the  whole  was  provokingly  disagreeable.  White- 
field  was  quite  as  sensitive  as  are  popular  men  in  general  ; 
and  there  can  hardly  be  a  doubt  that  such  injustice  caused 
him  many  a  bitter  pang.  In  the  midst  of  all,  however,  he 
rarely,  if  ever,  lost  his  equanimity;  and  he  generally  avoided 
"rendering  railing  for  railing."  He  doubtless  prized  his 
reputation,  as  every  good  man  does  ;  but  his  own  fame  was 
to  him  of  less  importance  than  the  prosperity  of  the  work 

.VOL.  ir.  2 


The  Life  of  Whitefield. 


1742  of  God.  Whatever  interfered  with  that  created  profound 
Age  27  distress  ;  and,  hence,  it  is  not  surprising,  that  he  replied  to 
one  of  the  slanderous  pubhcations  just  mentioned.  If  what 
the  "  Gentleman  in  New  England  "  had  said  was  true,  the 
Presbyterians  in  Scotland  might  justly  look  upon  Whitefield's 
ministry  with  suspicion  and  alarm.  To  prevent  this.  White- 
field  wrote  and  published  the  following:  "Some  Remarks  on 
a  late  Pamphlet,  entitled,  '  The  State  of  Religion  in  New 
England,  since  the  Rev.  Mr.  George  Whitefield's  arrival  there.' 
Glasgow  :  printed  by  William  Duncan,  and  sold  by  the  book- 
sellers in  Edinburgh  and  Glasgow,  1742."  (i6mo.  32  pp.) 
The  "  Remarks"  are  dated  "  Cambuslang,  August  31,  1742." 
Want  of  space  renders  it  impossible  to  give  a  lengthened 
outline  of  Whitefield's  pamphlet.  Speaking  of  the  publica- 
tion to  which  he  was  now  replying,  he  truly  says  :  "  The 
design  of  it  is  base  and  wicked.  It  is  intended,  if  possible, 
to  eclipse  the  late  great  and  glorious  Avork  in  New  England  ; 
to  invalidate  the  testimonies  that  have  been  given  of  it; 
and,  thereby,  to  bring  a  reproach  upon,  and  to  hinder  the 
spreading  of,  a  like  glorious  work,  which  God,  of  His  infinite 
mercy,  has,  for  some  time,  been  carrying  on  in  Scotland." 
He  proceeds  to  shew  that  the  gentlemen,  who  had  testified 
concerning  the  scriptural  character  of  the  New  England 
revival,  were  men  of  "  sound  understanding,  integrity, 
sobriety  of  manners,  and  piety."  Among  others,  he  men- 
tions the  Honourable  Mr.  Willard,  secretary  of  the  province; 
also  the  Rev.  Messrs.  Colman,  Cooper,  and  Prince,  who  held 
degrees  conferred  by  the  University  of  Glasgow.  He  gives 
numerous  testimonies,  by  persons  living  on  the  spot,  flatly 
contradicting  the  sweeping  accusations  of  the  "  Gentleman  in 
New  England  ;  "  and  shews  that  some  of  his  quotations  were 
so  garbled  as  to  be  practically  false.  Stoutly  defending  his 
friend  Tennent,  he  writes  :  "  I  have  the  happiness  of  being 
intimately  acquainted  with  Mr.  Gilbert  Tennent.  I  scarcely 
know  a  man  of  a  more  catholic  spirit.  Indeed,  to  the 
honour  of  the  grace  of  God  be  it  spoken,  he  is  a  son  of 
thunder,  especially  in  his  applications,  and  when  he  is 
preaching  the  law.  At  such  times,  people  cannot  easily 
sleep.  He  is  a  workman  that  needs  not  be  asham.ed,  and  is 
taught  of  God  rightly  to  divide  the  word  of  truth.      His  book, 


The  Nnv  England  Revival.  19 

entitled  '  The  Presumptuous  Sinner  Detected,'  and  his  many  ^742 
printed  sermons,  shew  him  to  be  a  man  of  great  learning,  Age  27 
solidity,  and  piety."  Whitefield,  however,  admits  that  there 
had  been  some  chaff  among  the  wheat.  "  The  sum  of  the 
matter,"  he  says,  *'  seems  to  be  this — there  has  been  a  great 
and  marvellous  work  in  New  England  ;  but,  by  the  im- 
prudences of  some,  and  the  overboiling  zeal  of  others, 
irregularities,  in  several  places,  have  been  committed.  This 
is  nothing  but  what  is  common.  It  was  so  in  Old  England 
a  few  years  ago.  Many  young  persons  there  ran  out  before 
they  were  called.  Others  were  guilty  of  great  indiscretion, 
I  checked  them  in  the  strictest  manner  myself ;  and  found, 
as  they  grew  acquainted  with  the  Lord  Jesus  and  their  own 
hearts,  the  intemperance  of  their  zeal  abated,  and  they 
became  truly  humble  walkers  with  God.  After  a  gathering, 
there  will  always  be  a  sifting  time.  The  Church  is  generally 
shaken  before  it  is  settled."  Finally,  to  shew  that  he  was 
neither  vanquished  nor  disheartened,  Whitefield  concludes 
with  two  verses  from  the  Scotch  Psalter  : — 

"  Why  rage  the  heathen  ?  and  vain  things 
Why  do  the  people  mind.'' 
Kings  of  the  earth  do  set  themselves, 

And  princes  are  combin'd 
To  plot  against  the  Lord,  and  His 

Anointed,  saying  thus, 
*  Let  us  asunder  break  their  bands, 
And  cast  their  cords  from  us.' 

He,  that  in  heaven  sits,  shall  laugh  ; 

The  Lord  shall  scorn  them  all. 
Then  shall  He  speak  to  them  in  wrath, 

In  rage,  He  vex  them  shall. 
Yet,  notwithstanding,  I  have  Him 

To  be  my  King  appointed  : 
And  over  Sion,  my  holy  hill, 

I  have  Him  King  anointed." 

It  ought  to  be  added  that,  immediately  after  the  publica- 
tion of  Whitefield's  pamphlet,  the  Rev.  Jonathan  Edwards 
issued  a  very  able  and  exhaustive  treatise  on  the  same 
subject,  with  the  title,  "Some  Thoughts  concerning  the 
present  Revival  of  Religion  in  New  England,  and  the  way 
in  which  it  ought  to  be  acknowledged  and  promoted.      By 


20  The  Life  of  Whitcfield, 

^742  Jonathan  Edwards,  A.M.,  Pastor  of  the  Church  of  Christ  at 
A^e  27  Northampton."  This  was  first  published  in  Boston,  New 
England;  and,  in  1 743,  was  reprinted  in  Edinburgh, 
(i  2  mo.  22  I  pp.) 

In  some  of  the  hostile  publications  already  mentioned, 
"Whitefield  had  been  attacked  respecting  his  Orphan-house 
collections  ;  and  probably  this,  and  other  reasons,  led  him 
to  publish  the  following  :  "  A  Continuation  of  the  Account 
of  the  Orphan  House  in  Georgia,  from  January,  1741,  to 
June,  1742  ;  to  which  are  subjoined  some  Extracts  from  an 
Account  of  a  Work  of  a  like  Nature,  carried  on  by  the  late 
Professor  P'rancke,  in  Glaucha,  near  Halle,  in  Saxony.  By 
George  Whitefield,  A.B.,  late  of  Pembroke  College,  Oxford. 
Edinburgh  :  printed  by  T.  Lumisden  and  J.  Robertson  ;  and 
sold  by  J,  Traill,  Bookseller,  in  the  Parliament  Close.  1742," 
(i8mo.  86  pp.) 

Whitefield's  Preface,  dated  "September  2  2,  1742,"  con- 
tains the  following  curious  paragraph — a  paragraph  which, 
of  course,  will  shock  both  teetotallers  and  the  members  of 
the  Anti-Slavery  Society  ; — 

"  Once  I  am  clear  of  all  arrears,  the  Orphan  House  will  be  supported 
at  a  very  easy  expense.  The  last  Parliament  have  altered  the  constitution 
of  the  colony  of  Georgia,  in  two  material  points  :  they  have  allowed  the 
importation  of  rum,  and  free  titles  to  the  land.  If  they  should  see  good 
hereafter  to  grant  a  limited  use  of  negroes,  Georgia  must,  in  all  outward 
appearances,  be  as  flourishing  a  colony  as  South  Carolina." 

Since  his  arrival  in  England,  in  March,  1741,  Whitefield 
had  collected,  for  his  Orphan  House,  ;^i  158  6s.  Old,;  and 
had  expended  ;^I302   17s.  2IA. 

Before  proceeding  further,  two  more  of  his  publications, 
in  Scotland,  must  be  mentioned  ;  both  of  them  reprints,  but 
suited  to  the  circumstances  in  which  he  now  found  himself. 
I.  "A  Letter,  from  the  Rev.  Mr.  George  Whitefield  to  the 
Religious  Societies  of  England,  written  during  his  voyage  to 
Philadelphia,  in  1739;  and  now  particularly  recommended 
to  those  who  have  lately  formed  themselves  into  Religious 
Societies  in  Scotland  ;  to  which  is  added  an  extract  from  a 
late  Author,  shewing  that  a  Catholic  Spirit  is  the  only  thing 
that  can  unite  and  make  Christians  happy  one  amongst 
another  in  this  divided  state  of  things.      Edinburgh  :    1742." 


Whitejielcr  s  Publications  in  Scotland,  21 

(i8mo.  27  pp.)  2.  "Nine  Sermons,  upon  the  following 
subjects,  namely:  i.  The  Lord  our  Righteousness," ^  etc. 
"By  George  Whitefield,  A.B.  Edinburgh,  1742."  (r2mo. 
199  PP-) 

We  now  return  to  Whitefield's  correspondence,  which, 
practically,  is  a  journal  of  his  proceedings.  We  left  him  at 
Edinburgh  on  July  7,  1742. 

The  ministers  of  "  The  Associate  Presbytery"  were,  with- 
out doubt,  the  most  violent  of  Whitefield's  opposers  in 
Scotland  ;  but  there  were  also  others  who  gave  him  trouble. 
The  Rev.  Mr.  Willison,  of  Dundee,  was  one  of  the  best  of 
the  Scottish  clergy.  Between  him  and  Whitefield  there  had 
been  considerable  correspondence.  Under  his  auspices 
Whitefield  had  preached  in  Dundee,  Mr.  Willison,  also, 
sympathised  with  the  present  revival  movement ;  but  even 
he  occasioned  Whitefield  some  disquietude.  Hence  the 
following  letter  : — 

"Edinburgh,  July  7,  1742. 
"Reverend  and  dear  Sir, — Your  letter  gave  me  some  concern.  I 
thought  it  breathed  a  sectarian  spirit,  to  which  I  hoped  dear  Mr.  Willison 
was  quite  averse.  You  seem  not  satisfied,  unless  I  declare  myself  a 
Presbyterian,  and  openly  renounce  the  Church  of  England.  God  knows 
that  I  have  been  faithful  in  bearing  a  testimony  against  what  I  think  is 
corrupt  in  that  Church.  I  have  also  shewn  my  freedom  in  communicating 
with  the  Church  of  Scotland,  and  in  baptizing  children  in  their  own  way. 
I  can  go  no  further. 

■"  Dear  sir,  be  not  offended  at  my  plain  speaking.  I  find  but  few  of  a 
truly  catholic  spirit.  Most  are  catholics  till  they  bring  persons  over  to 
their  own  party,  and  there  they  would  fetter  them.  I  have  not  so  learned 
Christ.  I  shall  approve  and  join  all  who  are  good,  in  every  sect ;  and 
cast  a  mantle  of  love  over  all  who  are  bad,  so  far  as  is  consistent  with  a 
good  conscience. 

"  Morning  and  evening  retirement  is  certainly  good  ;  but  if,  through 
weakness  of  body,  or  frequency  of  preaching,  I  cannot  go  to  God  at  niy 
usual  set  times,  I  think  my  spirit  is  not  in  bondage.  It  is  not  for  me  to 
tell  how  often  I  use  secret  prayer.  If  I  did  not  use  it— nay,  if,  in  one 
sense,  I  did  not  pray  without  ceasing — it  would  be  difficult  for  me  to  keep 
up  that  frame  of  mind,  which,  by  the  Divine  blessing,  I  daily  enjoy.  If 
the  work  of  God  prospers,  and  your  hands  become  more  full,  you  will  then 
know  better  what  I  mean, 

"  But  enough  of  this,     God  knows  I  would  do  everything  I  possibly 

'  The  nine  sermons  were  selected  from  Whitefield's  sermons  already 
published. 


The  hife  of  WJiiteJield, 


could  to  satisfy  all  men,  and  give  a  reason  of  the  hope  that  is  in  me  with 
meekness  and  fear  ;  but  I  cannot  satisfy  all  who  are  waiting  for  an  occa- 
sion to  find  fault.  Our  Lord  could  not  ;  I,  therefore,  despair  of  doing  it. 
However,  dear  sir,  I  take  what  you  have  said  in  good  part  ;  only  I  think 
you  are  too  solicitous  to  clear  up  my  character  to  captious  and  prejudiced 
men.  Let  my  Master  speak  for  me.  Blessed  be  God  !  He  will,  so  long 
as  I  simply  throw  myself  into  His  almighty  arms. 

"  I  am  glad  the  work  goes  on  with  you.  Glory  be  to  God  !  we  have 
seen  glorious  things  in  the  west. 

"Yours,  etc., 

"  George  Whitefield." 

In  the  following-  letter;;,  Whitefield  refers  to  the  opposition 
which  he  had  to  encounter  in  Scotland.  The  first  was  ad- 
dressed to  a  minister  in  London  : — 

"Inchannon,  July  21,  1742. 

"  Reverend  and  dear  Sir, — I  heartily  rejoice  that  the  Lord  is  bless- 
ing and  owning  you.  Go  on,  dear  sir,  go  on,  and  you  will  certainly  find 
the  glorious  Emmanuel  will  be  with  you  more  and  more.  It  is  observable 
that  there  is  but  one  thing  in  Scripture,  which  we  are  commanded  to  do 
out  of  season — preaching.  Be  instant,  therefore,  in  season  and  out  of 
season.  The  Lord  will  stand  by  you  and  strengthen  you,  and  deliver  you 
from  wicked  and  unreasonable  men.  You  will  find  the  blessedness  of 
^he  cross  ;  and  the  Spirit  of  Christ  and  of  glory  will  rest  upon  your  soul. 

"The  Messrs.  Erskine  and  their  adhei-ents  have  appointed  a  public 
fast,  to  humble  themselves,  among  other  things,  for  my  being  received  in 
Scotland,  and  for  the  delusion,  as  they  term  it,  at  Cambuslang  and  other 
places  ;  and  all  this  because  I  would  not  consent  to  preach  only  for  them, 
till  I  had  light  into,  and  could  take  the  Solemn  League  and  Covenant. 
To  what  lengths  may  prejudice  carry  even  good  men  !  From  giving  way 
to  the  first  risings  of  bigotry  and  a  party  spirit,  good  Lord,  deliver  us !" 

The  next  letter  seems  to  have  been  addressed  to  the  Rev. 
John  McLaurin,  of  Glasgow,  and  was  accompanied  by  a 
number  of  young  people  who  appear  to  have  come  all  the 
way  from  Glasgow  to  Edinburgh,  to  hear  Whitefield  preach. 

"Edinburgh,  July  28,  1742. 

"Reverend  and  dear  Sir, — With  this,  I  suppose,  you  will  receive 
several  young  ones,  who,  I  think,  have  acted  wrong  in  leaving  their  re- 
spective employments,  under  parents  and  masters,  to  go  after  n^e.  Be 
Dleased  to  examine  them,  and  send  them  home. 

"  The  Lord  was  with  me  at  Falkirk,  and  is  pleased  to  work  by  me  here. 
O  free  grace  !  I  am  persuaded  I  shall  have  more  power,  since  dear  Mr. 
Gibb  has  printed  such  a  bitter  pamphlet.  Now  I  begin  to  be  a  disciple 
of  Jesus  Christ.  I  rejoice  and  am  exceeding  glad.  The  archers  shot  sore 
at  me  that  I  might  fall,  but  the  Lord  is,  and  the  Lord  will  be,  my  helper." 


Invasion  of  Georgia.  23 

To  a  friend  in  London,  Whitefield  wrote  : —  '^^ 

"  Edinburgh,  July  31,  1742.      ^^  ^"^ 
"One  of  ' The  Associate  Presbytery' has  published  the  most  virulent 
pamphlet  I  ever  saw,  ascribing  all  that  has  been  done  here,  and  even  in 
New  England,  to  the  influence  of  the  devil.     O  how  prejudice  will  blin 
the  eyes  of  even  good  men  !" 

Whitefield  had  other  troubles  besides  the  bitter  pamphlets 
that  were  published  against  him.  The  Spaniards  had  in- 
vaded Georgia.  With  forty  sail  of  small  galleys,  and  other 
craft,  they  had  come  into  Cumberland  Sound.  With  another 
fleet  of  thirty-six  ships,  they  had  entered  Jekyl  Sound.  They 
had  landed  four  thousand  five  hundred  men,  and  marched, 
through  the  woods,  to  Frcderica.  Half  of  their  galleys  also 
approached  the  same  town,  and  twenty-eight  sail  attacked 
Fort  William.  Oglethorpe's  military  force  was  small,  but 
proved  victorious  ;  and  July  25,  1742,  was  appointed,  by  the 
General,  "  as  a  day  of  public  thanksgiving  to  Almighty  God 
for  His  great  deliverance  in  having  put  an  end  to  the  Spanish 
invasion."^  Whitefield  had  heard  of  the  invasion  ;  but,  as 
yet,  he  had  not  heard  of  the  defeat.  In  a  series  of  letters, 
written  in  July,  his  superintendent,  Mr.  Habersham,  had 
informed  him,  that,  finding  the  Orphan  House  in  great 
danger  of  attack,  they  had  removed  all  its  inmates,  eighty- 
five  in  number,  to  Mr.  Jonathan  Bryan's  plantation,  in  South 
Carolina.  They  arrived  at  midnight  on  July  10  ;  and, 
within  six  weeks  afterwards,  were  safely  back  to  Bethesda.^ 
Hence  the  following  letter  to  Whitefield  : — 

"Bethesda,  August  19,  1742, 
"  My  dearest  Friend  and  Brother, — I  hope,  before  this  reaches 
you,  you  will  have  received  mine  of  the  4th,  nth,  14th,  and  27th  of  July  ; 
and  that  you  see  your  way  clear  to  come  to  us.  Blessed  be  God  !  we 
have  reason  to  conclude  the  Spaniards  have  entirely  left  the  colony  ;  and 
we  are  now  again  very  comfortably  settled.  The  deliverance  the  Lord 
has  wrought  for  us,  by  General  Oglethorpe,  I  think,  is  the  most  remark- 
able I  ever  heard  or  read  of,  except  some  instances  recorded  in  the  Old 
Testament.  I  cannot  now  mention  particulars.  At  Savannah,  the  poor 
people  are  almost  all  sick  ;  at  Frederica  likewise,  and  at  Mr.  Bryan's,  and 
at  other  neighbours',  they  are  in  the  same  condition.  We  also  have  many 
down.     We  have  a  good  crop  on  the  ground  ;  but,  except  a  few  boys, 

'  General  Oglethorpe's  Proclamation. 

*  Whitefield's  Works,  vol.  iii.,  pp.  453 — 459. 


24  The  Life  of  Whiiefield. 

1742     have  none  to  gather  it.     Brother  Hunter"  (the  surgeon  belonging  to  the 

.  Orphan   House)  "  has  his  hands  full,  and  is  chiefly  at  Savannah.     It  is 

but  little  we  buy  abroad.     We  hunt,  and  kill  our  own  stock ;  and  have 

potatoes  and  corn  enough  of  our  own.     I  hope  you  are  now  on  your 

passage  to  us.     We  cannot  but  expect  you." 

Besides  the  Spanish  invasion,  Whitefield  had  another 
trouble  in  Georgia.  Mr.  Jonathan  Barber,  his  lay-chaplain 
at  the  Orphan  House,  and  Mr.  Hunter,  the  house  surgeon, 
had  been  arrested  at  Savannah,  and  imprisoned  above  a  week, 
for  privately  insulting  the  Savannah'  clergyman.  These  and 
other  matters  are  mentioned  in  the  following  letters.  At  the 
time  when  they  were  written,  Whitefield  was  in  the  midst  of 
the  marvellous  revival  scenes  at  Cambuslang.  The  first  was 
addressed  to  Mr.  Barber,  his  recently  imprisoned  chaplain. 

"Cambuslang,  August  17,  1742. 

"  And  has  my  dear  brother  Barber  got  the  start  of  me  ?  What,  put  into 
prison  before  me  1  I  wish  you  joy,  my  dear  brother,  with  all  my  heart. 
Had  1  been  at  Savannah,  I  would  have  come,  and,  if  there  had  been  need, 
would  gladly  have  washed  your  feet.  I  doubt  not  but  your  imprisonment 
was  for  Christ's  sake.  I  wish  you  had  told  me  who  stood  by  at  Savannah, 
and  brought  you  refreshment.  Greet  them,  and  give  them  particular  thanks 
in  my  name.  I  must  write  to  the  Trustees,  and  to  others.  I  heard 
nothing  of  the  affair,  till  I  received  your  letter  last  week.     A  word  or  two 

of  yours,  to  Mr.  O ,"  (the  Savannah  clergyman,)  "  I  think  a  little  too 

harsh  ;  but  Paul  spoke  once  a  little  too  harsh  to  the  high  priest.  Our 
Jesus  will  overlook  this,  and  will  reward  you  for  your  imprisonment  by- 
and-by. 

"  I  cannot  help  believing  that  Georgia  will  yet  be  a  glorious  colony. 
The  counsel  of  God  shall  stand.  He  surely  put  it  into  my  heart  to  build 
the  Orphan  House.  He  certainly  brought  you  to  Georgia  to  superintend 
it.  He  will  bless  you  and  yours.  I  join  in  blessing  God  with  you,  and  in 
admiring  how  He  has  spread  a  table  for  my  dear  family  in  that  wilderness. 
I  am  kept  from  the  least  doubting.  I  am  just  now  about  to  publish  a 
further  account  of  the  Orphan  House,  and  hope  shortly  to  collect  some 
more  money  towards  its  support. 

"  1  am  blessed  with  far  greater  success  than  ever  ;  and  Satan  roars 
louder.  You  will  see,  by  what  I  here  send,  how  the  archers,  of  different 
classes,  shoot  at  me  ;  but  the  Lord  causes  my  bow  to  abide  in  strength, 
and  enables  me  to  triumph  in  every  place.  Last  Lord's-day,  I  believe, 
there  were  here  thirty  thousand  people,  and  above  two  thousand  five 
hundred  communicants.  The  work  spreads,  and,  I  believe,  will  yet 
spread." 

Whitefield  was  young,  but  plucky.      He  was  not  disposed 


I'wo  Prisoners  2^ 


to  submit  silently  to  the  high-handed  acts  of  the   small   offi-    '742 
cials  at  Savannah.      Hence  the  following,  addressed   to  their  A"-e  27 
superiors,  the  Honourable  Trustees  for  Georgia  : — 

"Cambuslang,  Aiigtist  17,  1742. 

"Honoured  Gentlemen,^ — Letters,  which  I  received  last  week  from 
Georgia,  occasion  my  troiibhng  you  with  this.  I  find  that  Mr.  Hunter 
and  Mr.  Barber  have  been  taken  up  by  a  warrant,  and  were  imprisoned 
above  a  week,  for  a  thing  which,  I  believe,  none  of  you  will  judge  cog- 
nisable by  the  civil  magistrates.     It  seems  that  Mr.  Barber,  in  a  private 

conversation  with  Mr.  O ,  (who  I  suppose  is  the  present  minister  of 

Savannah,)  told  him,  'he  was  no  Christian;  that  he  wondered  at  the 
impudence  of  young  men  in  subscribing  articles  they  did  not  believe  ; 
and  that  he  should  think  it  his  duty  to  warn  his  friends  not  to  hear 
him.' 

"  I  acknowledge,  that  such  language  was  too  harsh  ;  but  Mr.  Hunter, 
who  did  not  say  near  so  much,  was  linked  in  the  same  prosecution,  and 
imprisoned  with  him.  Mr.  Jones,  who  was  then  at  Frederica,  being 
informed  of  it,  declared  such  a  procedure  to  be  illegal  ;  and  his  Excellency 
General  Oglethorpe  desired  my  friends  to  lay  the  matter  before  the  Board 
of  the  Honourable  Trustees.  They  have  sent  to  me  a  particular  account 
of  what  has  passed,  which  I  will  transmit  to  you,  or,  when  I  come  to 
London,  I  will  wait  upon  you  in  person.  I  find,  also,  that  my  friends 
were  denied  a  copy  of  the  proceedings  in  court ;  in  which,  I  am  persuaded, 
you  will  think  they  have  been  wronged.  My  friends  require  no  satisfac- 
tion, but  only  desire  that  such  a  proceeding  may  be  animadverted  upon  ; 
knowing  that  otherwise  it  will  be  a  great  discouragement  to  people's 
settling  in  Georgia. 

"  I  am  sorry,  also,  to  inform  you,  honoured  gentlemen,  that  five  very 
small  children,  (Swiss  or  Dutch,)  whose  parents  lately  died  in  their 
passage  from  England,  have  had  their  goods  sold  at  Vendue,  and  are 
bound  out  till  the  age  of  twenty-one  years.  This  I  think  directly  contrary 
to  the  grant  given  me  by  you  ;  for,  thereby,  I  was  empowered  to  take  as 
many  orphans  into  the  house  as  my  fund  would  admit  of. 

"  I  understand,  also,  that  the  magistrates  have  been  at  the  Orphan  House, 
and  claim  a  power  to  take  away  the  children  when  they  please,  whether 
the  children  choose  it,  or  complain  of  ill-treatment,  or  not.  This  grieves 
some  of  the  children,  and  makes  others  of  them  insolent,  who  are,  hereby, 
taught,  that  they  have  a  power  to  go  away  when  they  will.  This  must  be 
discouraging  to  those  who  are  entrusted  with  their  education  ;  and  who 
aim  at  nothing  but  the  glory  of  God,  the  welfare  of  the  colony,  and  the 
salvation  of  the  children's  souls.  I  suppose  the  magistrates  have  taken 
such  a  liberty  from  the  instructions  which  were  sent  from  you  some 
time  ago  ;  but  Mr.  Jones  has  told  them,  that,  they  have  misunderstood 
vou  ;  and  his  Excellency  General  Oglethorpe,  I  find,  has  written  to  you 
about  it. 

"  Our  plantation  thrives  well ;  and  Mr.  Habersham  hopes  we  shall  do 


26  The  Life  of  Whitefuld. 


1742  with  white  servants  alone.  I  will  do  all  I  can  to  promote  the  o-ood  of 
AgTa?  Georgia  :  only  I  beg  that  the  management  of  the  Orphan  House  and  the 
orphans  may  be  secured  to  me  and  my  successors  for  ever  ;  and  that  the 
magistrates  be  not  suffered  to  disturb  us,  when  there  is  no  ground  of  com- 
plaint. They  acknowledged,  when  at  the  Orphan  House  last,  that  the 
children  were  taken  good  care  of,  both  as  to  their  bodies  and  souls  :  will 
it  not  then  tend  much  to  the  welfare  of  the  colony,  that  the  Orphan  House 
should  meet  with  all  possible  encouragement .'' 

"  His  Excellency  General  Oglethorpe  has  informed  my  friend  Mr. 
Habersham,  that,  if  I  desired  it,  he  thought  you  would  grant  me  a  greater 
tract  of  land,  which  I  should  be  obliged  to  give  away  in  a  certain  term  of 
years  ;  and  that  we  might  have  our  own  magistrates,  as  the  people  of 
Ebenezer  have.  I  know  not  whether  I  shall  desire  such  a  favour  ;  but,  if 
I  should,  I  desire  to  know  what  you,  honoured  gentlemen,  would  say  to 
it.  Many  have  applied  to  me  respecting  their  settling  in  Georgia  ;  but, 
hitherto,  I  could  give  them  no  encouragement.  I  wish  I  may  be  enabled 
to  give  them  a  great  deal  in  the  future. 

"  Honoured  gentlemen,  I  do  not  desire  to  find  fault.  I  doubt  not  but 
you  have  been  prejudiced  both  against  me  and  my  friends.  The  event 
will  shew  what  friends  we  are  to  Georgia.  The  Orphan  House  will 
certainly  be  of  great  utility  to  the  colony  ;  and  the  children  educated 
therein  will,  I  trust,  be  the  glory  of  the  society  to  which  they  belong. 
They  are  bred  up  to  industry,  as  well  as  to  other  things  ;  and  are  taught 
to  fear  God  and  honour  the  king.  I  heartily  pray  God  to  bless  all  who 
are  concerned  in  the  management  of  Georgian  affairs. 

"  I  hope  to  be  in  London  in  about  two  months.  In  the  meanwhile,  I 
would  beg  the  favour  of  a  line  by  your  secretary,  and  I  also  entreat  you, 
honoured  gentlemen,  to  write  to  the  magistrates  of  Savannah,  to  let  the 
Orphan  House  managers  alone.  If  I,  or  my  friends,  should  happen  to 
say  or  do  anything  amiss,  I  assure  you,  you  shall  have  all  possible  satis- 
faction given  you  by  them,  and  also  by,  honoured  gentlemen,  your  very 
humble  servant, 

"George  Whitefield." 

Such  was  Whitefield's  letter  to  the  Trustees  of  Georgia, 
written    in   the   midst  of  the    great   revival   at  Cambuslang. 

On  the  same  day,  he  wrote  a  long  letter  to  his  good 
friend,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Willison,  of  Dundee,  who  seems  to 
have  been  far  more  anxious  about  Whitefield's  reputation 
than  Whitefield  was  himself  The  letter  is  historical,  and 
extracts  from  it  must  be  given. 

"  Cambuslang,  A7ig7ist  17,  1742. 
"  Rev.  and  very  dear  Sir, — I  heartily  thank  you  for  your  concern 
about  unworthy  77ie.     Though  I  am  not  very  solicitous  respecting  what  the 
world  says  of  me,  yet  I  would  not  refuse  to  give  to  any  one,  much  less  a 


Whitefield'' s   Vindication  of  Himself.  27 


minister  of  Jesus  Christ,  all  reasonable  satisfaction  about  my  doctrine  or     1742 
conduct.  .   ~ 

"  I  am  sorry  that  '  The  Associate  Presbytery '  have  done  me  much  wrong. 

As  to  what  they  say  about  the  supremacy,  my  sentiments  agree  with  what 

is  said  in  the   Westminster  Confession  of  Faith    (chapter  xxiii.).     I  do 

wn  the  Lord  Jesus  to  be  the  blessed  Head  and  King  of  His  Church.     I 

£ver  abjured  the  Solemn  League  and  Covenant ;   neither  was  it  ever 

oposed  to  me  to  be  abjured. 

"  As  for  my  missives,  if  '  The  Associate  Presbytery '  will  be  pleased  to 
)rint  them,  the  world  will  see  that  they  had  no  reason  to  expect  I  would 
.ct  in  any  other  manner  than  I  have  done. 

"  What  that  part  oi  my  experience  is  that  savours  of  the  grossest  enthu- 
siasm, I  know  not.  It  is  not  specified  ;  but  this  one  thing  I  know,  when 
I  conversed  with  them,  they  were  satisfied  with  the  account  I  then  gave 
of  my  experience,  and  also  of  the  validity  of  my  mission.  Only,  when 
they  found  I  would  preach  the  gospel  promiscuously  to  all,  andyt*;'  e%ie7y 
minister  that  would  invite  me,  and  not  adhere  only  to  them,  one  of  them 
said,  '  That  they  were  satisfied  with  all  the  other  accounts  which  I  gave  of 
myself,  except  of  my  call  to  Scotland  at  that  time.'  They  would  have  been 
glad  of  my  help,  and  would  have  received  me  as  a  minister  of  Jesus 
Christ,  had  I  consented  to  preach  only  at  the  invitation  of  them  and 
their  people.  I  thought  their  foundation  was  too  narrow  for  any  high 
house  to  be  built  upon.  When  I  was  last  in  Scotland,  I  declared  freely, 
(and  I  am  more  and  more  convinced  of  it  since,)  that  they  were  building 
a  Babel. 

"  At  the  same  time,  they  knew  very  well,  I  was  far  from  being  against 
all  church  government.  How  can  any  church  subsist  without  it  ?  I  only 
urged,  as  I  do  now,  that,  since  holy  men  differ  so  much  about  the  form, 
we  should  bear  with  one  another,  though,  in  this  respect,  we  are  not  of  one 
mind.  I  have  often  declared,  in  the  most  public  manner,  that  I  believe 
the  Church  of  Scotland  to  be  the  best  constituted  National  Church  in  the 
world  ;  but,  then,  I  would  bear  and  converse  with  all  others,  who  do  not 
err  in  fundamentals,  and  who  give  evidence  that  they  are  true  lovers 
jf  the  Lord  Jesus.     This  is  what  I  mean  by  a  catholic  spirit. 

"  You  know  how  strongly  I  assert  all  the  doctrines  of  grace  as  con- 
tained in  the  Westminster  Confession  of  Faith,  and  in  the  doctrinal 
Articles  of  the  Church  of  England.  I  trust,  I  shall  adhere  to  these  as  long 
as  I  live  ;  because  I  verily  believe  they  are  the  truths  of  God,  and  because 
I  have  felt  the  power  of  them  in  my  heart, 

"  I  am  only  concerned  that  good  men  should  be  guilty  of  such  misre- 
presentations ;  but  this  teaches  me,  more  and  more,  to  exercise  compas- 
sion towards  all  the  children  of  God,  and  to  be  more  jealous  over  my  own 
heart,  knowing  what  a  fallible  creature  I  am.  I  acknowledge  that  I  am 
a  poor  blind  sinner,  liable  to  err  ;  and  I  would  be  obliged  to  an  enemy , 
much  more  to  so  dear  a  friend  as  you  are,  to  point  out  to  me  my  mistakes, 
as  to  my  practice,  or  as  to  unguarded  expressions  in  my  preaching  or 
writing. 

"  I  am  just  about  to  print  a  further  account  of  the  Orphan  House  in 


The  Life  of  Whitefield. 


1742     Georgia;  and,  having  many  other  affairs  of  importance  before  me,  can 
only  now  entreat  the  continuance  of  your  prayers,  and  beg  to  subscribe 
^      '    myself, 

"  Yours,  etc., 

"George  Whitefield." 
Unfortunately,  Whitefield's  troubles  were 'not  confined  to 
Scotland  and  Georgia.      Methodist  affairs  in  Wales  were  far 
from   being   in   a  satisfactory  state.       Hence  the  following 
letter  to  Howell  Harris  : — 

"  Cambuslang,  August  26,  1742. 
"  My  very  dear  Brother, — I  was  glad,  last  night,  to  receive  your 
letter.     I  love  your  simple,  honest  heart. 

"  The  account,  sent  with  this,  will  shew  you  how  often  I  have  been 
enabled  to  preach  ;  but  with  what  efficacy  and  success,  pen  cannot 
describe.  The  glorious  Redeemer  seems  to  be  advancing  from  congre- 
gation to  congregation,  carrying  all  before  Him. 

"  I  am  opposed  on  every  side.  The  Messrs.  Erskines'  people  have 
kept  a  fast  for  me,  and  given  out  that  all  the  work  now  in  Scotland  is 
only  delusion,  and  by  the  agency  of  the  devil. 

"  What  you  said  about  poor  Wales  affected  me.  I  lay  upon  my  face 
this  day,  and,  for  some  time,  pleaded,  with  groans  unutterable,  for  direction 
in  that  and  several  other  matters  of  great  consequence.  I  fear  my  deai 
brother  thinks  too  highly  of  me  ;  but,  if  Christ  is  pleased  to  honour  me  so 
far,  I  shall  lie  glad  to  help  the  brethren  in  Wales.  I  am  sorry  to  hear 
there  have  been  such  divisions ;  but  dividing  times  generally  precede 
settling  times." 

In  the  midst  of  all  these  altercations,  it  is  refreshing  to  be 
able  to  introduce  one  of  Whitefield's  filial  outpourings  to  his 
mother,  who  was  now  an    inmate   of  Whitefield's  house   in 

Bristol. 

"Cambuslang,  August  zd,  1742. 

"  Honoured  Mother, — I  rejoice  to  hear  that  you  have  been  so  long 
under  my  roof.  Blessed  be  God  that  I  have  a  house  for  my  honoured 
mother  to  come  to  !  You  are  heartily  welcome  to  anything  it  affords,  as 
long  as  you  please.  I  am  of  the  same  mind  now,  as  formerly.  If  need 
were,  these  hands  should  administer  to  your  necessities.  I  had  rather 
want  myself,  than  you  should.  I  shall  be  highly  pleased  when  I  come 
to  Bristol,  and  find  you  sitting  in  your  youngest  son's  house.  O  that  I 
may  sit  with  you  in  the  house  not  made  with  hands,  eternal,  in  the 
heavens  ! 

"  My  honoured  mother,  I  am  happier  and  happier  every  day.  If  any 
at  Bristol  enquire  after  me,  please  to  tell  them,  I  am  well  both  in  body 
and  soul,  and  desire  them  to  help  me  to  praise  free  and  sovereign  grace, 
O  that  my  dear  mother  may  be  made  an  everlasting  monument  of  it  ! 

*  The  Christian! s  Magazine,  vol.  i.,  1790,  p.  160. 


Whit efi eld  ""s  Letter  to  his  Mother,  2g 

How  does  my  heart  burn  with  love  and  duty  to  you  !     Gladly  would  I     1742 
wash  your  aged  feet,  and  lean  upon  your  neck,  and  weep  and  pray  until  I    .  ~ 
could  pray  no  more.     With  this,  I  send  you  a  thousand  dutiful  saluta-      "^ 
tions,  and  ten  thousand  hearty  and  most  humble  thanks,  for  all  the  pains 
you  underwent  in  conceiving,  bringing  forth,  nursing,  and  bringing  up 
your  most  unworthy,  though  most  dutiful  son,  till  death. 

"  George  Whitefield." 

Whiteficld's  second  visit  to  Cambuslang  was  on  Friday, 
August  13,  1742  ;  and  here,  and  in  the  surrounding  neigh- 
bourhood, he  spent  the  next  three  weeks.  A  ghmpse  of  his 
enormous  labours  may  be  obtained  from  the  following,  which 
was  written  to  a  friend  in  London: — 

"Cambuslang,  August  2^,  1742. 

"  A  fortnight  ago,  I  came  to  this  place,  to  assist  at  the  sacramental 
occasion,  with  several  worthy  ministers  of  the  Church  of  Scotland.  Such 
a  passover  has  not  been  heard  of.  I  preached  once  on  the  Saturday. 
On  the  Lord's-day,  I  preached  in  the  morning ;  served  five  tables  ;  and 
preached  again,  about  ten  o'clock  at  night,  to  a  great  number  in  the  church- 
yard. Though  it  rained  very  much,  there  was  a  great  awakening.  The 
voice  of  prayer  and  praise  was  heard  all  night.  It  was  supposed,  that, 
between  thirty  and  forty  thousand  people  were  assembled  ;  and  that  three  ■ 
thousand  communicated.  There  were  three  tents.  The  ministers  were 
enlarged,  and  great  grace  was  among  the  people. 

"  On  Monday,  August  i6th,  at  seven  in  the  morning,  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Webster  preached,  and  there  was  a  great  commotion  ;  and  also  in  the 
third  sermon  of  the  day,  when  I  preached. 

"On  Thursday,  August  19th,'  I  preached  twice  at  Greenock;  on 
Friday,  three  times  at  Kilbride ;  on  Saturday,  once  at  Kilbride,  and  twice 
at  Stevenson.  On  Sunday,  August  22nd,  four  times  at  Irvine  ;  oti 
Monday,  once  at  Irvine,  and  three  times  at  Kilmarnock  ;  on  Tuei:day, 
once  at  Kilmarnock,  and  four  times  at  Stewarton  ;  on  Wednesday,  once  at 
Stewarton,  and  twice  at  Mearnes  ;  and  yesterday,  twice  at  this  place.  I 
never  preached  with  so  much  apparent  success  before.  The  work  seems 
to  spread  more  and  more.  Oh,  my  friend,  pray  and  give  praise  on  behalf 
of  the  most  unworthy  wretch  that  was  ever  employed  in  the  dear  Re- 
deemer's service  !" 

This  is  a  mere  outh'ne  of  a  fortnight's  stupendous  labours 
in  the  west  of  Scotland.  The  sacrament  at  Cambuslang 
was  an  event  never  to  be  forgotten.  Thirteen  ministers 
were  present  on    Friday,   Saturday,  and    Sunday;    and,    on 

Monday,  twenty-four.      "  All  of  them,"  wrote  the   Rev.  Mr. 

. . / 

'  The  two  intervening  days  were  spent  in  writing  letters  respecting  his 
Orphan  House,  and  other  matters. 


30  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 


^742  McCulloch,  the  pastor  of  Cambuslang,  "  appeared  to  be 
Ao-e  27  very  much  assisted  in  their  work.  Four  of  them  preached 
on  the  fast-day ;  four  on  Saturday  ;  on  the  Sabbath  I 
cannot  tell  how  many  ;  and  five  on  Monday.  Mr.  White- 
field's  sermons,  on  Saturday  and  the  two  following  days, 
were  attended  with  much  power,  particularly  on  Sunday 
night,  and  on  Monday ;  several  crying  out,  and  a  great 
weeping  being  observable  throughout  his  auditories.  While 
he  was  serving  some  of  the  tables,  he  appeared  to  be  so 
filled  with  the  love  of  God,  as  to  be  in  a  kind  of  ecstasy, 
and  he  communicated  with  much  of  that  blessed  frame. 
The  number  present,  on  the  Lord's-day,  was  so  great,  that, 
so  far  as  I  can  hear,  none  ever  saw  the  like  since  the  revolu- 
tion, in  Scotland,  or  even  anywhere  else,  at  any  sacrament 
occasion.  This  vast  concourse  of  people  came,  not  only 
from  the  city  of  Glasgow,  but,  from  many  places  at  a  con- 
siderable distance.  It  was  reckoned,  that,  there  were  two 
hundred  communicants  from  Edinburgh,  two  hundred  from 
Kilmarnock,  a  hundred  from  Irvine,  and  a  hundred  from 
Stewarton.  Some,  also,  were  from  England  and  Ireland. 
A  considerable  number  of  Quakers  were  hearers.  The 
tables  were  all  served  in  the  open  air,  beside  the  tent  below 
the  brae.  Some  estimated  the  number  of  persons  present  at 
fifty  thousand ;  some  at  forty  thousand  ;  and  the  lowest 
estimate  was  upwards  of  thirty  thousand.  Not  a  few  were 
awakened  to  a  sense  of  sin  ;  others  had  their  bands  loosed, 
and  were  brought  into  the  liberty  of  the  sons  of  God  ;  and 
many  of  God's  children  were  filled  with  joy  and  peace  in 
believing."^ 

Whitefield  came  back  to  Edinbugh  early  in  September, 
and  here  he  cJiiefly  remained  and  laboured  until  his  return 
to  England  at  the  end  of  October.  His  letters,  during  this 
interval  of  two  months,  are  full  of  interest,  and  extracts 
from  them  must  be  given. 

Already  a  scheme  was  contemplated  to  unite  the  Me- 
thodists in  Wales  into  a  separate  connexion  ;  and  the 
following,  addressed  "  to  Howell  Harris,  in  Hoxton,  near 
London,"  refers  to  this  : — 

'  Gla!:goiv  Weekly  History,  No.  39. 


The  Moravians.  31 


'•^ September  "^^  \'j\2.         1742 


"My  very  dear  Brother, — Wales  is  upon  my  heart.  I  think  to 
meet  all  the  Brethren  there  together.  As  the  awakening  seems,  in  some 
measure,  to  be  over,  and  there  are  so  many  living  stones,  it  may  be  time 
to  think  of  putting  them  together.  May  the  great  Builder  of  the  Church 
guide  and  direct  us  !  I  am  glad  to  hear  thatmatters  at  Bristol  are  better 
than  I  expected.  We  have  had  most  blessed  days  here.  I  and  the 
people  have  been  in  the  suburbs  of  heaven.  Blessed  be  God  !  I  live  in 
heaven  daily.  O  free  grace  !  I  feel  myself  viler,  and  yet  happier,  every 
day."  ■ 

Whitefield's  friend,  Gilbert  Tennent,  had  been  brought 
into  contact  with  the  Moravians,  and  had  not  Hked  them. 
Hence  the  following,  which  Whitefield  wrote  to  a  gentleman 
in  America  : — 

"  Edinburgh,  September  13,  1742. 
"I  have  just  been  writing  to  our  dear  brother,  Gilbert  Tennent.  He  speaks 
many  things,  which,  I  know,  are  too  true  of  the  Moravian  Brethren  ;  but 
his  spirit  seems  to  be  too  much  heated,  and,  I  fear,  some  of  his  own  wild- 
fire is  mixed  with  that  sacred  zeal,  which  comes  from  Ged.  I  want  to  be 
more  like  Jesus,  who  sees  all  the  quarrels  and  heart-risings  of  His  children, 
and  yet  bears  with,  and  loves  them  still.  1  confess,  I  am  jealous  over 
many,  who  talk  and  write  of  the  Lamb,  and  who  mimic  some  particular 
person  in  their  outward  way,  but  yet  are  not  truly  poor  in  spirit.  They 
act  too  much  like  me,  who,  at  my  first  setting  out,  imitated  the  outward 
show  of  humility  in  Monsieur  Dezenly,  before  I  got  true  simplicity  of 
heart.  At  the  same  time,  I  would  love  all  who  love  Jesus,  though  they 
differ  from  me  in  some  points.  The  angels  love  all  the  true  worshippers 
of  Jesus  everywhere,  and  why  should  not  we  ?  If  our  brethren  will  quarrel 
with  us,  let  us  not  quarrel  with  them." 

In  the  same  catholic  spirit,  Whitefield  wrote  as  follows, 
to  a  friend  in  Pennsylvania  : — 

"Edinburgh,  September,  22,  1742, 
"Yo^4  cannot  have  a  scene  of  greater  confusion  among  you,  than  there 
has  been  in  England.  But,  blessed  be  God  !  matters  are  brought  to  a 
better  issue,  and,  though  we  cannot  agree  in  principles,  yet  we  agree  in 
love.  I  have  not  given  way  to  the  Moravian  Brethren,  or  to  Mr.  Wesley, 
or  to  any  whom  I  thought  in  an  error,  no,  not  for  an  hour.  But  I  think  it 
best  not  to  dispute,  when  there  is  no  probability  of  convincing.  Disputing 
embitters  the  spirit,  ruffles  the  soul,  and  hinders  it  from  hearing  the  still 
small  voice  of  the  Holy  Ghost." 

To  Mr.  Habersham,  the  superintendent  of  his  Orphan 
House,  he  wrote  : — 

'   WecJdy  History,  October  16,  1742, 


Age  27 


32  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 


1742  "EviWhVRGH,  Scj^femli^r  24,  1742. 

.      ^„      "My  most  endeared  Friend  and  Brother,— With  this,  I  send 
Age  27  . 

you  a  '  Continuation  of  the  Orphan  House  Account,'  which  I  have  printed 

to  satisfy  the  pubhc,  and  to  promote  future  collections.    I  yet  owe  upwards 

of  ^250  in  England,  upon  the  Orphan  House  account,  and  have  nothing 

towards  it.     How  is  the  world  mistaken  about  my  circumstances  !  worth 

nothing  myself,  embarrassed  for  others,  and  yet  looked  upon  to  abound 

in  riches  !     Our  extremity  is  God's  opportunity.     O  faith,  thou  hast  an 

all-conquering  power  !     I  put  my  trust  in  God,  and,  through  His  mercy, 

I  shall  not  miscarry.     I  pray  for  you.      I  think  and  dream  of  you  almost 

continually.     I  long,  I  long  to  be  with  you,  and,  methinks,  could  willingly 

be  found  at  the  head  of  you,  though  a  Spaniard's  sword  should  be  put  to 

my  throat. 

"  Some  of  my  friends  in  Philadelphia  are  suspicious  that  I  am  joined 

with  the  Moravian  Brethren  ;  but,  indeed,  I  am  not.     My  principles  are 

still  the  same  ;  only,  as  1  laelieve  many  of  them  love  the   Lord  Jesus,  I 

would  be  friendly  to  them,  as  I  would  be  to  all  others  who  bear  the  image 

of  our  common  Master,  notwithstanding  some  of  my  principles  are  as  far 

distant  from  theirs  as  the  east  is  from  the  west." 

The  next  extract,  from  a  letter  to  a  minister  in  Wales, 
affords  a  glimpse  of  Whitefield's  labours  in  Scotland,  and 
announces  his  purpose  to  return  to  England.  Perhaps,  it 
ought  to  be  premised,  that,  on  Sunday,  the  3rd  of  October, 
a  sacrament  was  held  at  Kilsyth,  in  which  a  dozen  ministers 
took  part.  The  solemnities  of  the  day  began  at  half-past 
eight  in  the  morning,  and  continued,  without  intermission,  till 
half-past  eight  at  night.  During  the  day,  twenty-two  different 
services  were  held  ;  and  the  number  of  communicants  were 
nearly  fifteen  hundred.  At  Muthel,  also,  a  gracious  revival 
had  been  vouchsafed.  After  public  worship  in  the  kirk, 
crowds  of  people  were  wont  to  flock  to  the  manse  of  the 
Rev.  William  Hally,  the  minister,  who  wrote,  "  Their  mourn- 
ing cries  frequently  drown  my  voice,  so  that  I  am  often 
obliged  to  stop  till  they  compose  themselves."^ 

"Edinburgh,  October  (),  1742. 
"  The  Lord  has  dealt  bountifully  with  me.  He  gives  me  to  rejoice  in 
all  His  dispensations  towards  me.  I  am  taught  more  and  more,  every 
day,  to  live  by  faith  in  the  Son  of  God,  who  loved  me,  and  gave  Himself 
for  me.  God  keeps  me,  and  brings  me  where  I  would  desire  to  be — at 
His  feet,  waiting  His  will,  and  watching  the  motions  of  His  blessed  Spirit, 
word,  and  providence.  Here  I  find  safety  and  refuge  amidst  the  various 
storms  of  opposition  and  reproach  with  which  I  daily  meet.     God  is  on 

'  "Robe's  Narrative,  1742,"  pp.  99 — 107. 


Letter  to   Colmiel  Gardiner. 


Age  27 


my  side  :  I  will  not  fear  what  men  or  devils  can  say  of  or  do  unto  me.  1742 
The  dear  Messrs.  Erskine  have  dressed  me  in  very  black  colours.  Dear 
men,  I  pity  them.  Surely  they  must  grieve  the  Holy  Spirit  much.  O 
for  a  mind  divested  of  all  sects  and  names  and  parties  !  I  think,  it  is  my 
one  single  aim  to  promote  the  kingdom  of  Jesus,  without  partiaUty  and 
without  hypocrisy,  indefinitely  amongst  all.  I  care  not  if  the  name  of 
George  Whitefield  be  banished  out  of  the  world,  so  that  Jesus  be  exalted 
in  it. 

\  "Glory  be  to  His  great  name!  we  have  seen  much  of  His  power  in 
Scotland.  The  work  in  the  west  goes  on  and  increases.  Last  Sabbath 
and  Monday,  things  greater  than  ever  were  seen  at  Kilsyth.  There  is  a 
great  awakening  also  at  Muthel.  I  preach  twice  every  day  with  great 
power,  and  walk  in  liberty  and  love.  In  about  three  weeks,  I  purpose  to 
leave  Scotland  ;  and  hope,  before  long,  to  spend  a  month  in  Wales.  I 
intend  to  travel  through  Newcastle  and  Yorkshire.' 

"  I  have  been  much  strengthened  since  the  Spaniards  invaded  Georgia. 
I  am,  like  the  ark,  surrounded  with  waves  ;  but,  through  free  grace,  I  am 
enabled  to  swim  above  all.  Ere  long,  I  shall  rest  on  Mount  Zion,  in  the 
aims  of  my  beloved  Jesus." 

Among  the  di.stinguished  persons  with  whom  Whitefield 
became  acquainted  in  Scotland,  was  Lady  Frances  Gardiner, 
daughter  of  the  Earl  of  Buchan,  and  wife  of  the  celebrated 
Colonel  Gardiner,  who  fell,  in  the  service  of  his  country,  at 
the  battle  of  Prestonpans,  in  1745.  The  Colonel  was  now 
with  his  soldiers  at  Ghent ;  and  to  him  Whitefield  addressed 
the  following  characteristic  letter  : — 

"Edinburgh,  October  17,  1742. 

"  Honoured  Sir,-  -Though  I  never  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing 
you,  I  have  often  prayed  for  you.  I  hope  you  will  not  be  offended  with 
me  for  troubling  you  with  this.  Your  honoured  lady  tells  me  you  will 
not. 

"  Dear  sir,  I  rejoice  to  hear  that  you  are  a  good  soldier  of  Jesus  Christ, 
and  that  you  delight  to  fight  the  Redeemer's  battles.  May  you  be  covered 
with  all  His  armour,  and  be  filled  with  all  His  fulness  ! 

"  I  have  the  pleasure  often  to  go  without  the  camp,  and  to  bear  a  little 
of  His  sacred  reproach  ;  and  I  prefer  it  to  all  the  treasures  in  the  world. 
Weak  as  I  am,  my  Jesus  makes  me  more  than  conqueror,  through  His 
ove.  He  has  brought  mighty  things  to  pass  here,  and  gotten  Himself 
the  victory  in  many  hearts.  I  trust  not  a  day  passes  without  some  poor 
creature  being  plucked  as  a  brand  from  the  burning. 

"  I  wish  I  could  hear  that  God  was  more  in  the  camp.  Blessed  be  His 
name  !  for  raising  you  up,  to  lift  a  standard  for  Him.    May  you  be  endued 

'  Methodism  had  recently  been  introduced  into  Newcastle  by  Wesley, 
and  Moravianism  into  Yorkshire  by  Ingham. 

VOL.  IL  -K 


34  '         The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1742     with  the  meekness  of  Moses,  the  courage  of  Joshua,  the  seal  oi  Paul,  and 
a  large  portion  of  the  blessed  spirit  of  Christ ! 

"I  hope,  honoured  sir,  you  will,  now  and  then,  remember  me,  a  poor 
sinner,  and  speak  a  word  for  me  to  the  King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords, 
that  I  may  not  turn  my  head  in  the  day  of  battle,  but  rather  die  for  Him, 
than,  in  any  wise,  deny  Him.  Neither  you  nor  yours  are  forgotten  by 
me.  I  am  a  poor  creature,  but  happy,  very  happy,  in  the  once  crucified, 
but  now  exalted  Jesus.  For  His  sake,  and  in  His  great  name,  I  beg 
leave  to  subscribe  m.yself,  honoured  sir,  your  affectionate,  humble  servant, 

"George  Whitefield." 

Colonel  Gardiner  was  as  distinguished  a  Christian  as  he 
was  a  soldier.  Nine  days  after  the  date  of  Whitefield's 
letter,  the  Colonel  wrote,  as  follows,  to  his  friend  Dr.  Dod- 
dridge, of  Northampton  : — 

"Ghent,  October  16,  1742. 
"  I  have  received  a  letter  from  Mr.  Whitefield.  The  accounts  I  have 
had  of  that  man,  both  when  in  England  and  since  I  came  here,  have 
ravished  my  soul.  If  my  heart  deceives  me  not,  I  would  rather  be  the 
persecuted,  despised  Whitefield,  to  be  an  instrument  in  the  hand  of  the 
Spirit,  for  converting  so  many  souls,  and  building  up  others  in  their  most 
holy  faith,  than  be  the  emperor  of  the  whole  world." ' 

Towards  the  close  of. his  visit  to  Scotland,  Whitefield  re- 
opened his  correspondence  with  Wesley,  the  result  of  which 
was  a  perfect  reconciliation.  From  this  time,  their  mutual 
regard  and  friendly  intercourse  suffered  no  interruption,  until 
Whitefield's  death,  twenty-eight  years  afterwards.  The  fol- 
lowing is  one  of  the  letters  which,  at  this  important  period, 
passed  between  them  : — 

"Edinburgh,  October  11,  1742. 

"  Reverend  and  dear  Sir, — About  ten  days  ago,  I  sent  you  a  packet, 
by  my  dear  wife,  which  I  hope  you  will  have  received  ere  this  comes  to 
hand.     Yesterday  morning,  I  had  your  kind  letter,  dated  October  5. 

"  In  answer  to  the  first  part  of  it,  I  say,  '  Let  old  things  pass  away,  and 
all  things  become  new.'  I  can  heartily  say  'Amen'  to  the  latter  part  of 
it.  'Let  the  king  live  for  ever,  and  controversy  die.'  It  has  died  with 
me  long  ago. 

"  I  shall  not  leave  Scotland  in  less  than  three  weeks.  Before  yours 
came,  1  had  engaged  to  go  through  Newcastle,'^  in  my  way  to  London.  I 
rejoice  to  hear  the  Lord  has  blessed  your  dear  brother's  labours. 

'  Doddridge's  Correspondence,  vol.  iv.,  p.  113;  and  Doddridge's  "Life 
of  Gardiner." 

-  Charles  Wesley  was  now  at  Newcastle,  preaching  with  amazing  power 
and  success.     (See  John  Nelson's  Journal.) 


Collections  in  Scotland.  35 

*'  I  am  enabled  to  preach  twice  daily,  and  find  I  walk  in  light  and  1 742 
liberty  continually.  I  thank  you,  dear  sir,  for  praying  for  me,  and  thank 
our  common  Lord  for  putting  it  into  your  heart  so  to  do.  I  have  been  "  ^^  ' 
upon  my  knees  praying  for  you  and  yours.  O  that  nothing  but  love, 
lowliness,  and  simplicity  may  be  among  us  !  The  work  is  still  increasing 
in  Scotland.  Dear  friend,  my  soul  is  on  fire.  O  let  us  not  fall  out  in  the 
way  !  Let  us  bear  with  one  another  in  love.  God  be  praised  !  for  giving 
you  such  a  mind.  My  kind  love  to  all  who  love  the  Lord  Jesus  in  sin- 
cerity. In  much  haste,  and  with  great  thanks  for  your  last  letter,  I 
subscribe  myself,  I'everend  and  very  dear  sir,  your  most  affectionate, 
though  younger,  brother  in  the  gospel  of  our  glorious  Emmanuel, 

"George  Whitefield." 

Before  leaving  Scotland,  Whitefield  made  three  collections 
for  his  Orphan  House.  In  the  park,  at  Edinburgh,  on 
October  6,  his  congregation  gave  him  the  noble  sum  of 
j^i28  I  OS.  7d.  ;^  and,  on  another  occasion,  they  contributed 
;^44.  At  Glasgow,  also,  the  public  collection  and  private 
donations  amounted  to  the  same  sum  as  the  first  collection 
in  Edinburgh,  making;^ 300  in  all.  Even  the  liberality  of 
his  friends  excited  the  anger  of  his  enemies.  The  Scots 
Magazine  sneeringly  remarked  (pp.  459,  464)  : — 

"  By  his  affecting  comments  on  the  widow's  throwing  her  two  mites 
into  the  treasury,  many,  who  live  on  charity,  have  literally  given  him  the 
whole  of  their  living,  and  been  obliged  to  beg  their  next  meal.  At  his 
diets  for  collecting,  when  he  has  raised  the  passions  of  his  audience  by  a 
suitable  sermon,  his  next  care  is  to  ply  them  while  in  a  right  frame.  For 
this  purpose,  he  makes  his  last  prayer  very  short ;  thereafter  pronounces 
the  blessing  without  singing  psalms  ;  and  then  immediately  falls  a  col- 
lecting, in  which  he  shews  great  dexterity." 

•  Scots'  Magazine,  1742. 


IN  ENGLAND  AND   WALES, 

November    1742    to   August    1744. 

'!1^  \17HITEFIELD  left  Scotland  on  November  ist,  1742; 
u^ce  27  ^  •  and  arrived  in  London  five  days  afterwards.  He 
now  resumed  his  ministry  in  his  wooden  Tabernacle,  where, 
for  some  time  past,  Howell  Harris  had  been  officiating  as 
his  substitute.  One  of  his  first  letters,  in  London,  was 
addressed  to  his  friend  Habersham. 

"  London,  November  12,  1742. 

"My  dearest  Friend  and  Brother  in  a  crucified  Jesus,— How 
do  I  long  to  come  over  to  see  you,  and  the  rest  of  my  dear  family!  The 
cloud  seems  now  to  be  moving  towards  America.  I  trust  I  shall  be  with 
you  in  a  few  months. 

"  The  Lord  did  wonderful  things  for  me  and  His  people  in  Scotland. 
The  concern  expressed  at  my  departure  was  unspeakable.  I  rode  post 
from  Edinburgh,  and  came  here,  in  rather  less  than  five  days,  on  Saturday 
last. 

"  There  seems  to  be  a  new  awakening  in  London.  We  have  been 
©bliged  to  enlarge  the  Tabernacle.  Dear  Brother  Harris  has  been  sent 
with  a  sweet,  searching  commission.  Brother  Cennick  is  much  blessed  in 
Wiltshire.  The  word  runs  and  is  glorified  in  Wales.  God  is  raising 
some  fresh  witnesses  of  the  power  of  His  dear  Son's  blood  in  Gloucester- 
shire.    Blessed  are  the  eyes  which  see  the  things  that  we  see. 

.  "  The  collections  in  Scotland  were  large.  In  Edinburgh,  I  collected 
^128  at  one  time,  and  £/i^  at  another;  and  in  Glasgow,  about  ^128,  with 
private  donations.  Blessed  be  God  !  I  owe  nothing  now  in  England  on 
the  Orphan-house  account  ;  what  is  due  is  abroad.  I  think,  since  I  have 
been  in  England,  we  have  got  near  ^150x3.  The  Lord  will  provide  what 
we  want  further.     Glory  be  to  His  name  ! 

"  My  wife  lies  now  very  weak.  She  was  tossed  for  ten  days  in  her 
voyage  from  Scotland.  The  ship  was  in  imminent  danger,  but  the  Lord 
gave  her  much  of  His  presence.  I  trust  she  will  be  ready  shortly  for 
another  voyage." 

Whitefield  spent  nearly  four  months  in  London.  His 
congregations,  of  course,  were  very  large,  and,  in  another 
respect,    were    remarkable.      His    friend    Wesley    was    ore- 


Aristocratic  Hearers.  37 


eminently  and  almost  exclusively  the  poor  man's  preacher.  ^74^ 
It  was  otherwise  with  Whitefield.  During  the  winter  of  Age  27 
1742,  the  Earl  and  Countess  of  Huntingdon  were  constant 
in  their  attendance  upon  his  ministry,  and  were  often  ac- 
companied by  his  lordship's  sisters,  the  Ladies  Hastings. 
Occasionally,  Sarah,  Duchess  of  Marlborough,  and  Catherine, 
Duchess  of  Buckingham,  two  of  the  most  celebrated  and 
remarkable  women  of  their  day,  were  among  his  hearers; 
so  also  was  Lord  Lonsdale,  who  had  been  one  of  the  lords 
of  the  bedchamber,  and  constable  of  the  tower.  Charles, 
third  Duke  of  Bolton  ;  Lord  Hervey,  who  had  distinguished 
himself  as  an  orator  in  both  houses  of  Parliament,  and  who 
had  held  the  offices  of  vice-chamberlain,  and  keeper  of  the 
privy-seal  ;  and  Lord  Sidney  Beauclerk,  fifth  son  of  the 
Duke  of  St  Albans,  were  likewise  numbered  among  the  young 
preacher's  auditors.  Yea,  even  royalty  itself,  in  the  persons 
of  William  Augustus,  Duke  of  Cumberland,  youngest  son  of 
George  H.,  and  his  brother  Frederick,  Prince  of  Wales, 
helped  to  swell  some  of  Whitefield's  congregations.^ 

This  is  a  remarkable  fact,  and,  perhaps,  may  be  partly 
accounted  for  by  the  favour  with  which  Whitefield  had  been 
honoured  by  some  of  the  aristocracy  of  Scotland.  Between 
him  and  them  a  warm  friendship  had  been  created  ;  and 
there  can  hardly  be  a  doubt  that  this  helped  to  secure  him 
the  attention  of  not  a  few  of  the  nobility  of  England.  As 
shewing  his  Christian  intimacy  with  persons  of  distinguished 
rank  in  Scotland,  the  following  letters,  written  within  a  fort- 
night after  his  arrival  in  London,  will  be  useful.  The  first 
was  addressed  to  Lady  Frances  Gardiner,  the  wife  of  the 
celebrated  coloneL 

"London,  November  13,  1742. 
"  Honoured  Madam, — Mindful  of  my  promise,  which  I  made  before 
I  left  Edinburgh,  I  now  steal  a  few  moments  to  send  your  ladyship  a 
letter  of  thanks.  I  trust  it  will  find  you  sitting  under  the  Redeemer's 
shadow  with  great  delight.  It  rejoiced  me  when  I  heard  that  God  had 
blessed  my  unworthy  ministry,  to  recover  your  ladyship  from  a  state  of 
darkness  and  spiritual  desertion.  Glory,  glory  be  to  rich,  free,  and 
sovereign  grace  !  I  trust  you  will  now  be  kept  in  the  love  of  God,  and 
that  no  idol  will  interpose  between  you  and  the  Redeemer-     I  hope  the 

'  '■'■  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  voL  i.,  p.  199. 


38  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1742     dear  Colonel  is  now  in  his  proper  place,  and  that  you  can  think  of  him 

without  anxiety  or  distracting  care.     This  is  that  freedom  wherewith  Jesus 

Age  27    (-j^j.jg|.  nia.kes  us  free :  to  love  all  things  in  Him,  and  for  Him,  and  to  love 

Him  above  all.     Thus  we  have  peace  and  joy.     Whenever  we  deviate 

from  it,  we  fall  into  darkness  and  distress  of  soul. 

"  We  have  blessed  seasons  in  London.  O  who  can  express  the  loving- 
kindness  of  the  Lord,  or  shew  forth  all  His  praise?  We  beg  your  prayers; 
and  wishing  you  and  your  honoured  Colonel  all  manner  of  prosperity,  I 
am,  etc., 

"  George  Whitefield." 

The  following  also  was  addressed  to  a  titled  lady  in 
Edinburgh  : — 

"  London,  November  13,  1742. 

"  I  hope  this  will  find  you  a  very  poor  sinner,  sitting  at  the  feet  of  Jesus. 
If  I  mistake  not,  your  soul  is  athirst  for  God,  yea,  to  be  filled  with  all  the 
fulness  of  God.  Go  on,  dear  madam.  God  will  satisfy  all  your  desires. 
He  has  promised,  and  He  will  perform.  There  is  no  end  of  His  good- 
ness. 

"  I  believe  your  ladyship  will  hear  shortly  from  Mr.  Harris.  He  is  a 
dear  soul,  and  left  London  on  Thursday  last,  full  of  simplicity  and  love. 
The  work  goes  on  bravely  in  Wales,  and  elsewhere.  Surely  it  is  the 
midnight  cry.  Surely  the  Bridegroom  is  coming.  Methinks  I  hear  your 
ladyship  say,  '  Then  I  will  make  ready  to  go  forth  to  meet  Him.'  That 
you  may  be  always  ready  to  obey  the  most  sudden  call,  is  the  hearty 
prayer  of,  etc., 

"  George  Whitefield." 

The  next  was  written  to  one  of  the  Scottish  nobles  : — 

"  London,  November  15,  1742. 

"  My  LoRD,-^My  departure  from  Edinburgh  was  very  sudden,  and  it 
was  but  a  few  days  before  I  left,  that  I  heard  of  your  lordship's  illness 
I  have  not  been  unmindful  of  you,  and  I  trust,  that,  in  answer  to  prayer, 
our  Lord  has  rebuked  your  fever,  and  that  this  will  find  you  risen  and 
ministering  unto  Him.  How  apt  are  we,  when  in  health,  to  follow  Jesus 
afar  off,  and  to  fall  into  a  Laodicaean  spirit.  May  this  sickness  be  a 
means  of  drawing  you  nearer  to  God! 

"  I  am  now  in  my  winter  quarters,  preparing  for  a  fresh  campaign, 
Happy  they  who  fight  under  the  Redeemers  banner  !  " 

Whitefield's  "  fresh  campaign  "  included  more  than  preach- 
ing. He  lived  in  troublous  times,  and  needed  both  "  the 
sword  and  trowel."  Affairs  in  New  England  made  him 
anxious.  Hence  the  following  to  the  Rev.  Dr.  Colman,  of 
Boston  : — 


Troubles.  39 


"London,  November  i8,  1742.         1742 
"  Rev.  and  dear  Sir, — The  confusion  in  New  Enjrland  has  given  me    .  ~ 
concern  ;  but  our  Lord  will  over-rule  all  for  good.     When  I  shall  come  to      " 
Boston,  the  Lord  Jesus  only  knows.     I  believe  it  will  not  be  long.     I  find 
I  shall  come  in  perilous  times  ;  but  the  all-gracious   Saviour,  who  has 
helped  me  hitherto,  will  guide  me  by  His  counsel,  and  give  me  a  true 
scriptural  zeal.     How  hard  it  is  to  keep  in  the  true  narrow  path,  when 
speaking  for  the  Lord  Jesus!     God  preserve  me,  and  all  His  ministers, 
from  defending  His  truths  and  cause  in  our  own,  or  under  the  influence 
of  a  false  spirit  !     It  destroys  the  cause  we  would  defend.     In  Scotland, 
there  have  been,  as  yet,  but  few  of  the  disorders  complained  of  amongst 
you  ;  but,  as  the  work  increases,  I  suppose,  the  stratagems  of  the  enemy 
will  increase  also.     This  is  my  comfort — Jesus  reigns." 

The  Rev.  John  Meriton  was  encountering  bitter  opposition 
in  the  Isle  of  Man,  and  wished  for  Whitefield's  advice  re- 
specting his  going  to  Georgia.  Whitefield's  answer  was  as 
follows  : — 

"London,  November  19,  1742. 
"  Rev.  and  dear  Sir,— If  the  Lord  has  given  you  more  zeal,  I  wonder 
not  that  you  meet  with  more  opposition.  However,  I  would  not  have  you 
rash  or  over-hasty  in  leaving  the  Isle  of  Man.  Wait ;  continue  instant 
in  prayer ;  and  you  shall  see  the  salvation  of  God.  I  have  not  heard 
from  my  family  abroad  for  some  time,  and  cannot  give  you  any  determi- 
nate answer  about  your  going  to  Georgia,  because  I  know  not  how  their 
affairs  stand.  God  will  yet  shew  you  what  He  Avould  have  you  to  do. 
Even  so.  Lord  Jesus.     Amen  and  amen  ! " 

From  New  England  and  the  Isle  of  Man,  .the  reader  must 
follow  Whitefield  to  the  principality  of  Wales.  One  of  the 
Methodist  Exhorters  there  had  been  indicted  for  holding  a 
conventicle.  Whitefield's  services  were  solicited  on  behalf 
of  this  luckless  brother.  He,  at  once,  opened  a  corre- 
spondence with  the  Bishop  of  Bangor,  on  the  subject ;  and 
the  following  is  one  of  the  letters  that  passed  between 
them  : — 

"  London,  November  19,  1742. 

"  My  Lord, — I  received  your  lordship's  letter  this  evening.  It  con- 
firmed me  in  the  character  given  me  of  your  lordship's  spirit.  I  verily 
believe  you  abhor  everything  that  has  a  tendency  to  persecution  ;  and 

yet,  in  my  humble  opinion,  if  Mr.  C is  not  somewhat  redressed,  he  is 

persecuted. 

"  My  Lord,  the  whole  of  the  matter  seems  to  be  this:  In  Wales,  they 
have  fellowship  meetings,  where  some  well-meaning  people  meet  together, 
simply  to  tell  what  God  has  done  for  their  souls.  In  some  of  these  meet- 
ings, I  believe,  Mr.  C used  to  tell  his  experience,  and  to  invite  his 


40  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1742    companions  to  come  and  be  happy  in  Jesus  Christ.     He  is,  therefore, 

.  "^      indicted  as  holdings  a  conventicle  ;  and  I  find  this  is  the  case  of  one,  if 
Age  27       _  * 

not  two,  more. 

"  Now,  my  Lord,  as  far  as  I  can  judge,  these  persons,  thus  indicted,  are 
loyal  subjects  of  his  Majesty,  and  true  friends  of  the  Church  of  England 
service,  and  attendants  upon  it.  You  will  see,  by  the  enclosed  letters, 
how  unwilling  they  are  to  leave  the  Church ;  and  yet,  if  the  Acts,  made 
against  persons  meeting  together  to  plot  against  Church  and  State,  be  put 
in  execution  against  them,  what  must  they  do  ?  They  must  be  obliged 
to  declare  themselves  Dissenters.  I  assure  your  lordship,  it  is  a  critical 
time  in  Wales.  Hundreds,  if  not  thousands,  Avill  go  in  a  body  from  the 
Church,  if  such  proceedings  are  countenanced.  I  lately  wrote  them  a 
letter,  dissuading  them  from  separating  from  the  Church;  and  I  write 
thus  to  your  lordship,  b2cau5e  of  the  excellent  spirit  of  moderation  dis- 
cernible in  your  lordship,  and  because  I  would  not  have  (to  use  your 
lordship's  own  expression)  '  such  a  fire  kindled  in  or  from  your  diocese.' " 

Whitefield  found  it  necessary  to  appeal  to  another  bishop 
of  the  English  Church.  John  Cennick  was  one  of  White- 
field's  preachers  in  as  full  a  sense  as  Thomas  Maxfield  was 
one  of  Wesley's,  and  had  as  great  a  claim  upon  Whitefield's 
sympathy  and  support,  as  the  itinerants  of  Wesley  had  upon 
him.  John  Cennick  was  now  in  trouble.  Though  he  had 
occasionally  preached  in  London,  Bristol,  Kingswood,  and 
elsewhere,  his  labours  had  been  principally  devoted  to  the 
county  of  Wilts.  His  first  sermon,  in  the  county,  was 
preached  in  the  street  of  Castlecombe,  on  July  16,  1740; 
and,  before  long,  he  formed  himself  a  preaching  circuit, 
consisting  of  Lyneham,  Chippenham,  Avon,  Langley,  Hulla- 
vington,  Malmsbury,  Littleton-Drew,  Foxham,  Brinkworth, 
Stratton,  Somerford,  Tytherton,  Swindon,  and  other  places. 
He  had  many  adv^entures,  and  som^  of  them  serious  ones. 
In  the  month  of  June,  1741,  accompanied  by  Howell 
Harris  and  twenty-four  other  friends,  all  on  horseback,  he 
went  to  Swindon,  and  began  to  sing  and  pray  ;  but,  before 
he  could  begin  to  preach,  the  mob,  he  writes,  "  fired  guns 
over  our  heads,  holding  the  muzzles  so  near  our  faces,  that 
Howell  Harris  and  myself  were  both  made  as  black  as 
tinkers  with  the  powder.  We  were  not  affrighted,  but 
opened  our  breasts,  telling  them  we  were  ready  to  lay  down 
our  lives  for  our  doctrine.  They  then  got  dust  out  of  the 
highway,  and  covered  us  all  over ;  and  then  played  an 
engine  upon  us,  which  they  filled  out  of  the  stinking  ditches. 


Joh^i  Cennick  in   Trouble.  41 


While  they  played  upon  brother  Harris,  I  preached  ;  and,  ^742 
when  they  turned  the  engine  upon  me,  he  preached.  This  Age  27 
continued  till  they  spoiled  the  engine  ;  and  then  they  threw 
whole  buckets  of  water  and  mud  over  us.  Mr.  Goddard, 
a  leading  gentleman  of  the  town,  lent  the  mob  his  guns, 
halberd,  and  engine,  and  bade  them  use  us  as  badly  as  they 
could,  only  not  to  kill  us  ;  and  he  himself  sat  on  horseback 
the  whole  time,  laughing  to  see  us  thus  treated.  After  we 
left  the  town,  they  dressed  up  two  images,  and  called  one 
Cennick,  and  the  other  Harris,  and  then  burnt  them.  The 
next  day,  they  gathered  about  the  house  of  Mr.  Lawrence, 
who  had  received  us,  and  broke  all  his  windows  with  stones, 
cut  and  wounded  four  of  his  family,  and  knocked  down  one 
of  his  daughters." 

Within  three  months  after  this,  Cennick  was  again  in 
peril.  While  preaching  at  Stratton,  the  Swindon  mob 
arrived,  with  "  swords,  staves,  and  poles."  Cennick  writes  : — 
"  Without  respect  to  age  or  sex,  they  knocked  down  all 
who  stood  in  their  way,  so  that  some  had  blood  streaming 
down  their  faces,  and  others  were  taken  up  almost  beaten 
and  trampled  to  death.  Many  of  our  dear  friends  were  cut 
and  bruised  sadly  ;   and  I  got  many  severe  blows  myself" 

Notwithstanding,  however,  this  brutal  opposition,  Cennick's 
labours  were  successful.  He  formed  several  Societies.  At 
Brinkworth,  in  the  month  of  August,  1741,  he  began  to  build 
his  first  meeting-house.  "On  Monday,  October  25,  1742," 
he  writes,  "  I  bought  the  house  and  land  at  Tytherton,  where 
now  our  chapel  is  built;  and,  on  Sunday,  November  14,  I 
preached  the  first  time  there,  after  we  had  taken  down  several 
lofts  at  one  end  of  the  house,  in  order  to  make  room." 

Cennick  continues,  "  Two  days  after  tliis,  we  were  sadly 
misused  at  Langley-Burrell.  The  rude  people,  besides 
making  a  noise,  cut  the  clothes  of  the  congregation,  threw 
aquafortis  on  them,  and  pelted  them  with  cow-dung." 

In  the  midst  of  all  this,  Cennick  wrote  to  Whitefield, 
as  follows  : — 

"  Last  Tuesday,  at  Langley,  several  persons  came,  casting  great  stones 
at  the  windows  of  the  house  where  we  worshipped,  and  hallooed  to  each 

'  These  particulars  are  gleaned  from  a  part  of  Cennick's  diary,  for  the 
first  time  published  in  the  Prhnitive  Methodist  Magazine  for  1865. 


42  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1742  other  to  disturb  us  with  their  noise.  They  then  blamed  each  other  for 
—  not  dragging  me  out  of  the  pulpit,  and  pulling  the  h9use  to  pieces.  At 
■Age  -7  last,  they  laboured  very  hard  in  gathering  dirt  and  filth,  which  they  con- 
tinued to  throw  at  us  till  we  finished.  Not  content  with  this,  they  laid 
wait  for  us  in  the  fields  and  lanes,  and  pelted  us  as  we  passed  on  our  way. 
They  cut  the  clothes  of  some  of  the  Society  with  scissors,  and  pushed 
them  into  brooks  and  ditches. 

"  The  persecutions  in  these  villages  seem  to  increase  in  proportion  as 
the  work  goes  on.  The  ministers  and  parish  officers  threaten  to  famish 
the  poor  '  Cennickers.'  Their  threats  have  prevailed  with  some,  while 
others  tell  them,  '  If  you  starve  us,  we  will  go'  to  the  meetings  ;  'and 
rather  than  we  will  forbear,  we  will  eat  grass  like  the  kine.' "  ' 

Such  was  poor  Cennick's   plight.      First  of  all,  Whitefield 
wrote  to  him  a  letter  of  consolation  : — 

"  London,  November  20,  1742. 
"  My  very  dear  Brother, — Your  letter  did  not  surprise  me  at  all, 
though  it  made  me  look  up  to  the  Lord  for  you.  I  believed  you  would  be 
down  in  the  valley  of  humiliation  soon  ;  but,  fear  not  ;  it  is  only  that  you 
may  be  the  more  exalted.  I  trust  this  will  find  you  mounting  on  wings 
like  an  eagle  ;  walking,  yet  not  weary  ;  running,  yet  not  faint.  God  does 
and  will  remarkably  appear  for  you.  Doubtless  you  are  His  servant  and 
minister.  He,  therefore,  that  touches  you,  touches  the  apple  of  God's 
eye.  Poor  Wiltshire  people  !  I  pity  them.  If  I  knew  their  bishop,  I 
would  apply  to  hun.  I  wrote  to  the  Bishop  of  Bangor  for  our  brethren  in 
Wales,  and  have  received  a  very  favourable  answer.  The  wrath  of  man 
stiall  turn  to  God's  praise,  and  the  remainder  of  it  He  will  restrain." 

Dr.  Sherlock  was  the  bishop  in  whose  diocese  Cennick's 
"  Wiltshire  circuit "  was  situated.  Sherlock,  as  every  one 
knows,  was  eminent  for  his  learning,  and  yet  more  eminent 
for  his  piety.  The  prelate  had  no  power  to  punish  the 
mob  for  their  riotous  proceedings  ;  but  he  had  power  to 
rebuke  his  persecuting  clergy  ;  and,  hence,  Whitefield  wrote 
to  him  as  follows  : — 

"  London,  N'ovember  30,  1 742, 

"  My  lord,— I  beg  your  lordship's  pardon  for  troubling  you  with  this. 
I  believe  you  will  not  be  offended  when  you  know  the  cause. 

"There  is  one  Mr.  Cennick,  a  true  lover  of  Jesus  Christ,  who  has  been 
much  honoured  in  bringing  many  poor  sinners  in  Wiltshire  to  the  know- 
ledge of  themselves  and  of  God.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Church  of 
England  ;  but  is  sadly  opposed  by  the  clergy  in  Wiltshire,  as  well  as  by 
many  who  will  come  to  hear  him  preach. 

"  In  a  letter,  dated  November  16,  from  Foxham,  he  writes  thus  :  '  The 

'  Primitive  Methodist  Magazine,  1865,  p.  595. 


John  Cennick  in   Trotible.  43 


ministers  of  Bremhill,  Seagry,  Langley,  and  many  others,  have  strictly     1742 
forbidden  the  churchwardens  and  overseers  to  let  any  of  the  Ceimickers      — 
have  anything  out  of  the  parish  ;  and  they  obey  them,  and  tell  the  poor,  if  ^'^^  ^"^ 
they  cannot  stop  them  from  following  me,  they  will  famish  them.    Several 
of  the  poor,  who  have  great  families,  have  already  been  denied  any  help, 
jome  of  the  people,  out  of  fear,  have  denied  they  ever  came ;  and  others 
ave  been  made  to  promise  they  will  come  no  more  ;  whilst  the  most  part 
Dme  at  the  loss  of  friends  and  all  they  have.     When  the  officers  threat- 
■:ned  some  of  them  to  take  away  their  pay,  they  answered,  "  If  you  starve 
IS,  we  will  go  ;  and  rather  than  we  will  forbear,  we  will  live  upon  grass  like 
he  kine." ' 

"  In  another  letter,  1  received  from  Mr.  Cennick  last  night,  he  writes 
thus  :  '  I  should  be  glad  if  you  could  mention  the  cruelty  of  the  ministers 
of  Bremhill  and  Seagry  to  the  Bishop  of  Sarum.  Indeed,  their  doings 
are  inhuman.  The  cry  of  the  people,  because  of  their  oppression,  is  very 
great.' 

"  In  compliance  with  my  dear  friend's  request,  I  presume  to  lay  the 
matter,  as  he  represents  it,  before  your  lordship  ;  being  persuaded  that 
you  will  not  favour  persecuting  practices,  or  approve  of  such  proceedings 
to  keep  people  to  the  Church  of  England.  Should  this  young  man  leave  the 
Church,  hundreds  would  leave  it  with  him.  But  I  know,  that,  at  present, 
he  has  no  such  design.  If  your  lordship  pleases  to  give  me  leave,  I  would 
wait  upon  you,  upon  the  least  notice.  Or,  if  your  lordship  is  pleased  to 
send  a  line  into  Wiltshire,  to  know  the  truth  of  the  matter,  and  judge 
accordingly,  it  will  satisfy  your  lordship's  most  obedient  son  and  servant, 

"George  Whitekield." 

The  effect  of  Whitefield's  letter  is  not  known  ;  but,  twelve 
days  after  it  was  written,  Cennick  says,  in  his  diaiy  :  "  On 
Sunday,  December  12th,  a  servant  of  farmer  Rogers,  of 
Tytherton,  daubed  the  gates  and  stiles  our  people  had  to 
pass  over  with  dung  and  tar  ;  and,  by  this  means,  many  had 
their  clothes  entirely  spoiled." 

At  present,  nothing  need  be  added  respecting  Cennick's 
circuit.  Whitefield  visited  it  a  few  months  afterwards,  and 
met  with  some  memorable  adventures. 

Of  course,  wherever  he  was,  the  Orphan  House  in  Georgia 
occupied  Whitefield's  attention  and  time.  The  clergyman  at 
Savannah,  on  account  of  whom  the  chaplain  and  the  surgeon 
of  the  Orphan  House  had  been  imprisoned,  was  now  dead  ; 
and,  further,  a  fatal  disease  was  prevalant  among  the  colonists. 
Addressing  the  secretary  of  the  Trustees  of  Georgia,  White- 
field  writes  : — 

"  London,  Noveinber  20,  1742. 

"Another  distress  is  come  upon  poor  Georgia.     A  violent  sickness 


44  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1742     rages,  and  has  taken   off  many.      My   letters   say,   the    Orphan-house 
—       surgeon  had  fifty  patients  under  his  care.     This,  I  trust,  will  more  and 
•"g^  27  j^Q^g  convince  the   Honourable  Trustees,  of  what  benefit  the  Orphan 
House  is,  and  will  be,  to  the  colony. 

"  I  hear  that  Mr.  O ,  the  minister  of  Savannah,  is  dead.     I  know 

one  Mr.  Meriton,  a  clergyman  in  the  Isle  of  Man,  who  would  go  and  sup- 
ply his  place,  if  he  were  applied  to.  I  believe,  the  Bishop  of  Sodor  and 
Man  will  give  him  a  recommendation.  You  may  acquaint  the  Honour- 
able Trustees  with  this,  and  let  me  know  their  answer.' 

"I  hope,  in  about  two  months,  to  embark  for  Georgia.  I  find,  God 
has  given  my  family  a  good  crop  ;  but  the  hands  are  sick,  so  they  cannot 
speedily  carry  it  in." 

Of  course,  the  greatest  orphanage  of  the  time  was  the  one 
founded  by  Augustus  Hermann  Francke,  at  Halle,  in 
Germany,  in  which  he  made  provision  for  two  thousand 
children.  Besides  providing  for  their  sustenance,  he  estab- 
lished, on  their  behalf,  a  large  library,  and  a  museum  of 
natural  curiosities  ;  and  also  commenced  a  printing  office, 
and  furnished  it  with  the  means  of  printing  books  in  nume- 
rous languages.  Fifteen  years  ago,  Professor  Francke  had 
died,  at  the  age  of  sixty-five,  regretted  by  all  classes  in 
Germany,  and  extolled  for  the  noble  services  which  he  had 
rendered  to  his  country,  and  to  the  world.  His  son  was 
his  successor,  and  to  him  Whitefield  addressed  the  following 
letter : — 

"  London,  November  24,  1742. 

"  Rev.  Sir, — I  have  long  designed  writing  to  you,  but  have  always  been 
prevented.  I  can  now  defer  no  longer ;  for,  though  I  never  saw  you  in 
the  flesh,  I  highly  esteem  you,  and  wish  you  much  prosperity  in  the  work 
of  the  Lord. 

"Your  honoured  father's  memory  is  very  precious  to  me.  His  account 
of  the  Orphan  House  has  been  a  great  support  and  encouragement  to  me 
in  a  like  undertaking.  The  account,  sent  with  this,  will  inform  you  how 
it  prospers.  Hitherto,  it  has  answered  its  motto,  and  has  been  like  the 
burning  bush,  on  fire,  but  not  consumed.  About  January  next,  God 
willing,  I  intend  to  embark.  In  the  meanwhile,  I  should  be  glad  to  know 
how  it  is  with  your  Orphan  House  ;  and  whether  you  have  any  commands 
•     for  Georgia." 

Whitefield's  work  was  multifarious  in  its  character  ;  but 
his  great  employment  was  testifying  the  gospel  of  the  grace 

'  Whitefield's  suggestion  was  not  adopted.  Mr.  Meriton,  soon  after 
vthis,  became  one  of  Wesley's  clerical  helpers  in  England. 


Whitefield'' s  Lahoui^s  and  Piety.  45 

of  God.      He  had   no   idle   moments  ;   but  his  highest  ambi-     ^742 
tion  was  to  save  the  souls   of  his   fellow-men.      Hence   the  k^'z% 
following  : — 

"  London,  December  \,  1742. 
"Vile  and  unfaithful  as  I  am,  my  Master  lets  me  have  my  hands  full  of 
work.      P'rom  morning  till  midnight,  I  am  employed  ;  and  I  am  carried 
through  the  duties  of  each  day  with  almost  uninterrupted  tranquillity.  Our 
Society'  is  large,  but  in  good  order,  and  we  make  improvements  daily." 

"  London,  December  c),  1742. 

"  I  am  never  so  much  in  my  element  as  when  I  preach  free  grace  to  the 
chief  of  sinners.  I  am  much  blessed  here.  We  have  many  gracious 
souls.     Ere  long,  I  must  leave  them." 

"  London,  December  18,  1742. 

"The  i6th  of  this  month  was  my  birthday.  It  made  me  blush  to  think 
how  much  sin  I  have  committed  against  God,  and  how  little  good  I  have 
done  for  Him.  I  am  now  in  my  winter  quarters,  preparing  for  a  fresh 
campaign.  Our  Society  goes  on  well.  Though  I  richly  deserve  it,  our 
infinitely  condescending  Jesus  will  not  lay  me  aside,  until  He  has  per- 
formed all  His  good  pleasure  by  me." 

It  is  a  fact  of  great  importance,  and  which  must  alway.s 
be  borne  in  mind,  that,  notwithstanding  the  excitement  in 
which  he  lived,  Whitefield  habitually  cultivated  his  own 
personal  religion.  The  following  extracts  from  letters, 
written  at  this  period,  beautifully  illustrate  this  momentous 
matter. 

His  old  friend,  the  Rev,  Benjamin  Ingham,  b}^  his  powerful 
preaching,  had  formed  fifty  Religious  Societies  in  Yorkshire 
and  Lancashire,  and  had  recently  placed  them  under  the 
care  of  Moravian  ministers.  Whitefield  now  wrote  to  him 
as  follows  : — 

"  London,  December  21,  1742. 

"  To-day,  I  dined  with  old  Mr.  F ,  and  was  kindly  entertained  by 

him  and  his  wife.  I  remembered  what  sweet  counsel  you  and  I  had  taken 
there  together  ;  and  I  rejoiced  in  the  happy  prospect  of  our  being,  before 
long,  with  our  blessed  and  glorious  Lord.  My  brother,  what  has  our 
Saviour  done  for  us  since  that  time?  What  is  He  doing  now?  What 
did  He  do  before  time  began  ?     What  will  He  do  when  time  shall  be  no 

'  The  Society  consisted  of  widows,  married  people,  young  men,  and 
spinsters.  At  the  Society  meetings,  these  different  classes  of  persons 
occupied  separate  places  in  the  Tabernacle,  each  class  receiving  from 
Whitetield,  in  the  colloquial  style,  various  exhortations  suitable  to  their 
different  stations.  (See  Dr.  Campbell's  "  Services  at  the  Centenary  Cele- 
bration of  Whitefield's  Apostolic  Labours,  held  in  the  Tabernacle,  Moor- 
felds,  May  21,  1839,''  p.  26.) 


46  The  Life  of  Whitefield, 

^742  more?  O  how  sweet  it  is  to  be  melted  down  with  a  sense  of  redeeming 
.  0  love  !  O  to  be  always  kept  low  at  the  feet  of  Jesus  !  It  is  right,  my 
brother,  to  insist  on  poverty  of  spirit.  I  know  what  a  dreadful  thing  it  is 
to  carry  much  sail  without  proper  ballast.  Joy,  floating  upon  the  surface 
of  an  unmortified  heart,  is  but  of  short  continuance.  It  puffs  up,  but  does 
not  edify.  I  thank  our  Saviour,  that  He  is  shewing  us  here  more  of  our 
hearts  and  more  of  His  love.  I  doubt  not  but  He  deals  so  with  you.  I 
heartily  greet  your  dear  household,'  and  your  Societies.  If  our  Saviour 
gave  me  leave,  I  would  gladly  come  to  Yorkshire  ;  but  the  cloud  points 
towards  Georgia." 

Colonel  Gardiner  was   still  with  his  regiment  in  Flanders, 
and  to  him  Whitefield  wrote  the  following : — - 

"  London,  December  21,  1742. 
"  Honoured  Sir, — Your  kind  letter  put  me  in  mind  of  righteous  Lot, 
whose  soul  was  grieved,  day  by  day,  at  the  ungodly  conversation  of  the  • 
wicked.  It  was  the  same  with  holy  David.  His  eyes,  like  yours,  gushed" 
out  with  water,  because  men  kept  not  God's  law.  Your  situation  and 
employm.ent  cannot  be  very  agreeable  to  a  disciple  of  the  Prince  of  Peace. 
I  cannot  say,  I  would  change  posts.  Indeed,  honoured  sir,  I  think  mine 
is  a  glorious  employ.  I  am  not  ashamed  of  my  Master,  though  my  Master 
may  well  be  ashamed  of  me.  I  know  no  other  reason  why  Jesus  has  put 
me  into  the  ministry,  than  because  I  am  the  chief  of  sinners,  and,  therefore, 
fittest  to  preach  free  grace  to  a  world  lying  in  the  wicked  one.  Blessed 
be  God  !  He  gives  much  success.  I  am  often  ashamed  that  I  can  do  no 
more  for  that  Jesus  who  has  redeemed  me  by  His  own  most  precious 
blood.  O  that  I  could  lie  lower  !  Then  should  I  rise  higher.  Could  I 
take  deeper  root  downwards,  I  should  bear  more  fruit  upwards.  I  want 
to  be  poor  in  spirit.  I  want  to  be  meek  and  lowly  in  heart.  I  want  to 
have  the  whole  mind  that  was  in  Christ.  O  that  my  heart  were  Christ's 
library  !     I  would  not  have  one  thief  to  lodge  in  my  Redeemer's  temple." 

To  a  titled  lady  in  Scotland,  he  wrote  : — 

"  London,  December  23,  1742. 
"  The  Lord  empties  before  He  fills  ;  humbles  before  He  exalts.  At 
least,  He  is  pleased  to  deal  thus  with  me.  I  thank  Him  for  it,  from  my 
inmost  soul  ;  for  were  it  not  so,  His  mercies  would  destroy  us.  When  I 
discover  a  new  corruption,  I  am  as  thankful  as  a  sentinel,  keeping  watch 
in  a  garrison,  would  be  at  spying  a  straggling  enemy  come  near  him.  I 
stand  not  fighting  with  it  in  my  own  strength,  but  run  immediately  and 
tell  the  Captain  of  my  salvation.  By  the  sword  of  the  Spirit,  He  soon 
destroys  it.  This  is  what  I  call  a  simple  looking  to  Christ.  1  know  of  no 
other  effectual  way  of  keeping  the  old  man  down.  Look  up  then,  dear 
madam,  to  a  wounded  Saviour.  Tell  Him  your  whole  heart.  Go  to  Him 
as  a  little  child.     He  will  hear  your  lisping,  and  set  your  soul  at  liberty." 

'  Ingham  had  recently  married  Lady  Margaret  Hastings,  one  of  the 
daufrhters  of  the  Earl  of  Huntingdon. 


Methodism  in   Wales.  47 

The   Rev.  James   Hervey   had    told  Whitefield,  that  his    ^742 
"  Journals   and   Sermons,  especially  the  sweet  sermon   upon  Age  28 
'  What  think  ye  of  Christ  ?'"  had  been  "  a  means  of  bringing 
him  to  a  knowledge  of  the  truth."  ^      In    reply,  Whitefield 
wrote  to  him  as  follov^s  : — 

"  London,  December  23,  1742. 
"  My  dear  Brother  Hervey,— I  thank  you  for  your  kind  and  very 
agreeable  letter.  It  was  refreshing  to  my  soul,  and  stirred  me  to  give 
thanks  on  your  behalf.  O  my  dear  brother,  I  hope  nothing  will  deter  you 
from  preaching  the  glad  tidings  of  salvation  to  a  world  lying  in  the  wicked 
one.  I  would  not  but  be  a  poor  despised  minister  of  Jesus  Christ  for  ten 
thousand  worlds.  Go  on,  thou  man  of  God  ;  and  may  the  Lord  cause  thy 
bow  to  abide  in  strength  !  I  should  be  glad  to  come,  and  shoot  some 
gospel  arrows  in  Devonshire  -^  but  the  cloucf  seems  now  to  point  towards 
America.  Blessed  be  God  !  for  making  any  of  my  poor  writings  of  use  to 
you.  If  I  did  not  proclaim  free  grace,  the  stones  would  cry  out  against 
me.  Whilst  I  am  writing,  the  fire  kindles.  This  fire  has  been,  of  late, 
kindled  in  many  hearts.  Our  large  Society  goes  on  well.  We  have  many 
who  walk  in  the  comforts  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  I  hear  of  glorious  things 
from  various  parts.  I  hope,  ere  long,  we  shall  hear  of  persons  going  from 
post  to  post,  and  crying,  '  Babylon  is  fallen  !  Babylon  is  fallen  ! '  I  trust 
you,  my  dear  sir,  will  be  made  a  happy  instrument,  in  the  Mediator's 
kingdom,  of  pulling  down  Satan's  strongholds.  Pray  write  me  word, 
how  the  Avar  is  going  on  between  Michael  and  the  Dragon.  For  the 
present,  adieu!" 

Methodism  was  prospering  in  Wales  ;  but  it  needed 
organization.  In  a  letter,  sent  to  Whitefield  shortly  before 
his  departure  from  Scotland,  Howell  Harris  wrote  :  "  The 
people  are  wounded  by  scores,  and  flock  under  the  word  by 
thousands."  Though  the  movement  was  pre-eminently,  if 
not  exclusively,  a  Church  of  England  one,  yet,  Dissenters  in 
Wales  were  already  somewhat  numerous.  In  Carnarvon- 
shire, there  was  one  congregation  ;  in  Denbighshire,  there 
were  three  ;  in  Flintshire,  one  ;  in  Merionethshire,  one  ;  in 
Montgomeryshire,  five  ;  in  Radnorshire,  eight  ;  in  Cardigan- 
shire, ten  ;  in  Pembrokeshire,  nine ;  in  Carmarthenshire, 
about  twenty  ;  in  Brecknockshire,  ten  ;  in  Glamorganshire,  * 
twenty-three ;  and  in  Monmouthshire,  thirteen.  Some  of 
the  ministers  of  these  congregations  were  men  of  mark. 
John  Thomas,  in  Carnarvonshire,  was  "  an  humble,  meek,  and 

'  "  The  Oxford  Methodists,"  p.  ^23. 

*  Hervey  was  now  a  curate  at  Bideford,  in  Devonshire. 


48  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1742  serious  man,"  and  a  good  preacher.  Lewis  Rees,  in  Merion- 
AgeaS  ethshire,  was  "  a  very  godly  man,  exceedingly  well  gifted  in 
prayer,  and  also  frequent  in  it."  Philip  Pugh,  in  Cardigan- 
shire, was  "  noted  for  his  uncommon  piety,  diligence,  and 
success."  Henry  Palmer,  in  Carmarthenshire,  was  "  an 
Apollos  in  the  Scriptures,  and  very  pious."  James  Davies, 
in  Glamorganshire,  was  remarkable  "  for  his  industry,  and 
for  his  gifts  in  preaching  and  prayer,  especially  the  latter;" 
Lewis  Jones,  "  for  his  seriousness,  popularity,  and  excellent 
utterance  ; "  and  Henry  Davies,  "  for  devoutness  and  affec- 
tionate piety."  ^ 

There  were,  at  least,  ten  Methodist  clergymen  in  Wales, 
including  Daniel  Rowlands,  Rector  of  Llangeitho  ;  Howell 
Davies,^  Rector  of  Prengast  ;  Thomas  Lewis,  a  curate  near 
Brecon  ;  William  Williams,  curate  of  Lanwithid  ;  John 
Hodges,  Rector  of  Wenvoe  ;  and  his  curate,  Thomas  Sweetly.^ 
There  were  also  a  large  number  of  lay-preachers,  including 
Howell  Harris,  Herbert  Jenkins,  J.  Beaumont,  J.  Lewis,  J. 
Jones,  R.  Tibbut,  John  Richards,  to  say  nothing  of  John 
Cennick  and  Joseph  Humphreys,  who  were  occasional 
visitors. 


'  Glasgow  Weekly  History^  No.  48. 

-  Howell  Davies  was  a  remarkable  man.  Having  spent  some  time  at  a 
country  school,  he  was  put  under  the  care  of  the  Rev.  Griffith  Jones,  the 
founder  of  the  "  moveable  free  schools."  With  the  assistance  of  Mr. 
Jones,  he  made  great  proficiency  in  the  Latin  and  Gre^  k  languages,  and 
in  other  branches  of  learning.  In  due  time,  he  was  ordained  a  minister 
of  the  Church  of  England.  The  first  church  in  which  he  was  called  to 
officiate  was  Lys-y-fran,  in  Pembrokeshire  ;  but  he  was  soon  dismissed, 
on  account  of  his  zeal  for  Christ  and  the  salvation  of  sinners.  For  some 
time,  the  largest  churches  throughout  Wales  were  open  to  him  ;  and 
thousands  upon  thousands  flocked  to  hear  him.  The  attendance  at  the 
monthly  sacraments  in  his  church  at  Haverfordwest  was  seldom  less  than 
two  thousand,  and  sometimes  was  more  than  twice  that  number  ;  the 
church  being  freciuently  emptied  to  make  room  for  remaining  communi- 
cants. He  statedly  preached  in  four  different  places,  besides  his  daily 
labours  in  houses,  barns,  fields,  commons,  and  mountains.  He  becanje 
the  chief  leader  of  Calvinistic  Methodism  in  Pembrokeshire  ;  and  was  an 
intimate  friend  of  Whitefield,  whom  he  often  accompanied  in  his  journeys. 
To  the  day  of  his  death,  he  was  one  of  the  regular  supplies  at  the  Taber- 
nacle and  at  Tottenham  Court  Chapel,  London.  He  also  was  a  frequent 
preacher  in  the  Tabernacles  at  Bristol  and  Kingswood,  and  in  the  Countess 
of  Huntingdon's  chapels  at  Bath,  Brighton,  Tunbridge  Wells,  and  other 
places.  He  died  in  the  same  year  as  Whitefield,  and  was  buried  in 
Prengast  Church,  Haverfordwest. — Evangelical  Magazine,  1814. 

^  Glasgow  Weekly  History,  No.  44. 


Methodism  in    Wales.  49 


For  want  of  rules  and  order,  there  had  been  occasional  i734 
colHsions  among  these  godly  and  earnest  men.  To  prevent  Ao-e  28 
this,  in  the  future,  the  first  Calvinistic  Methodist  Conference 
was  held  at  Waterford,  in  South  Wales,  on  January  5,  1743, 
The  conference  consisted  of  four  clergymen — George  White- 
field,  Daniel  Rowlands-,  J.  Powell,  and  William  Williams  ; 
and  of  three  lay-preachers — Howell  Harris,  Joseph  Hum- 
phreys, and  John  Cennick.  Whitefield  was  elected  moderator. 
The  decisions  were:  i.  That  the  lay-preachers  should  be 
divided  into  two  classes — Superintendents  and  Exhorters  ; 
and  that  Howell  Harris  should  be  their  general  overseer. 
2.  That  each  superintendent  should  have  a  certain  district 
in  which  to  labour.  3.  That  the  ordained  clergymen 
should  visit  the  "  districts,"  or  circuits,  as  far  as  they  were 
able.  4.  That  the  Exhorters  should  be  arranged  in  two 
divisions, — public  and  private.  5.  That  Messrs.  Jenkins, 
Beaumont,  James,  J.  Lewis,  B,  .Thomas,  and  J.  Jones 
should  be  the  Public  Exhorters  ;  and  that  certain  brethren, 
whose  names  were  mentioned,  should  be  the  Private  Ex- 
horters. 6.  That  the  Private  Exhorters  should  "  inspect 
only  one  or  two  Societies  each,  and  should  follow  their 
ordinary  calling."  7.  That  none  should  be  received  into 
the  Association,  as  Exhorters,  but  such  as  were  "  tried  and 
approved  of"  And,  8.  That  no  one  should  "go  beyond 
his  present  limits  without  previous  advice  and  consultation." 

At  a  monthly  meeting,  held  soon  afterwards,  the  boun- 
daries of  each  circuit  were  fixed  ;  and  it  was  further  agreed  : 
I.  That  all  public  exhorters  should  have  about  twelve  or 
fourteen  Societies  to  overlook,  with  the  assistance  of  the 
private  exhorters,  twice  a  month.  2.  That  T.  Williams, 
should  be  the  superintendent  of  the  Societies  in  the  vale  of 
Glamorgan  and  in  part  of  Monmouthshire.  3.  That  J.  Lewis; 
should  be  the  superintendent  of  part  of  Monmouthshire  and 
part  of  Breconshire.  4.  T.  Jones,  of  "  parts  of  Monmouth- 
shire and  the  other  side  of  the  Passage."  5.  T.  James,  of 
parts  of  Breconshire  and  Radnorshire.  6.  And  J.  Jones, 
of  Herefordshire  and  a  part  of  Radnorshire.  7.  That  J. 
Beaumont  and  H.  Jenkins  should  assist  Howell  Harris  in 
visiting  all  the  Societies  in  Wales  and  England.  And, 
S.  That  the  associations  or  conferences  of  "  ministers  and 
VOL.  II.  4 


50  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

^743  exhorters  in  England  and  Wales  should  be  held  every  half- 
Age  28  year."^ 

Thus  was  founded  Calvinistic  Methodism.  For  a  brief 
period,  Whitefield  was  its  chief ;  and  the  Tabernacle,  London, 
was  its  principal  seat  of  government. 

It  is  a  notable  fact,  that  the  first  Calvinistic  Methodist 
Association  was  held  eighteen  months  before  Wesley  held 
his  first  Methodist  Conference  in  London.  How  far  the  one 
gave  birth  to  the  other,  it  is  impossible  to  determine  ;  but, 
at  the  beginning,  the  two  organizations  strongly  resembled 
each  other.  Howell  Harris  Avas  the  general  overseer  in 
Wales,  as  Wesley  was  in  England.  The  Welsh  "  superin- 
tendents" corresponded  to  Wesley's  "  assistants ; "  the 
"  public  exhorters  "  occupied  the  same  position  as  Wesley's 
itinerants  ;  and  the  "  private  exhorters  "  exactly  answered  to 
Wesley's  local  preachers. 

This  is  not  the  place  for  a  history  of  the  Calvinistic 
Methodist  Connexion  ;  but,  it  may  be  added,  that,  in  1870, 
the  Welsh  Calvinistic  Methodists  had  1,126  chapels  and 
preaching  places;  1,031  societies;  92,735  communicants; 
419  ministers;  354  local  preachers;  3,321  deacons;  18,579 
Sunday-schoolteachers;  and  143,946  Sunday-school  scholars. 
The  cost  of  their  chapel  property  was  estimated,  at  the 
census  of  1851,  at  nearly  a  million  sterling. 

After  finishing  the  business  of  the  first  conference  of 
the  Calvinistic  Methodists  in  Wales,  Whitefield  returned  to 
London,  and,  for  some  unstated  reason,  abandoned  his 
intention  of  immediately  setting  sail  for  Georgia.  Perhaps 
this  change  of  purpose  was  occasioned  by  the  duties  imposed 
upon  him  as  moderator  of  the  newly  organised  body,  or 
perhaps,  the  cause  was  a  domestic  one;  for  Whitefield,  a  few 
months  later,  became  a  father. 

Meanwhile,  his  fellow-labourers  in  Wales  kept  him  well 
informed  of  their  proceedings.      Hence  the  following  : — 

'■'  February  2,  1743. 
"My  dearest,  dearest  Brother  Whitefield,— We  met  to-day, 
according  to  appointment,  and  had  a  most  heavenly  Association.     I  trust 
the  work  goes  on  sweetly  everywhere.    In  most  places,  there  is  a  general, 

'  "Life  and  Times  of  Howell  Hariis,"  p.  98. 


Age  28 


Methodis7n  in    Wales.  5 1 

fresh,  and  uncommon  stirring.  Many  come  anew  under  convictions,  and  ^743 
old  worldly  professors  and  backsliders  return.  Never  before  did  I  feel 
such  power  given  me  in  preaching,  and  in  administering  the  Lord's 
supper.  The  Lord  comes  down  among  us  in  such  a  manner  as  words 
cannot  describe.  To  prevent  nature  mixing  with  the  work,  I  have  6penly 
discountenanced  all  crying  out  ;  but  God  gives  such  light  and  power  in 
the  ordinance,  that  many  cannot  help  praising  and  adoring  Jesus.  Thus 
I  was  obliged  to  leave  my  whole  congregation,  consisting  of  many  hun- 
dreds, in  a  flame— the  one  catching  it  from  the  other.  This  is  our 
condition  generally  every  Sabbath.  I  trust  the  exhorters  move,  for  the 
most  part,  very  properly,  and  that  every  one  is  owned  in  his  place. 

"  I  am.  etc., 

"  Daniel  Rowlands."  ' 

Ten   days   later,  Howell   Harris   wrote  to  Whitefield,   as 
follows  : — 

'■^February  12,  1743. 

*'  With  us,  the  work  everywhere  goes  on  more  and  more  sweetly.  I 
trust  we  shall  have  good  order.  The  exhorters  shew  a  very  tractable 
spirit  ;  each  observes  his  place  ;  and  we  have  sweet  harmony  and  love. 
Great  power  attends  the  ministers  and  exhorters  in  their  several  places. 
The  Lord  greatly  blesses  brother  Herbert  Jenkins.  He  is  universally 
liked,  and  called  for ;  and,  unless  his  call  be  exceeding  clear  to  Wiltshire, 
I  do  not  think  he  ought  to  go,  except  it  were  occasionally.  Perhaps,  my 
brethren  Beaumont,  T.  James,  Jenkins,  and  myself,  may  alternately  visit 
our  English  brethren,  if  we  are  called  for,  and  see  that  our  Saviour  blesses 
us  there. 

"  Since  I  left  you,  I  have  been  able  to  visit  the  Societies  in  every  place 
where  I  have  been.  My  dear  Lord  favours  me  with  continual  employ- 
ment every  day,  and  gives  me  strength  of  body.  In  some  places.  He 
blesses  us  with  His  presence  in  a  wonderful  manner.  He  sometimes 
gives  great  freedom  to  pray  for  the  bishops  and  clergy.  Brother  T. 
Lewis,  the  young  clergyman  near  Brecon,  comes  on  gloriously  and  power- 
fully, and  has  sweet  union  with  us.  He  will  be  a  shining  light.  The 
work  in  Cardiganshire  is  uncommon.  I  hope  to  be  there  in  about  a  fort- 
night. I  am  now  going  towards  Montgomery  and  Radnorshire.  On  the 
1st  of  March,  we  are  to  have  another  Association  at  Llandovery,  Carmar- 
thenshire ;  from  whence  I  hope  to  go  to  Pembrokeshire,  and  so  to  settle 
all  the  Societies  against  our  next  meeting  at  Waterford,  where  I  trust  our 
Lord  will  send  you. 

"February  14.  Since  I  wrote  the  above,  I  have  seen  brother  W. 
"Williams,  on  his  return  from  brother  Rowlands.  He  informed  me  of  the 
enemy  being  let  loose  on  them,  while  they  were  discoursing  near  the  sea- 
side in  Cardiganshire.  A  company  of  ruffians  came  upon  them,  armed 
with  guns  and  staves,  and  beat  them  unmercifully  ;  but  they  escaped 

'  "  Life  and  Times  of  Howell  Harris,"  p.  130. 


52  The  Life  of  Whitcfield. 

1743     without  much  hurt.     The  ruf¥ians  were  set  on  by  a  gentleman  of  the 

neighbourhood.     No  wonder  the  enemy  rages,  when  he  sees  his  kingdom 

Age  28        \,     ^    A 
^  so  attacked. 

"  I  am,  etc., 

"  Howell  Harris."' 

A  fortnight  afterwards,  Harris  wrote  again  to  Whitefield  : 

"  3Iarch  \,  1743. 

"  My  dearest  brother  Whitefield,— Last  Sunday,  I  was  with 
brother  Rowlands  at  the  ordinance,  where  I  saw,  heard,  and  felt  such 
things  as  I  cannot  communicate  on  paper.  I  never  before  witnessed 
such  crying,  heart-breaking  groans,  silent  Aveeping,  holy  mourning,  and 
shouts  of  joy  and  rejoicing.  Their  *  Amens,'  and  crying  of 'Glory  to  God 
in  the  highest  !'  would  have  inflamed  your  soul,  had  you  been  there.  It 
is  verj'  common,  when  Mr.  Rowlands  preaches,  for  scores  to  fall  down  by 
the  power  of  the  word.  Some  lie  there  for  hours  ;  some  praising  and 
admiring  Jesus  Christ  and  free  grace ;  others  wanting  words  to  express 
their  feelings.  Some  fall  down  on  their  knees,  praying  and  interceding 
for  a  long  time  together;  others  lie  wounded  under  a  sense  of  their 
having  pierced  Jesus,  so  that  they  can  hardly  bear  it ;  others  triumph 
over  all  their  enemies  ;  and  others  rejoice  in  hope  of  a  clearer  manifesta- 
tion of  God's  glory. 

"  Mr.  Rowlands'  congregations  consist  of  above  two  thousand  people, 
the  greater  part  of  whom  are  brought  into  glorious  liberty.  Many  ot 
them  are  scattered  up  and  down  the  country,  and,  being  exceedingly 
poor,  they  cannot  come  to  that  exact  order  and  plan  which  you  have  in 
London.  I  see  daily  that  what  is  right  and  much  to  edification  in  one 
place  and  among  some  people,  is  impracticable  among  others.  We  have 
left  it  to  brother  Rowlands  to  settle  and  unite  the  people  in  private  bands, 
and  we  find  the  good  effect  of  doing  so.  He  provides  some  glorious  souls 
to  exhort  and  watch  over  them. 

"  O  my  brother,  my  heart  is  full.  I  am  sure  God  is  about  to  do  a 
,  great  work  in  Wales.  There  is  a  revival  everywhere.  I  believe  you  will 
be  detained  here  by  Jesus  Christ  a  longer  time  than  you  think.  There 
are  eight  counties  open  for  you,  and  thirsting  to  hear  you.  Opposition 
ceases,  and,  I  believe,  you  will  have  many  churches  opened  to  you,  be- 
sides chapels.  Some  new  houses  for  worship  are  being  built.  Beaumont 
is  much  owned  in  Radnorshire  and  Herefordshire. 

"  I  am,  etc., 

"Howell  Harris.''^ 

No  wonder  that  Whitefield  went  to  Wales  as  soon  as 
possible.  On  his  way,  he  spent  a  fortnight  in  Gloucester 
and  the  immediate  neighbourhood.  The  following  letters, 
apparently  to  his  friend  Syms,  are  full  of  interest : — 

"  "  Life  and  Times  of  Howell  Harris,"  p.  107.     "  Ibid,  p.  126. 


Whitefield  in   Gloucestershire.  53 

"  Gloucester,  ^/(?n7i!  24,  1743.         t-j 


"  My  dear  Man, — An  effectual  door  is  opened  in  these  parts.  On 
Saturday  night  (March  19th),  I  preached  here.  The  Lord  was  with  me. 
On  Sunday  morning,  I  preached  again  in  the  barn.     It  was  a  sweet  time 

to  me  and  to  the  people.  At  noon,  I  preached  at  Mr.  F r's,  on  the  hill, 

to  a  glorious  auditory.  Here  Jesus  Christ  displayed  His  power.  At  four, 
I  preached  in  a  field  near  Stroud,  to  a  congregation  consisting  of  many, 
many  thousands.  Afterwards,  I  went  to  the  new  house  at  Hampton, 
and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  filled  it.  It  is  reported  to  be  haunted  ;  but  the 
landlord  spoke  truly,  when  he  said,  we  should  pray  the  devil  out  of  it.  It 
is  exceedingly  commodious  for  our  purpose. 

"  On  Monday,  at  noon,  I  preached  in  the  courtyard  to  a  large  auditory. 
I  also  settled,  in  the  name  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  an  orphan  house.  Par- 
ticulars of  that  you  shall  have  hereafter.  It  will  be  but  of  little  expense. 
In  the  evening,  the  Lord  gave  me  a  sweet  time  at  Pitchcomb. 

"  On  Tuesday,  a  man  was  hanged  in  chains  on  Hampton  Common.  A 
more  miserable  spectacle  I  have  not  seen.  I  preached,  in  the  morning, 
to  a  great  auditory,  about  a  mile  from  the  place  of  execution.  I  intended 
doing  the  same  after  the  criminal  was  turned  off,  but  the  weather  was 
very  violent.  Thousands  and  thousands  came  to  hear  me,  but,  througli 
misinformation,  stayed  at  the  top  of  the  hill,  while  I  preached  at  the 
bottom.     In  the  evening,  I  preached  at  Gloucester,  in  the  barn. 

"  On  Wednesday,  I  preached  at  Gloucester- Ham,  near  the  gallows,  after 
another  malefactor  was  turned  off.  God  gave  me  to  speak  with  power  ; 
but,  the  weather  being  violent,  I  was  shorter  than  usual.  In  the  evening, 
I  preached  again  in  the  barn.     It  was  anight  much  to  be  remembered. 

"  This  morning,  I  preached  again,  and  am  just  now  going  to  my 
evening  lecture.  To-morrow,  I  leave  Gloucester  for  a  few  days.  The 
Association  is  put  off  for  a  week,  so  I  shall  have  more  time  in  Gloucester- 
shire. Never  did  I  see  people  more  hungry  and  simple.  Many  come 
telling  me  what  the  Lord  did  when  I  was  here  last.  Let  Him  have  all 
the  glory  !     I  am  sure  God  called  me  here. 

"George  Whitefield."' 

"  Gloucester,  March  29,  1743. 

"  My  dear  Man, — Last  Thursday  evening,  I  preached  at  Gloucester, 
with  as  sweet,  convincing,  soul-edifying  power  as  ever  I  felt  in  my  life. 
The  barn,  though  made  more  commodious,  was  quite  crowded. 

"  On  Friday  morning,  I  preached  again  ;  and,  afterwards,  went  to 
Hampton,  the  snow  falling  and  freezing  on  us  all  the  way.  In  the  evening, 
I  preached  at  Chalford,  upon  walking  with  Goi 

"  On  Saturday,  I  preached  at  Ruscom  in  the  morning,  and  at  King- 
Stanley  in  the  afternoon.     In  the  evening,  I  visited  brother  C 's  sweet 

Society ;  and,  afterwards,  rode  to  Hampton.  The  congregations,  on 
account  of  the  weather,  were  not  so  great ;  but  our  Saviour  most  richly 
fed  us.     At  Stanley,  I  thought  I  was  on  the  very  suburbs  of  heaven. 

'  The  Gospel  Magaziiu^  I77i>  P-  33- 


A...  _^ 


54  The  Life  of  Whitefield, 

1743  "  On  Sunday  morning,  I  preached  at  Dursley,  where  our  dear  brother 
—  Adams'  had  been  taken  down  the  Sunday  before.  No  one  was  permitted 
^^  ^  to  touch  or  affront  me.  The  congregation  consisted  of  some  thousands, 
and  the  word  came  with  a  most  gloriously  convincing  power.  In  the 
afternoon,  I  preached  to  about  twelve  thousand  on  Hampton  Common, 
at  what  the  people  now  call  '  Whitefield's  Tump,'  because  I  preached  there 
first.  They  hung  on  me  to  hear  the  word.  It  ran  and  was  glorified.  In 
the  evening,  we  had  a  most  precious  meeting  with  the  two  united  Societies 
in  the  new  house  at  Hampton. 

"  On  Monday,  1  preached  at  Painswick.  It  was  a  precious  opportunity. 
From  a  little  after  one  until  near  seven  in  the  evening,  I  met  the  different 
classes  of  the  Society  here,  and  was  much  pleased  with  many  of  them. 
They  grow,  and  will,  I  believe,  be  brought  into  good  order. 

"  Last  night  and  this  morning,  I  preached  again  with  sweet  power. 
Preaching  here  is  now  like  preaching  at  the  Tabernacle.  This  evening 
I  am  to  preach  again  ;  and,  after  that,  to  hold  our  first  Icvefeast. 

"  And  now,  my  dear  man,  help  me  to  be  thankful,  and  to  bless  the  Lord 
for  all  His  mercies  conferred  on 

"  George  Whitefield." - 

For  four  days  longer,  Whitefield  continued  to  preach 
twice  a  day;  and  then,  on  the  evening  of  Saturday,  April  2, 
set  out  for  Wales.  The  following  letter,  also  addressed  to 
Mr.  Syms,  describes  his  journey  : — • 

"  Waterford  (South  Wales),  April  7,  1743. 

"  My  dear  Man, — I  preached  and  took  my  leave  of  the  Gloucestei 
people  on  Saturday  evening  last.  It  was  past  one  in  the  morning  before 
I  could  lay  down  my  weary  body.  I  rose  again  at  five  ;  got  on  horseback, 
and  rode  to  Mr.  F 's  ;  where,  at  seven,  I  preached  to  a  sweet  congre- 
gation, come  [on  Easter  Sunday]  to  meet  their  risen  Saviour.  At  ten,  I 
read  prayers,  and  preached  from  these  words,  '  I  am  the  resurrection  and 
the  life.'  I  afterwards  helped  to  administer  the  sacrament  in  Stonehouse 
church.  Then  I  rode  to  Stroud,  where  I  preached  to  about  twelve  thou- 
sand, in  Mrs.  G 's  field.  Much  of  the  Divinepresence  was  there.  About 

six  in  the  evening,  I  preached  to  a  like  number  on  Hampton  Common  ; 
and,  after  this,  I  went  to  Hampton,  and  held  a  general  lovefeast  with  the 
united  Societies  there.  I  went  to  bed  about  midnight,  very  cheerful  and 
very  happy. 

"  On  Monday  morning,  I  preached  near  Dursley,  to  some  thousands, 
with  great  convictions  accompanying  the  word.  About  seven  in  the 
evening,  I  reached  Bristol,  and  preached,  with  wonderful  power,  to  a  full 
congregation,  at  Smith's  Hall  ;  and  afterwards  spent  the  evening  very 
agreeably  with  dear  Mr.  Chapman,  of  Bath,  and  some  other  friends. 


1  Thomas  Adams  was  one  of  Whitefield's  lay-preachers.     We  shall  hear 
of  him  again. 

*  The  Gospel  Magazine^  1771,  p.  6S. 


Age  28 


Methodism  in    Wales.  55 

"On  Tuesday  morning,  I  preached  again  to  a  full  congregation  ;  and     1743 
then  set  out  for  this  place,  where  we  arrived  at  about  eight  in  the  evening, 

"  On  Wednesday,  at  noon,  I  opened  the  Association,  with  a  close  and 
solemn  discourse  upon  walking  with  God.  The  brethren  and  people  felt 
much  of  the  Divine  presence.  Afterwards,  we  betook  ourselves  to  busi- 
ness. Several  matters  of  great  importance  were  dispatched.  We  broke 
up  about  seven,  and  met  again  at  ten,  and  continued  settling  the  affairs 
of  the  Societies  till  two  in  the  morning. 

"  On  Thursday,  we  sat  again  till  four  in  the  afternoon.  Then,  after 
taking  refreshment,  I  preached  upon  '  The  Believer's  Rest,'  after  which  we 
went  on  with  our  business,  and  finished  our  Association  about  midnight. 

"  I  am  chosen,  if  in  England,  to  be  always  moderator.  I  trust  our 
Saviour  gives  me  a  spirit  for  it.  I  find,  more  and  more,  the  Lord  will 
lead  me  in  a  way  by  Himself,  and  will  perform  in  me  and  by  me  all  the 
good  pleasure  of  His  will.  Dear  Brother  Harris,  in  my  absence,  is  to  be 
moderator. 

"  The  Brethren  have  put  the  Societies  in  Wales  upon  my  heart.  O 
pray  that  I  may  put  them,  and  all  my  other  concerns,  upon  the  Mediator's 
shoulders  :  those  alone  can  bear  them.  Perhaps,  in  a  month,  I  may 
come  to  London.  It  seems  the  will  of  the  Lord,  that  I  should  stay  in 
Wales  about  a  fortnight,  and  take  a  tour  into  Pembrokeshire.  Great  doors 
are  open  there.  Our  Saviour  keeps  me  very  happy  ;  and  is,  I  believe, 
preparing  me  for  greater  blessings. 

"  I  am,  etc., 

"George  Whitefield."' 

Such  is  Whitefield's  own  account  of  the  second  conference 
of  the  Calvinistic  Methodists, — a  godly  council,  sitting  till 
midnight  one  day,  and  till  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  on 
another,  and  refreshing  themselves,  in  the  m.idst  of  their  busi- 
ness, with  two  warm-hearted  sermons,  by  the  young  man 
whom  they  had  elected  to  be  their  moderator  as  long  as  he 
lived.  Whitefield's  sermon,  preached  at  the  opening  of  the 
conference,  has  been  published  ;  but  lack  of  space  prevents 
the  insertion  of  even  a  mere  outline  of  it.  It  is  one  of  his 
best,  and,  of  course,  has  a  slight  Calvinistic  tinge. 

"  The  in-being  of  sin,"  said  the  preacher,  "  will  never  be  totally  removed, 
till  we  bow  down  our  heads  and  give  up  the  ghost.  The  apostle  Paul,  no 
doubt,  speaks  of  himself,  and  that,  too,  not  when  he  was  a  Pharisee,  but  a 
real  Christian,  when  he  complains,  that,  when  he  would  do  good,  evil  was 
present  with  him,  not  having  dominion  over  him,  but  opposing  and 
resisting  his  good  intentions  and  actions,  so  that  he  could  not  do  the 
things  which  he  would,  in  that  perfection  which  the  new  man  desired. 
This  is  what  he  calls  sin  dwelling  in  him.    But  as  for  its  prevailing  power, 

*  The  Gospel  Magazine^  177 1,  p.  69. 


56  The  Life  of  Whltefield. 


Age  28 


1743  it  is  destroyed  in  every  soul  that  is  truly  born  of  God,  and  is  gradually 
weakened  as  the  believer  grows  in  grace,  and  the  Spirit  of  God  gains  a 
greater  ascendancy  in  the  heart." 

"  O  prayer,"  cried  the  impassioned  preacher,  in  another  part  of  his 
Conference  sermon,  "  O  prayer,  prayer  !  it  brings  and  keeps  God  and 
man  together  ;  it  raises  man  up  to  God,  and  brings  God  down  to  man. 
If  you  would  keep  up  your  walk  with  God,  pray,  pray  without  ceasing. 
Be  much  in  secret,  set  prayer.  When  you  are  about  the  common  business 
of  life,  be  much  in  ejaculatory  prayer.  Send,  from  time  to  time,  short 
letters  post  to  heaven,  upon  the  wings  of  faith.  They  will  reach  the  very 
heart  of  God,  and  will  return  to  you  loaded  with  blessings." 

With  respect  to  that  with  which  he  was  often  charged,  he 
justly  observed  : — 

"  Though  it  is  the  quintessence  of  enthusiasm,  to  pretend  to  be  guided 
by  the  Spirit  without  the  written  Word,  yet  it  is  every  Christian's  duty  to 
be  guided  by  the  Spirit  in  conjunction  with  the  written  Word.  Watch, 
therefore,  I  pray  you,  O  believers,  the  motions  of  God's  blessed  Spirit  in 
your  souls  ;  and  always  try  your  suggestions  or  impressions  by  the  un- 
erring rule  of  God's  most  holy  Word.  By  observing  this  caution,  you  will 
steer  a  middle  course  between  two  dangerous  extremes  ;  I  mean,  oithn- 
siasin  on  the  one  hand,  and  Deism  and  downright  infidelity  on  the  other." 

On  the  subject  of  Christian  fellowship,  two  sentences  fell 
from  his  lips,  which  Methodists  of  the  present  day  will  do 
well  to  ponder. 

"  If  we  look  into  Church  history,  or  make  a  just  observation  of  our  own 
times,  I  believe,  we  shall  find,  that,  as  the  power  of  God  prevails.  Christian 
Societies  and  fellowship  meetings  prevail  proportionately.  And  as  one 
decays,  the  other  insensibly  decays  and  dwindles  away  at  the  same  time." 

"  One  word,"  cried  the  preacher,  "  one  word  to  my  brethren  in  the 
ministry,  and  I  have  done.  You  see,  my  brethren,  my  heart  is  full ;  I 
could  almost  say  it  is  too  big  to  speak,  and  yet  too  big  to  be  silent, 
without  dropping  a  word  to  you.  I  observed  at  thd  beginning  of  this 
discourse,  that,  in  all  probability,  Enoch  was  a  public  person,  and  a 
flaming  preacher.  Though  he  be  dead,  does  he  not  speak  to  us,  to 
quicken  our  zeal,  and  to  make  us  more  active  in  the  service  of  our  glorious 
and  ever-blessed  Master?  Hov/  did  Enoch  preach?  How  did  he  walk 
Avith  God  ?  Let  us  follow  him,  as  he  followed  Christ.  The  judge  is  before 
the  door.  He  that  cometh  will  come,  and  will  not  tarry.  His  reward  is 
with  Him  ;  and,  if  we  are  zealous  for  the  Lord  of  hosts,  ere  long,  we  shall 
shine  as  stars  in  the  firmament,  in  the  kingdom  of  our  Father,  for  ever 
and  ever." 

Whitefield  himself  has  left  no  information  respecting-  the 
business  of  the  Conference,  except  that  he  was  chosen  to 


Methodism  in    Wales.  57 


be  perpetual   moderator,    and    that,  in   his   absence,    Howell     ^^743 
Harris  was  to  be  his  substitute.      Fortunately,  a   manuscript  Age  28 
book,  containing  the  minutes  of  the   proceedings,   has  been 
preserved,  and,  from  it,  the  following  facts  are  gleaned. 

The  clergymen  present  were  Whitefield,  W.  Williams,  T. 
Lewis,  and  Howell  Davies.  The  lay-preachers  were  Howell 
Harris,  Herbert  Jenkins,  T.  James,  J.  Beaumont,  T.  Williams, 
J.  Lewis,  T.  Adams,  and  Mr,  Hughes.  Besides  these,  there 
was  also  present  a  Dissenting  minister,  whose  name  is  not 
recorded. 

After  going  through  the  list  of  superintendents,  exhorters, 
and  stewards,  and  making  appointments  for  the  several  cir- 
cuits, it  was  further  agreed,  i.  That  the  superintendents 
should  have  liberty  to  preach,  not  only  in  their  own  circuits, 
but,  when  journeying,  elsewhere.  2.  That  "  Howell  Harris 
should  be  superintendent  over  Wales,  and  go  to  England 
when  called."  3.  That  all  persons,  who  thought  they  had  a 
call  to  be  exhorters,  should  make  application  to  one  of  "  the 
monthly  Associations,"  by  whom  "  their  gifts,  graces,  and 
call  "  should  be  "  closely  examined."  If  approved  of,  they 
were  to  be  appointed,  by  the  "  Association  "  examining 
them,  to  a  suitable  circuit ;  with  the  proviso,  that  the 
"  General  Association  "  should  be  informed  of  the  action  that 
had  been  taken.  4.  That  the  superintendents  should  send 
an  account  of  what  God  had  done,  in  their  respective 
circuits,  to  London  every  month,  directed  to  Mr.  J.  Syms, 
Charles  Square,  Hoxton,  for  the  minister  of  the  Tabernacle. 
5,  That  each  superintendent  should  keep  a  book,  in  which 
he  should  write  the  names  of  his  private  exhorters,  and  also 
the  names  of  the  members  of  his  Societies  ;  and  that  he 
should  report  the  state  of  each  Society  to  the  General  Asso- 
ciation. 6.  That  the  next  Quarterly  Association  should  be 
held  at  Trevecca,  on  the  first  Wednesday  after  Midsummer- 
day.  7,  That  there  should  be  a  Monthly  Association  in 
each  of  the  counties  of  South  Wales.  8.  That  the  Monthly 
Associations  should  consist  of  an  ordained  minister  as  a 
moderator,  the  superintendent  of  the  circuit,  his  assistants 
and  private  exhorters.  9.  That  a  secretary  should  be 
chosen,  for  each  monthly  meeting,  to  enter  in  a  book 
minutes  of  the  proceedings,      i  o.  That  each  meeting  should 


58  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

^743    begin  and   end  with  prayer  and  exhortation.      ii.   That  pri- 
Age  28  vate    exhorters    should    not    send    notices    of    preaching   to 
any  place  ;   but  should  speak  in  any  private  house,   to  the 
family  and  neighbours,  if  desired.^ 

Such  was  the  primitive  platform  of  the  Calvinistic  Metho- 
dists, laid  down,  at  Waterford,  in  Wales,  on  April  6th  and 
7th,  1743.  As  soon  as  the  Conference  was  ended,  their 
moderator  again  set  out  on  his  gospel-ramblings.  The 
following  jottings  are  taken  from  the  letters  which  he  wrote 
to  his  friend  and  secretary  Syms  : — 

Saturday,  April  9.  Preached  at  Cardiff,  and  at  Fonmon.^  At  Cardiff, 
the  congregation  large  ;   and  the  greatest  scoffers  quiet. 

Sunday,  April  10.  Preached  twice  at  Lantrissaint,  where  Howell 
Harris  also  preached  in  Welsh.^ 

Monday,  April  11.  Preached  from  a  balcony,  in  the  street,  at  Neath, 
to  about  three  thousand  people* 

Tuesday,  April  12.  Preached  once  at  Harbrook,  and  twice  at  Swan- 
sea, the  congregations  at  the  latter  place  consisting  of  four  thousand 
persons.  In  all  these  visits,  he  was  accompanied  by  Howell  Harris,  who 
generally  preached  in  Welsh,  after  Whitefield's  sermon  was  concluded. 

Wednesday,  April  13.  Preached  twice  at  Llanelly,  and  once  at 
Abergwilly. 

Thursday,  April  14.  Preached  twice  at  Carmarthen,  '•  one  of  the 
greatest  and  most  polite  places  in  Wales  ;  in  the  morning,  from  the  top 
of  the  cross  ;  in  the  evening,  from  a  table  near  it.  It  was  the  great 
sessions.  The  justices  desired  I  would  stay  till  they  rose,  and  they  would 
come.  Accordingly  they  did,  and  many  thousands  more,  and  several 
people  of  quality."  * 

Friday,  April  1 5.  Preached  at  "  Narberth,  to  some  thousands,  with 
great  power." 

Saturday,  April  16.  Preached  at  Newton,  and  at  Jeffreston,  to  "several 
thousands,  very  like  the  Kingswood  colliers." 

Sunday,  April  17.  "Preached  at  Llys-y-fran,  and  had,  as  it  were,  a 
Moorfields  congregation  f^  also  "to  about  the  same  number  near  Haver- 
fordwest." 


*  "  Life  and  Times  of  Howell  Harris,"  p.  99. 

*  In  a  contemporary  letter,  Howell  Harris  says,  "Whitefield  preached 
at  Aberdaw,  and  stopped zx  Fonmon  Castle."  ("  Life  and  Times  of  Howell 
Harris.") 

^  Harris  says  that,  on  this  day,  Whitefield  also  preached  at  Penmark. 
(Ibid.) 

*  Harris  says,  he  also  preached  at  Margam, 

*  Howell  Harris  says,  "  Several  gentlemen  attended,  and  were  much 
affected  and  pleased."     ("  Life  and  Times  of  Howell  Harris,"  p.  127.) 

*  Harris  says,  the  sermon  was  preached  near  one  of  Howell  Davies* 
churches,  and  that  twelve  thousand  were  present.     (Ibid.,  p.  127.) 


A-e28 


Methodism  in    Wales.  59 

Wednesday,  April  20.     "  Preached,  at  eight  in  the  morning,  to  about      1743 
eight  thousand  people,  at  Carmarthen  ;  and,  in  the  afternoon,  to  several 
thousands,  at  Narberth." 

Thursday,  April  21.  "Preached  this  morning  at  Lam;'  and,  coming 
over  the  ferry,  had  the  unexpected  compliment  paid  me,  of  one  ship  firing 
everal  guns,  and  of  some  others  hoisting  their  flags.  This  afternoon,  I 
■reached  at  Kidwelly,  to  a  large  congregation.  One  of  the  ministers 
reached  against  me  last  Sunday,  and  mentioned  me  by  name  ;  but,  like 
ny  other  opposers,  and  like  the  viper  biting  the  file,  he  only  hurt  himself." 

Friday,  April  22.  "  Preached  twice  at  Carmarthen,  to  about  ten  thousand 
oeople.  We  had  another  blessed  Association,  and  have  now  settled  all 
ihe  counties  in  Wales." 

Saturday,  April  23.  "  Preached  at  Llangathan,  in  the  church,  to  a  great 
congregation  ;  and  at  Llandovery  in  the  evening." 

Sunday,  April  24.  "  Preached  at  Llandovery  in  the  morning  ;  and,  in 
the  evening,  to  a  large  and  polite  auditory  at  Brecon." 

Monday,  April  25.  Preached  at  Trevecca,  and  at  Guenfithen.  "  My 
body  is  weak,  but  I  am  at  the  Redeemer's  feet,  and  He  reigns  King  in  my 
heart,  and  causes  me  to  rejoice  and  triumph  over  all." 

Tuesday,  April  26.  Preached  at  Builth,  and  Gore.  "Between  eight 
and  nine  at  night,  we  set  out  from  Gore  for  Leominster,  and  reached  there 
between  two  and  three  in  the  morning." 

Wednesday,  April  27.  Preached  twice  at  Leominster.  "  The  Lord 
broke  up  the  fallow  ground,  and  gave  me  a  blessed  entrance  into  Here- 
fordshire." 

Thursday,  April  28.  "  Found  some  of  our.  Lord's  disciples  at  Hereford, 
and  also  at  Ross,  and  might  have  preached  at  both  places,  if  time  would 
have  permitted  ;  but  I  was  hastening  to  Gloucester,  where  we  arrived  at 
eight  in  the  evening;  after  having,  in  about  three  weeks,  travelled  four 
hundred  English  miles,  spent  three  days  in  attending  two  Associations, 
preached  about  forty  times,  visited  about  thirteen  towns,  and  passed  through 
seven  coun'  ies.  Here,  then,  will  1  set  up  my  Ebenezer ;  thank  the  adorable 
Jesus  for  all  His  mercies  ;  and,  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart,  give  Him 
all  the  glory." 

After  preaching  three  or  four  times  in  "  the  barn  "  at 
Gloucester,  (which,  during  his  absence,  had  been  turned  into 
a  commodious  chapel,)  Whitefield  returned  direct  to  London. 
Arriving  there,  he  wrote  the  following  letter  to  one  of  the 
servants  of  the  Earl  of  Huntingdon — David  Taylor — who 
had  been  converted  under  the  ministry  of  Benjamin  Ingham, 
and  was  now  preaching  in  Yorkshire.  Notwithstanding  the 
enormous    toil    indicated    by  the    above   jottings,  Whitefield 


'  I  believe  several  of  these  proper  names  are  wrongly  spelt,  but  I  give 
many  of  them  as  I  find  them.  I  despair  of  being  able  to  correct  them 
all.— L.  T. 


6o  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

^743    was  willing  and  wishful  to  undertake  fresh   labours   quite   as 
Age  28  arduous. 

"  London,  May  6,  1743. 

"Mv  DEAR  Brother, — A  day  or  two  ago,  I  had  the  pleasure  of  receiving 
a  letter  from  you.     Accept  my  thanks  for  it. 

"  I  am  glad  that  our  Saviour  is  getting  Himself  the  victory  in  your 
parts,  and  that  fresh  doors  are  opened  for  our  dear  brother  Ingham  to 
preach  the  everlasting  gospel. 

"  Blessed  be  our  glorious  Emmanuel !  I  also  can  tell  you  of  new  and 
glorious  conquests  made  of  late.  I  am  but  just  returned  from  a  circuit  of 
four  hundred  miles  in  Gloucestei'shire  and  Wales.  Dagon  has  everywhere 
fallen  before  the  ark.  The  fields  are  white  unto  the  harvest.  The  con- 
gregations were  very  large  ;  and  I  was  never  enabled  to  preach  with 
greater  power. 

"  I  purpose  staying  here  about  a  month,  and  intend  once  more  to  attack 
the  prince  of  darkness  in  Moorfields,  when  the  holidays  come.  '  Many 
precious  souls  have  been  captivated  with  Christ's  love  in  that  wicked 
place.     Jerusalem  sinners  bring  most  glory  to  the  Redeemer. 

"Where  I  shall  go  next,  I  cannot  yet  tell.  If  my  Master  should  point 
out  the  way,  a  visit  to  Yorkshire  would  be  very  agreeable.  Perhaps 
Exeter  and  Cornwall  may  be  the  next  places.  I  love  to  range  in  such 
places. 

"George  Whitefield." 

The  Whitsuntide  holidays  occurred  in  the  fourth  week  of 
May  ;  but  no  record  exists  of  Whitefield's  intended  "  attack 
on  the  prince  of  darkness,"  except  that  he  preached  in  the 
morning  of  Whit-Sunday  in  Moorfields,  and  made  a  collection 
for  his  Orphan  House,  amounting  to  ^^23.  The  following 
are  extracts  from  letters  addressed,  at  this  time,  to  his  two 
superintendents — the  first  to  Mr.  Habersham,  the  second  to 
Mr.  Barber. 

"London,  May  21,  1743. 

"My  very  dear  faithful  Friend  and  Brother,— After  watching 
and  praying  and  striving  some  days  for  direction,  I  now  sit  down  to  write 
you  a  letter,  though  I  know  not  well  what  to  say  or  do.  The  concern  I 
have  felt  for  you  and  my  dear  family  has  had  an  effect  on  my  body,  and 
has  increased  the  weakness,  which  the  season  of  the  year,  my  constant 
labours,  and  continual  cares  have  brought  upon  me.  I  fear  I  have  been 
sinfully  impatient  to  come  to  you.  I  think  I  could  be  sold  as  a  slave  to 
serve  at  the  galleys,  rather  than  you  and  my  dear  orphan  family  should 
want.  You  may  well  expect  me  ;  but  I  must  not  mention  it,  lest  my 
impatient  heart  should  say,  *  Lord,  why  wilt  Thou  not  let  me  go  ?' 

"After  I  have  fought  the  Lord's  battles  in  Moorfields,  these  holi- 
days, I  think  to  take  a  tour  into  Cornwall  and  Wales,  and,  perhaps,  to 
Ireland." 


Another  Tour,  6 1 


Whitefield    here    laments    that    he    has   not,   before    now,     ^743 
returned   to  Georgia  ;    and  yet,  strangely  enough,  he   assigns  Age  2S 
no  definite  reason  why  his  intentions  and  promises  to   return 
were    not    fulfilled.      There    is    the    same    obscurity    in    the 
letter  addressed  to  his  Orphan-house  chaplain  : — 

"  London,  May  21,  1743. 
"  My  very  dear  Brother  Barber, — Little  did  I  think,  when  I  parted 
from  you  at  Bethesda,  that  I  should  be  writing  to  you  at  this  time  in 
London.  But  God's  ways  are  in  the  great  waters,  and  His  footsteps  are 
not  known.  I  have  essayed  to  come  to  you  more  than  once,  or  twice  ; 
butj"  I  believe  I  can  say,  '  The  Spirit  suffered  me  not.'  In  thought,  I  am 
with  you  daily  ;  Avhen  I  shall  come,  in  person,  our  Saviour  only  knows. 
I  long  to  be  with  you,  to  open  our  hearts  freely,  and  to  tell  one  another 
what  God  has  done  for  our  souls." 

All  this  sounds  well  enough  ;  but  it  does  not  assign  the 
reason  or  reasons  why  he  was  not  in  Georgia.  Was  he  kept 
in  England  by  his  new  relationship  to  the  Calvinistic  Metho- 
dists }  Or  did  his  wife,  for  a  -sufficient  cause,  object  to  his 
return  to  America  .''  Because  Whitefield  himself  is  silent  on 
the  subject,  these  are  questions  which  it  is  imp6'ssible  to 
answer.  All  the  debts  due  in  England,  on  account  of  his 
Orphan  House,  were  now  defrayed  ;  and,  with  the  foregoing 
letters,  he  sent  £2  5  towards  the  expenses  in  America  ;  but 
the  debts  there  required  a  considerably  larger  sum  than 
this.^ 

Whitefield  remained  in  London  until  June  13,  when  he 
again  set  out  on  another  of  his  evangelistic  tours.  Preaching 
all  the  way,  he  arrived  at  Gloucester,  "  shouting,  Grace  ! 
Grace!"  He  preached  at  Gloucester,  Fairford,  Burford, 
Bengeworth,  Stroud,  Hampton,  Bristol,  and  Kingswood. 
On  Saturday,  June  25,  he  rode  to  John  Cennick's  circuit, 
Wiltshire.      He  writes  : — 

"  Sunday,  June  26,  I  preached  at  Brinkworth,  on  these  words,  '  Thy 
Maker  is  thy  husband.'-  It  was  a  day  of  espousals,  I  believe,  to  many. 
God  was  with  us  of  a  truth.  After  sermon,  I  tode  to.  Langley,  in  company 
with  many  dear  children  of  God,  who  attended  me  both  on  horseback  and 
on  foot.     We  sung,  and  looked  like  persons  who  had  been  at  a  spiritual 

'  Whitefield's  Works,  vol.  ii.,  p.  24. 

-  This  sermon  is  included  in  Whitefield's  collected  works.  It  is  very- 
long,  but  contains  nothing  demanding  observation. 


62  The  Life  of  Whitcfield. 


1743     wedding.     The  Lord  helped  me  in  preaching  there  also.     All  was  quiet, 
o   •^'^  the  evening,  I  preached  at  Tytherton,  and  a  blessed  time  it  was.    After- 
^         wards,  we  set  out  for  Hampton,  and  reached  there  about  midnight.     We 
rode,  as  the  children  of  Israel,  passing  through  the  enemies'  country." 

On  Wednesday,  June  29,  Whitefield  reached  Trevecca, 
"  where,"  says  he,  "  I  met  a  whole  troop  of  Jesus'  witnesses. 
At  five  in  the  evening,  I  preached.  After  I  had  done, 
Howell  Davies  preached  and  prayed.  About  eight,  we 
opened  the  Association  with  great  solemnity.  Our  Saviour 
was  much  with  me,  teaching  and  helping  me  to  fill  my 
place  in  a  particular  manner.  About  midnight,  we  Ad- 
journed ;  but  several  of  the  Brethren  sat  up  all  night,  and 
ushered  in  the  morning  with  prayer  and  praise.  About 
eight,  we  met  again,  and  were  greatly  delighted  at  the 
simple  accounts  the  superintendents  brought  in  of  their 
respective  Societies.  We  continued  doing  business  till  two 
in  the  afternoon,  and  broke  up  with  much  solemnity  and 
holy  joy.  We  had  great  union  with  one  another.^  Indeed, 
Jesus  has  done  great  things  for  Wales.  The  work  is  much 
upon  the  advance.  I  was  surprised  to  find  so  much  order. 
Brother  Howell  Davies  has  been  blessed  to  the  conversion 
of  a  young  clergyman,  rector  of  St.  Bartholomew's,  London." 

The  "  young  clergyman,"  just  mentioned,  was  the  Rev. 
Richard  Thomas  Bateman,  "  a  man  of  high  birth  and  great 
natural  endowments."  "^  About  the  year  1 740,  he  left  his 
rectory  in  London,  and  retired  to  a  small  living  in 
Pembrokeshire.  *  He  was  wholly  unconverted,  and  was 
the  clergyman  who  preached  against  Whitefield  only  two 
months  before  Whitefield's  present  visit  to  Trevecca.  His 
text  was  I  John  iv.  i,  and  his  sermon  was  full  of  railing 
against  the  Methodists,  charging  them  with  hypocrisy,  enthu- 
siasm, and  kindred  crimes.  He  continued  in  Wales  about 
four  years  after  his  conversion,  preaching  with  great  power 
and  success  ;  and,  then,  in  1747,  returned  to  his  rectory  in 
London  ;^    opened   his   church   to  the   Wesleys  and    White- 

; ^ • 

'  There  was,  however,  a  little  discordance.  A  letter  was  read,  from 
J.  Richards,  one  of  the  public,  exhorters,  "in  which  he  objected  to  the 
division  of  the  members  of  the  Society  into  married,  single,  and  ividotus." 
("  Life  and  Times  of  Howell  Harris,"  p.  loi.) 

-  "  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  i.,  p.  62. 

*  Evangelical  Magazine,  18 14,  p.  418. 


Rev.  Richard  Thomas  Bateman.  63 

field ;  and  was  present  at  Wesley's  yearly  Conference  in  1 748.^    ^743 
Among  others  with  whom    he    formed  a  friendship  was   the  Age  28 
celebrated  Joseph  Williams,  of  Kidderminster,  who  wrote  to 
him  as  follows  : — 

"  Kidderminster,  June  10,  1747. 
"  It  did  me  good  to  hear  you  pour  out  your  soul  in  prayer  before  your 
sermon,  and  to  feel  you  bearing  mine  along  with  you  to  the  mercy-seat. 
I  have  great  expectations  from  your  coming  to  London,  and  am  solicitous  . 
about  the  good  fruits  thereof.  Many  a  fervent  prayer  have  I  put  up  for 
you  on  that  account.  I  want  to  know  whether  God  has  touched  any 
hearts  by  your  ministry.  God  has  not  wrought  this  great  change  in 
you,  at  so  ripe  an  age,  merely  for  your  own  sake,  but  for  the  sake  of  many. 
He  has  much  people  in  the  great  city  yet  to  be  called  ;  and,  having  called 
many  by  Mr.  Whitefield,  and  the  Messrs.  Wesley,  and  their  fellow-helpers. 
He  has  now  appointed  to  call  many  more  by  Mr.  Bateman, — many  who 
perhaps  would  not  come  within  hearing  of  any  of  the  others.  I  want  to 
know  if  you  have  gathered  thefirstfruits,  as  a  pledge  of  a  glorious  harvest. 
I  want,  also,  to  know  how  your  parishioners  and  others,  particularly 
clergymen,  behave  towards  you.  Will  you  not  favour  me  with  a  letter  ? 
I  trust  you  will.  Let  it  be  a  long  one.  I  love  long  letters  from  my  fathers 
and  brethren  in  Christ."  ^ 

Like  the  other  Methodist  clergymen,  Mr.  Bateman  had 
to  encounter  considerable  opposition  ;  but  this  is  not  the 
place  to  pursue  his  history. 

To  return  to  Whitefield.  When  preaching  his  first 
sermon  on  Hampton  Common,  Gloucestershire,  a  young 
man,  Thomas  Adams,  prompted  by  curiosity,  came  to  hear 
him.  Adams  was  converted,  and,  being  converted  himself, 
he  endeavoured  to  convert  his  brethren.  For  some  time  past, 
he  had  been  one  of  Whitefield's  preachers,  and  had  been  emi- 
nently successful  "  in  Hampton,^  and  the  adjacent  country,  in 
calling  sinners  to  the  knowledge  of  Jesus  Christ."  Having 
fofmed  a  society  at  Hampton,  Adams,  on  Saturday,  July  9th, 
was  quietly  singing  and  praying  with  its  members,  when,  all  at 
once,  the  house  was  surrounded  with  a  mob,  which,  for  weeks 
past,  had  "  breathed  out  threatenings  and  slaughter  against" 
Adams  and  his  friends.  Adams,  in  a  letter  to  Whitefield, 
shall  tell  his  own  story. 


'  Journals  of  J.  and  C.  Wesley,  and  Minutes  of  Conferences,  1744 — 

I798»  P-  39- 

^  Christian  History,  1747. 

'  Whitefield  writes  "  Hampton,"  but  the  full  name  of  the  place  was 
Minchin-Hampton. 


64  The  Life  of  Whitefieid. 


Age  28 


1743  "The  mob,  which  consisted  of  near  a  hundred  persons,  were  now  about 
the  house,  making  a  terrible  noise,  and  swearing  prodigiously.  I  went 
down  to  them,  and  opened  the  door,  and  asked  them  what  they  wanted. 
I  told  them,  if  they  wanted  my  life,  I  was  willing  to  deliver  it  up  for 
Jesus'  sake ;  but  withal  I  desired  to  know  why  they  either  disturbed  me 
or  sought  my  life  ;  for  I  was  not  aware  that  I  had  given  them  any  just 
cause  for  either.  Some  of  them  said  I  had,  by  bringing  in  false  doctrine, 
and  impoverishing  the  poor.  I  told  them,  that  they  could  prove  neither, 
and  that  their  accusation  was  really  false.  They  seemed  somewhat  at  a 
stand  ;  when  about  five  of  them  began  to  be  more  exasperated,  and  took 
me,  in  order  to  throw  me  into  a  lime  pit.  I  told  them,  they  need  not  force 
me,  for  I  was  willing  to  suffer  for  Jesus'  sake.  But  while  they  were 
pushing  me  along,  some  neighbours  took  me  in  their  arms,  and  carried 
me  into  one  of  their  houses. 

"  On  Sunday  morning,  about  twenty  of  the  Society  met  again.  We  spent 
the  morning  in  prayer.  In  the  evening  I  preached ;  when  in  came  the 
mob,  demanding  me  to  come  down.  I  asked,  by  what  authority  they  did 
so  ?  They  swore  they  would  have  me.  Then  said  I,  So  you  shall.  So 
they  took  me  to  the  lime  pit,  and  threw  me  in.  I  told  them,  I  should 
meet  them  at  the  judgment.  They  let  me  out,  and  I  came  home,  and 
kneeled  down  with  the  people  there,  and  prayed  to  God,  and  praised 
Him.  After  that,  I  exhorted  them  from  i  John  iii.  i — 3.  When  I  was 
concluding,  in  came  the  mob  again,  and  took  me  to  a  brook  to  throw  me 
in  there.  I  told  them  the  law  was  against  them,  but  I  was  willing  to 
suffer  anything  for  Christ.  They  said,  if  I  would  forbear  preaching  for  a 
month,  they  would  let  me  go.  I  told  them,  I  would  make  no  such  promise. 
So  forward  I  went.  One  of  them  threw  me  in,  and  I  went  to  the  bottom  ; 
but  I  came  up  again,  with  my  hands  clasped  together.  One  or  two  of 
them  jumped  in,  and  took  me  out.  Then  another  pushed  me  in  again, 
and  much  bruised  and  cut  one  of  my  legs  against  a  stone.  I  came  home 
talking  to  them.  Many  advise  us  to  prosecute  them  ;  but,  if  they  are 
quiet,  I  am  content,  and  can  say  from  my  heart,  '  P^ather,  forgive  them.' 
I  should  be  glad  if  you  would  be  here  on  Sunday  next." 

It  SO  happened,  that  Whitefieid  could  not  be  there 
"on  Sunday  next,"  for  he  had  to  preach  four  times  at 
Bristol  fair  ;  but  he  set  out  on  Wednesday,  July  20th,  and 
five  days  afterwards  wrote  as  follows  : — 

"  Hampton,  July  25,  1743. 

"On  Thursday  last,  I  came  here,  and  expected  to  be  attacked,  because 
the  mob  had  threatened,  that,  if  I  ever  came  again,  they  would  have  my 
black  gown  to  make  aprons  with.  No  sooner  had  I  entered  the  town,  than 
I  heard  the  signals,  such  as  blowing  of  horns  and  ringing  of  bells,  for 
gathering  the  mob.  My  soul  was  kept  quite  easy.  I  preached  on  a  large 
grass  plo\  from  these  words, '  And  seeing  the  grace  of  God,  he  exhorted 
them  with  full  purpose  of  heart  to  cleave  unto  the  Lord.'  As  it  happened, 
1  fini'^hed  my  sermon  and  pronounced  the  blessing,  just  as  the  ringleader 


Age  28 


Persecuii07i  at  Minchin-Ha7iipton.  65 

of  the  mob  broke  in  upon  us.  One  of  them,  as  I  was  coming  down  from  1743 
the  table,  called  me  a  coward  ;  but  I  told  him  they  should  hear  from  me 
in  another  way.  I  then  went  into  the  house,  and  preached  upon  the  stair- 
case to  a  large  number  of  serious  souls  ;  but  the  troublers  of  Israel  soon 
came  in  to  mock  and  mob  us.  As  you  know,  I  have  very  little  natural 
courage;  but  I  leaped  downstairs,  and  all  ran  before  me.  However,  they 
continued  making  a  noise  about  the  house  till  midnight,  abusing  the  poor 
people  as  they  went  home,  and  broke  one  young  lady's  arm  in  two  places. 
They  threw  brother  Adams  a  second  time  into  the  pool,  by  which  opera- 
tion he  received  a  deep  wound  in  his  leg.     They  wheeled  young  W 

H in  a  barrow  to  the  pool's  side,  lamed  his  brother,  and   grievously 

hurt  several  others.  Hearing  that  two  or  three  clergymen  were  in  the 
town,  one  of  whom  was  a  justice  of  the  peace,  I  went  to  them  ;  but, 
instead  of  redressing,  they  laid  the  cause  of  all  the  grievances  at  my  door. 
By  the  help  of  God,  I  shall  persist  in  preaching  myself,  and  in  encourag- 
ing thosevvho,  I  believe,  are  truly  moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost.  I  know  of  no 
law  of  God  or  man  against  it.  As  I  came  out  from  the  clergymen,  two 
of  the  unhappy  mobbers  were  particularly  insolent,  and  huzzaed  us  out 
of  the  town ." 

To  avoid  a  recurrence  to  these  disgraceful  proceedings,  it 
may  be  added,  that  Whitefield  and  his  friends  commenced 
an  action  against  five  of  the  ringleaders  of  the  mob  ;  that 
they  were  tried  at  the  Gloucester  Assizes  on  March  3,  1744  ; 
and  that  they  were  found  guilty.  Whitefield,  immediately, 
wrote  a  full  account  ^  of  the  whole  affair,  and,  from  that 
account,  the  following  extracts  are  taken  : — - 

"  Several  of  our  brethren,  both  in  England  and  Wales,  have  received 
much  damage,  and  have  been  frequently  in  great  hazard  of  their  lives. 
Wiltshire  has  been  remarkable  for  mobbing  and  abusing  the  Methodists  ; 
and,  for  about  ten  months  past,  it  has  also  prevailed  very  much  in  Glouces- 
tershire, especially  at  Hampton.  About  the  beginning  of  July,  1743,  for 
several  days,  the  mob  at  Hampton  assembled  in  great  bodies,  broke  tl\e 
windows  of  Mr.  Adams's  house,  and  assaulted  the  people  to  such  a  degree 
that  many  expected  to  be  murdered,  and  hid  themselves  in  holes  and 
corners,  to  avoid  the  rage  of  their  adversaries.  Once,  when  I  was  there, 
they  continued  from  four  in  the  afternoon  'till  midnight,  rioting,  giving  loud 
huzzas,  casting  dirt  upon  the  hearers,  and  making  proclamations,  '  that 

'  The  title  of  Whitefield's  pamphlet  was,  "  A  Brief  Account  of  the 
Occasion,  Process,  and  Issue  of  a  late  Trial  at  the  Assize  held  at 
(jloucester,  March  3rd,  1743,  between  some  of  the  People  called  Metho- 
dists, Plaintiffs,  and  certain  Persons  of  the  Town  of  Minchin-Hampton,  in 
the  said  County,  Defendants.  In  a  Letter  to  a  Friend.  By  George 
Whitefield,  A.B.,  late  of  Pembroke  College,  Oxford.  London  :  printed 
for  J.  Robinson,  at  the  Golden  Lyon,  in  Ludgate  Street  ;  and  sold  at  the 
Tabernacle,  and  by  Mr.  John  Syms,  in  Pitfield  Street,  Hoxton,  1744- 
(8vo.  pp.  15.} 

VOL.  II.  5 


f  6  The  Life  of   Whiteficld. 

1743  no  Anabaptists,  Presbyterians,  etc.,  should  preach  there,  upon  pain  of 
"'  being  first  put  into  a  skin-pit,  and  afterwards  into  a  brook.'  At  another 
^  time,  they  pulled  one  or  two  women  down  the  stairs  by  the  hair  of  their 
heads.  On  the  loth  of  July,  they  took  Mr.  Adams  out  of  his  house,  and 
threw  him  into  a  skin-pit  full  of  noisome  things  and  stagnated  water. 
They  also  put  one  of  our  friends,  named  Williams,  into  the  same  pit  twice, 
and  afterwards  beat  him,  and  dragged  him  along  the  kennel.  They  like- 
wise led  Mr.  Adams  a  mile  and  a  half  to  Bourn  brook,  and  threw  him  in, 
and  so  injured  his  leg,  that  he  went  lame  for  near  a  fortnight. 

"Both  the  constables  and  justices  were  applied  to,  but  refused  to  act ; 
and  seemed  rather  to  countenance  the  mobbing,  hoping,  thereby,  that 
Methodism  would  be  put  a  stop  to,  at  least,  at  Hampton.  For  a  season, 
they  gained  their  end.  There  was  no  preaching  for  some  time,  the  people 
fearing  to  assemble  on  account  of  the  violence  of  the  mob. 

"  Upon  my  return  to  town,  I  advised  with  my  friends  what  to  do.  For 
several  reasons,  we  thought  it  our  duty  to  move  for  an  information  in  the 
King's  Bench  against  five  of  the  ringleaders,  and  fixed  upon  the  riot  which 
they  made  on  Sunday,  July  10,  when  they  put  Messrs.  Adams  and  Williams 
into  the  skin-pit  and  brook.  But,  before  this  was  done,  I  wrote  a  letter 
to  one  whom  they  called  captain,  desiring  him  to  inform  his  associates, 
that,  if  they  would  acknowledge  their  fault,  and  would  pay  for  curing 
a  boy's  arm,  which  was  broken  the  night  I  was  there,  and  would 
mend  the  windows  of  Mr.  Adams's  house,  we  would  readily  pass  all  by. 
The  rioters  sent  me  an  insolent  answer,  and  said,  '  There  should  be  no 
more  preaching  in  Hampton.'  Finding  them  irreclaimable,  we  moved  for 
a  rule  of  court  in  the  King's  Bench  to  lodge  an  information  against  five  of 
the  ringleaders.  The  rioters  were  apprised  of  this,  appeared  by  their 
counsel,  and  prayed  the  rule  might  be  enlarged  till  the  next  term.  This 
was  granted. 

"  Meanwhile,  they  continued  mobbing.  One  Saturday  night,  at  eleven 
o'clock,  they  broke  into  Mr.  Adams's  house,  when  there  was  no  preaching, 
made  those  who  were  in  bed  get  up,  and  searched  the  oven,  cellar,  and 
every  corner  of  the  house,  to  see  whether  they  could  find  any  Methodists. 
Some  time  after,  they  threw  another  young  man  into  a  mud-pit  three 
times  successively,  and  abused  the  people  in  a  dreadful  manner. 

"  The  next  term  came  on.  We  proved  our  accusation  by  twenty-six 
affidavits  ;  the  rule  was  made  absolute,  and  an  information  was  filed, 
against  them.  To  this  they  pleaded  'Not  guilty;'  and  the  cause  was 
referred  to  the  assize  held  at  Gloucester,  March  3,  1744.  Being  aware  of 
the  great  consequence  of  the  trial,  we  kept  a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer 
through  all  the  Societies  both  in  England  and  Wales.  Our  Scotch  friends 
also  joined  us.  We  had  about  thirty  witnesses  to  prove  the  riot  and  facts 
laid  down  in  the  information. 

"Our  counsel  opened  the  cause  with  much  solidity  and  sound  reason. 
They  shewed,  '  That  rioters  were  not  to  be  reformers,  and  that  His  Majesty 
had  nowhere  put  the  reins  of  government  into  the  hands  of  mobbers,  or 
made  them  judge  or  jury.'     Our  witnesses  were  then  called. 

"  The  counsel  for  the  defendants  then  rose,  and,  I  think,  said  all  that 


Age  28 


Persecution  at  Minchin-Hafnpton.  67 

could  be  said,  to  make  the  best  of  a  bad  matter.  One  urged  that  we  were  1743 
enthusiasts,  and  that  our  principles  and  practices  had  such  a  tendency  to 
infect  and  hurt  the  people,  that  it  was  right  for  any  private  person  to  put  a 
stop  to  us,  and  whoever  did  so  was  a  friend  to  his  country.  The  other 
counsel  was  pleased  to  mention  me  by  name,  and  acquainted  the  cdo rt, 
that, '  Mr.  Whitefield  had  been  travelling  from  common  to  common,  making 
the  people  cr)',  and  then  picking  their  pockets,  under  pretence  of  collecting 
money  for  the  colony  of  Georgia  ;  that  he  had  now  several  curates,  of  which 
Mr.  Adams  was  one,  who,  in  his  preaching,  had  found  fault  with  the  pro- 
ceedings of  the  clergy,  and  said,  if  the  people  went  to  hear  them,  they 
would  be  damned.' " 

Whitefield  then  proceeds  to  give  an  outline  of  the  evidence 
in  favour  of  the  defendants,  and  the  substance  of  the  judge's 
charge  ;   and  continues  : — 

"  Uiron  this,  the  jury  were  desired  to  consider  their  verdict.  There 
seemed  to  be  some  little  demur  amongst  them.  His  lordship  perceiving 
it,  informed  them,  *  they  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  damages  ;  that  v/as 
to  be  referred  to  the  King's  Bench  ;  they  were  only  to  consider  whether 
the  defendants  were  guilty  or  not.'  Whereupon,  in  a  few  minutes,  they 
brought  in  all  the  defendants  'guilty  of  the  whole  information  lodged 
against  them.' 

"  I  then  retired  to  my  lodgings,  kneeled  down,  and  gave  thanks,  with 
some  friends.  Afterwards,  I  went  to  the  inn,  prayed  and  returned  thanks, 
with  the  witnesses  ;  exhorted  them  to  behave  with  meekness  and  humility 
to  their  adversaries  ;  and  sent  them  home  rejoicing.  In  the  evening,  I 
preached  on  these  words,  *  By  this  I  know  that  Thou  favourest  me,  since 
Thou  hast  not  suffered  mine  enemy  to  triumph  over  me.'  Next  morning, 
I  set  out  for  London." 

We  must  return  to  Whitefield's  travels.  When  he  left  the 
rioters  at  Minchin-Hampton,  on  Saturday,  July  23,  1743,  he 
returned  direct  to  Bristol ;  and,  on  the  following  day,  "preached 
four  times  in  the  fields,  to  congregations  as  large  as  those  at 
the  beginning  "  of  his  career. 

On  Saturday  next  ensuing,  he  came  to  Exeter,  where  he 
spent  three  days.      He  writes  : — 

"  Exeter,  August  2,  1743. 

"  I  preached,  last  Saturday  night,  to  a  great  body  of  people.  Several  of 
the  clergy  attended,  with  whom  Exeter  abounds.  Some  went  off ;  others 
stayed  till  I  had  done.  All  was  quiet ;  and  our  Lord  soon  made  way  for 
Himself  into  the  people's  hearts. 

"  Yesterday  evening,  I  preacl  ed,  on  .Southernay  Green,  to  upwards  of 
ten  thousand.  It  was  just  like  a  Moorfields  congregation.  God  was  with 
us  of  a  trutii. 

"  The  people  were  very  desirous  of  my  longer  continuance  here  ;  but  so 


68  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1743     many  things  concur  to  call  me  to  London,  that  I  leave  Exeter  to-morrow 
morning,  and  preach  in  my  way  to  town.     I  am  in  my  element  when 
^^  ^     evangelizing." 

One  of  the  things  which  brought  Whitefield,  in  such  haste, 
to  London,  was  the  necessity  of  consulting  his  friends  con- 
cerning the  steps  which  ought  to  be  taken  in  reference  to  the 
Hampton  rioters  ;  but  there  were  also  other  matters  scarcely 
of  less  importance. 

In  the  beginning  of  this  year,  1743,  Count  Zinzendorf 
had  declared  war  against  Whitefield.  He  had  heard  him 
preach,  and,  in  the  plenitude  of  his  power,  had  said  to  the 
young  evangelist, — "  You  must  first  formally  recant  the 
abominable  doctrine  of  reprobation,  so  contrary  to  sound 
reason  ;  and  then  preach  openly  free  grace  in  the  blood  of 
the  Lamb,  and  an  eleciiori  of  grace  as  taught  in  the  Scriptures, 
which  is  quite  different  from  the  doctrine  of  predestination 
which  you  teach  ;  and  if  not,  our  Church  must  necessarily  be 
opposed  to  yoii."  ^ 

Probably,  Whitefield  cared  but  little  for  Zinzendorf's 
imperious  censure  ;  but,  in  the  month  of  August,  another 
incident  occurred,  which  touched  him  more  deeply. 

John  Syms,  for  years  past,  had  been  Whitefield's  travelling 
companion.  He  seems  also  to  have  acted  as  Whitefield's 
secretary.  He  was  his  confidential  friend.  During  the  last  two 
months,  Whitefield  had  written  Syms,  at  least,  eight  letters, 
giving  an  account  of  his  every-day  proceedings,  and  all  of 
which  are  published  in  Whitefield's  collected  works.  Strangely 
enough,  all  at  once,  the  faithful  Syms  wisned  to  leave  White- 
field  and  to  join  the  Moravians.  Whitefield  was  extremely 
reluctant  to  part  with  him  ;  and  told  James  Hutton,  that, 
"  he  could  not  discharge  John  Syms,  his  agent,  believing  it 
to  be  the  Saviour's  will  ttiat  he  should  stay  with  him,  and 
do  the  work  with  which  he  had  entrusted  him.  Whitefield 
wished  Hutton  to  advise  Syms  to  continue  with  him  ;  but 
this  could  not  be  done,  inasmuch  as  Syms  had  said  he  was 
called  by  the  Holy  Ghost  to  leave  him  ;  and  the  Brethren 
could  not  advise  him  against  his  own  convictions."  ^ 

The  result  was,  Wliitefield  lost  his  secretary,  travelling 
companion,  and  major-domo,      John  Syms  was  received  into 

•  "  Memoirs  of  James  Hutton,"  p.  112.  ^  Ibid.,  p.  121. 


Proposed  Conference. 


the   Moravian   fellowship,  and   continued   one  of  the  Unitas     ^"^^^ 
Fratrum  until  his  death,  in  1756.      He  was  buried  in  Cam-  Age  aS 
berwell  churchyard,  where  there   used   to  be  a   memorial   of 
him  and  of  his  sister,  Mrs.  Sarah  Osborn.^ 

Another  matter  demanded  Whitefield's  attention,  even 
more  important  than  the  retention  or  otherwise  of  Secretary 
Syms. 

John  Wesley  was  now  in  the  north  of  England  ;  Charles 
Wesley  was  in  Cornwall  ;  Whitefield  was  in  Devonshire  ; 
Spangenberg  was  in  London  ;  John  Nelson  was  in  Yorkshire. 
The  Moravians  were  an  organized  body  of  Christians.  The 
Calvinistic  Methodists  were  formed  into  a  connexion.  And 
Wesley  had  large  and  flourishing  societies  in  London,  Bristol, 
Newcastle-on-Tyne,  and  other  places.  Somehow,  Wesley 
formed  a  project  for  bringing  the  three  communities  into 
closer  union  Vv'ith  each  other  ;  and,  for  that  purpose,  pro- 
posed that  a  conference  should  be  held  in  London.^  He 
himself  travelled  from  Newcastle  ;  his  brother  Charles  hur- 
ried from  Cornwall  ;  Whitefield  came  from  Exeter  ;  John 
Nelson  trudged  from  Birstal.  What  was  the  result.^  Charles 
Wesley  writes  : — 

"  Gwennap,  Sunday,  August  7.  My  brother  summoned  me  to  London, 
to  confer  with  the  heads  of  the  Moravians  and  Predestinarians.  We  had 
near  three  hundred  miles  to  ride  in  five  days.  I  was  willing  to  undertake 
this  labour  for  peace,  though  the  journey  was  too  great  for  us  and  our 
weary  beasts,  which  we  have  used  ahnost  every  day  for  these  three 
months. 

"  Friday,  August  12.  By  nine  at  night,  I  reached  the  Foundery.  Here  I 
heard  the  Moravians  would  not  be  present  at  the  conference.  Span-renberg, 
indeed,  said  he  would,  but  immediately  left  England.  My  brother  was 
come  from  Newcastle,  John  Nelson  from  Yorkshire,  and  I  from  the  Land's 
End  to  good  purpose  1  "^ 

What  did  John  Wesley  say }  To  a  Moravian,  who,  in 
1746,  taunted  him  with  having  opposed  reconciliation  and 
union,  he  wrote  : — • 

"Alas,  my  brother  !  what  an  assertion  is  this  !  Did  not  I  come,  three 
years  ago,  in  all  haste,  from  Newcastle-upon-Tyne  ;  and  my  brother,  in 
five  days,  from  the  Land's  End,  to  a  supposed  conference  in  London .' 


'  "  Memoirs  of  James  Hutton,"  p.  128. 
^  Jackson's  "  Life  of  C.  Wesley,"  vol.  i.,  p.  350. 
C.  Wesley's  Journal. 


70  The  Life  of  White  field. 

1743  Was  this  standing  out  ?  But  with  what  effect  ?  Why,  Mr.  Spangenberg 
—  had  just  left  London.  None  besides  had  any  power  to  confer  with  us, 
^*  ^  And,  to  cut  us  off  from  any  such  expectation,  James  Hutton  said  they  had 
orders  not  to  confer  at  all,  unless  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  or  the 
Bishop  of  London,  were  present.  There  cannot  be  under  heaven  a  greater 
mistake  than  this,  that  I  ever  did  stand  out,  or  that  I  do  so  now.  There 
has  not  been  one  day,  for  these  seven  years  last  past,  wherein  my  soul  has 
not  longed  for  union."  ' 

It  is  impossible  to  determine,  with  certainty,  whetiier 
Wesley's  wish  was  for  the  Moravians,  the  Calvinistic  Metho- 
dists, and  the  Arminian  Methodists  to  be  amalgamated  into 
one  connexion  ;  or  whether  he  merely  wished  that,  by 
mutual  explanations  and  concessions,  they  might  cultivate  a 
better  understanding  with  each  other,  and  so  avoid  all 
unnecessary  collision,  and  unite,  as  far  as  practicable,  in 
advancing  the  work  of  God  ;  but  one  thing  is  certain, 
through  no  fault  of  his,  the  attempt  was  a  failure.  Ten 
months  later,  Wesley  instituted  a  conference  of  his  own. 
,  No  authentic  information  exists  as  to  the  part  which 
Whitefield  took  in  these  proceedings  ;  but,  a  few  days  after 
the  proposed  conference  should  have  met,  Wesley,  "  to  cut 
off  all  needless  dispute,"  wrote  down  his  sentiments,  as  plainly 
as  he  could,  on  the  "  three  points  in  debate  "  between  him 
and  Whitefield,  namely,  "  Unconditional  Election,  Irresistible 
Grace,  and  Final  Perseverance."  The  paper  '^  doubtless  was 
put  into  Whitefield's  hands,  and  must  have  satisfied  him 
of  the  sincerity  of  Wesley's  friendship  ;  though  Arminian 
Methodists,  as  Mr.  Jackson  says,  will  think  "  it  leans  too 
much  towards  Calvinism." 

In  one  thing,  Whitefield  and  Wesley  were  agreed;  namely, 
that  their  Societies  should  not  separate  themselves  from  the 
Established  Church.  Hence  the  following  letter,  written,  by 
Whitefield,  soon  after  the  date  of  tlie  intended  conference: — • 

"  London,  Ans[iist  20,  1743. 

"  How  wonderfully  does  our  all-wise  Redeemer  order  things  for  the  trial 
of  His  children  !  Alas  !  alas  !  how  apt  are  they  to  judge,  censure,  and  be 
needlessly  prejudiced  against  each  other  ! 

"  In  our  last  Association,  we  agreed  not  to  separate  from  the  Established 
Church,  but  to  go  on  in  our  usual  way.    The  motion  to  separate  was  made 

'  Wesley's  Works,  vol.  ii.,  p.  28. 

'  See  it  in  Wesley's  Works,  vol.  i.,  p.  401. 


Narrow  Escape.  71 


only  by  a  very  few,  of  more  contracted  principles.     By  far  the  greater  part     1743 
most  strenuously  opposed  it,  and  with  good  reason  ;  for,  as  we  enjoy  such       — 
great  liberty  under  the  mild  and  gentle  government  of  his  present  majesty,  ^^ 
King  George,  we  think  we  can  do  him,  our  country,  and  the  cause  of  God, 
more  service  in  ranging  up  and  down,  preaching  repentance  towards 
God,  and  faith  in  our  Lord  Jesus,  to  the  multitudes  who  will  neither  come 
into  church  or  meeting,  but  who  are  led,  by  curiosity,  to  follow  us  into  the 
fields.      However  disorderly  this  may  seem  to  bigots  of  every  denomina- 
tion, yet,  it  is  a  way  to  which  God  has  affixed  His  seal  for  many  years 
past  ;  and,  therefore,  we  have  no  reason  to  turn  to  the  right  hand  or  to 
the  left,  but  to  press  forwards,  and  to  do  our  utmost  towards  enlarging  the 
kingdom  of  our  Lord  Jesus." 

Whitefield's  wife  was  near  her  confinement  ;  and,  at  the 
beginning  of  September,  had  a  narrow  escape  from  an  un- 
timely death.      Whitefield  himself  shall  tell  the  story. 

"  London,  September  2,  1 743. 

"  My  wife  has  been  in  trying  circumstances,  partly  through  the  unskil- 
fulness  of  a  chaise-driver — I  mean  myself.  Being  advised  to  take  her  out 
into  the  air,  I  drove  her,  as  well  as  myself,  through  inadvertence,  into  a 
ditch.  The  ditch  might  be  about  fourteen  feet  deep.  All,  who  saw  us, 
cried  out,  'They  are  killed  !'  but,  through  infinite  mercy,  we  received  no 
great  hurt.  The  place  was  very  narrow  near  the  bottom,  and  yet  the 
'horse  went  down,  as  though  lowered  by  a  pulley.  A  bystander  ran,  and 
caught  hold  of  its  head,  to  prevent  its  going  forwards.  I  got  upon  its 
back,  and  was  drawn  out ;  whilst  my  wife,  still  hanging  between  the  chaise 
and  the  bank,  was  pulled  up  by  two  or  three  kind  assistants.  The  chaise 
and  horse  being  taken  up,  and  our  bruises  being  washed  with  vinegar  in 
a  neighbouring  house,  we  went  on  our  intended  way,  and  came  home 
rejoicing  in  God  our  Saviour. 

"  Not  expecting  my  wife's  delivery  for  some  time,  I  intend  making  a 
short  excursion,  and  then  you  may  expect  further  news  from  yours,  etc, 

"  George  Whitefield." 

Northampton,  among  other  places,  was  visited  by  White- 
field,  in  the  "  short  excursion  "  just  mentioned.  His  friend 
Hervey  had  recently  become  curate  at  Weston-Favel  ;  and, 
perhaps,  it  was  this  circumstance  which  brought  Whitefield 
into  this  particular  locality.  Be  that  as  it  may,  the  visit 
became  a  memorable  one,  from  the  angry  feelings  it  excited 
among  some  of  the  leading  Dissenters  of  the  day. 

Others,  besides  clergymen  and  Presbyterian  ministers, 
were  unpleasantly  perplexed  by  Whitefield  and  the  Metho- 
dists. Dr.  Doddridge,  though  one  of  the  most  liberal-minded 
of  the    Dissenters,    found   it   difficult    to    look   with    favour 


72  The  Life  of  WIntefield. 


'743    upon  the  proceedings  of  some  of  tlic   Methodist  evangelists. 

Age  28   Hence  the  following  extract  from  a  letter,  addressed   to  the 

Rev.  Mr.  Witton,  son-in-law  of  the  celebrated  Philip  Henry  : — 

"  Northampton,  June  8,  1743. 

"I  am  much  concerned  at  the  anxiety  and  disturbance  which  Mr. 
Wesley's  coming  into  your  neighbourhood  has  occasioned.  You  are 
pleased  to  ask  my  advice,  and  therefore  1  give  it. 

"  I  think  the  gentlest  methods  will  be  the  most  effectual.  Opposition 
will  but  give  strength  to  the  faction,  if  it  be  attended  with  violence  and 
heat.  Should  Mr.  Wesley  come  hither,  as  perhaps  he  may,  and  excite 
such  a  flame  among  the  weaker  part  of  my  hearers,  I  would  appoint  some 
stated  season  for  meering  once  a  week,  with  a  few  steady  and  experienced 
brethren  of  the  church,  that  an  hour  or  two  might  be  spent  in  prayer  and 
consultation,  as  new  incidents  might  arise  within  the  sphere  of  our  personal 
observation.  I  would  endeavour  to  renew  my  zeal  in  preaching  the  great 
truths  of  the  gospel,  and  in  visiting  and  exhorting  my  hearers.  I  would, 
with  great  meekness  and  compassion,  and  yet  with  great  solemnity,  ad- 
monish the  persons  attacked  with  the  contagion,  and  lay  open  before  them 
the  absurd  nature  and  tendency  of  the  views  they  had  rashly  entertained  ; 
and  I  would,  as  God  enabled  me,  pray  earnestly  for  them." ' 

Among     others,    who    wrote     to     Doddridge,    respecting 
Whitefield,  was   the   Rev.   Robert   Blair,  D.D.,  author  of  the . 
well-known  poem,  "The  Grave."     In  a  letter,  dated  July  28, 
1743,  he  says:  — 

"I  wish  you  would  give  me  your  opinion  of  Mr.  Whitefield,  a  man  who 
has  made  abundance  of  noise  in  the  world.  I  never  in  my  life  knew  any 
person  so  much  idolized  by  some,  and  railed  at  by  others."^ 

Soon  after  this,  during  a  visit  to  London,  Doddridge  seems 
to  have  attended  Whitefield's  Tabernacle,  and  to  have  taken 
part  in  one  or  more  of  its  services.  Perhaps  the  influence 
of  Colonel  Gardiner,  one  of  his  correspondents,  had  induced 
him  to  do  this.  Whatever  the  inducement,  howev^er,  the  act 
itself  created  alarm  among  the  London  Dissenters.  Hence 
the  following,  addressed  to  Doddridge,  from  Dr.  Isaac 
Watts  : — 

"Stoke  Newington,  September  2.0,  1743. 

"  I   am  sorry  that,  since  your  departure,  I  have  had  many  questions 

asked  me  about  your  preaching  or  praying  at   the  Tabernacle,  and  of 

sinking  the  character  of  a  minister,  and  especially  of  a  tutor,  among  the 

Dissenters,  so  low  thereby.      I   find   many  of  your  friends  cntcrt.iin  this 

'  Doddridge's  Correspondence,  vol  iv.,  p.  254.       -  Ibid,  p.  265. 


Dissenters  Alarmed.  73 

idea  ;  but  I  can  give  no  answer,  not  knowing  how  much  you  have  been      1743 
engaged  there.     I  pray  God  to  guard  us  from  every  temptation."' 

This  is  mightily  amusing.  Dr.  Doddridge,  the  theological 
tutor  of  the  Dissenters'  College,  daring  to  preach  or  pray  in 
Whitefield's  Tabernacle  !  What  a  sin  against  all  ecclesiastical 
and  ministerial  propriety  !  The  poor  Doctor,  however,  went 
further  than  even  this.  He  allowed  Whitefield  to  preach  in 
his  own  pulpit  at  Northampton  !  This  seemed  to  perfect 
the  enormity.  Among  others  who  took  the  Northampton 
professor  to  task  for  his  eccentric  conduct,  was  the  Rev. 
John  Barker,  an  influential  minister,^  in  London,  who  wrote 
as  follows  : — 

"  November  4,  1 743. 
"  It  is  an  honour  to  our  interest  that  you  stand  so  well  with  the  sober  and 
moderate  clergy.  For  this  reason,  I  was  troubled  to  hear  of  the  late  inter- 
course between  you  and  Mr.  "Whitefield,  the  consequence  of  which,  with 
respect  to  the  Church,  it  is  easy  to  foresee.  I  was  willing  to  think  well  of 
the  Methodists  ;  but,  after  a  candid  attention  to  them,  their  proceedings 
appear  not  to  me  to  be  wise  and  good.  Their  devotion  is  unseasonable, 
irregular,  and  injudicious.  Their  sermons  are  low  and  loose.  Their 
spirit  appears  to  me  turbulent,  unruly,  and  censorious.  They  practise 
upon  weak  people  and  poor  people.  They  call  them  to  pray  and  sing 
when  they  should  be  in  their  business  or  their  beds.  They  disturb  the 
peace  and  order  of  families,  and  give  great  uneasiness  in  them.  What 
they  pretend  to  above  their  neighbours  appears  to  be  mere  enthusiasm. 
Their  people  are  slothful,  or  mopish,  or  dejected,  or  pragmatical,  rather 
than  sober,  discreet,  judicious,  exemplary,  rcjular  Christians  ;  and  I  have 
no  expectation  but  that  Methodism,  like  any  other  enthusiasm,  will 
promote  infidelity,  and  turn  out  to  the  hurt  and  damage  of  religion,  and 
the  souls  of  men.  Though  I  judge  not  their  hearts,  views,  and  motives^ 
but  admit  those  are  secret  things  which  belong  to  God,  yet  I  thought 
it  needful,  very  lately,  to  warn  my  hearers  of  these  people's  errors,  and 
advise  them  to  avoid  them."^ 


'  Doddridge's  Correspondence,  vol.  iv.,  p.  270. 

-  The  Rev.  John  Barker  was  now  in  the  sixty-first  year  of  his  age.  He 
began  his  ministry  in  1709,  and  for  four  years  acted  as  assistant  to  the 
Rev.  Benjamin  Grosvenor,  D.D.  On  the  death  of  the  celebrated  Matthew 
Henry,  in  1714,  Mr.  Barker  became  his  successor,  in  Mare  Street, 
Hackney.  In  1738,  for  unknown  reasons,  he  resigned  his  pastorate  at 
Hackney  ;  and,  after  three  years  of  rest,  became,  in  1741,  minister  of  the 
congregation  at  Salters'  Hall,  where  he  continued  until  a  short  time  before 
his  death,  in  1762.  He  numbered  among  his  i)itiinate  friends  Doddridge, 
Watts,  Gilbert  West,  Lord  Lyttleton,etc.  (Wilson's  "Dissenting  Churches 
in  London.") 

^  Doddridge's  Correspondence,  vol.  iv.,  p.  284. 


74  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

''743  Doddridge's  chief  castigator,  however,  was  Nathaniel  Neal, 
Age  28  Esq.,  son  of  the  Rev.  Daniel  Neal,  the  historian  of  the 
Puritans.  Nathaniel  was  an  eminent  attorney,  secretary  to 
the  Million  Bank,  and  author  of  "  A  Free  and  Serious  Re- 
monstrance to  Protestant  Dissenting  Ministers,  on  occasion 
of  the  Decay  of  Religion."  ^  He  wrote  not  fewer  than  three 
long  letters  to  Doddridge,  filling  nine  printed  octavo  pages, 
and  dated  respectively.  Million  Bank,  October  ii,  October 
15,  and  December  10,  1743.  He  addresses  Doddridge  with 
great  deference  and  respect  ;  but,  evidently,  in  great  alarm, 
lest  Doddridge  should  irretrievably  injure  his  position  and 
character,  as  the  chief  of  the  Dissenters'  tutors,  by  counte- 
nancing the  proceedings  of  the  eccentric  Methodist. 
In  the  first  of  his  letters,  he  writes  : — 

"  It  was  with  the  utmost  concern  that  I  received  the  information  of  Mr. 
Whitefield's  having  preached  last  week  in  your  pulpit.  I  attended  the 
meeting  of  the  trustees  of  Mr.  Coward's  benefaction  this  day,  when  the 
matter  was  canvassed,  and  I  now  find  rnyself  obliged  to  apprize  you  of 
the  very  great  uneasiness  which  your  conduct  herein  has  occasioned 
them." 

Mr.  Neal  proceeds  to  tell  the  Doctor  that  his  "  regard  to 
the  Methodists"  was  injuring  him  in  the  opinion  of  his 
friends,  and  was  giving  an  advantage  against  him  to  his 
"  secret  and  avowed  enemies."      He  adds  : — 

"  In  the  case  of  such  a  public  character,  and  so  extensive  a  province  for 
the  service  of  reUgion  as  yours,  it  seems  to  me  a  point  well  worth  con- 
sidering, whether  it  is  a  right  thing  to  risk  such  a  prospect  as  Providence 
has  opened  before  you,  of  eminent  and  distinguished  usefuhiess,  for  the 
sake  of  any  good  you  are  likely  to  do  amongst  these  people.  Your  coun- 
tenancing the  Methodists  has  been  the  subject  of  conversation  much 
oftener  than  I  could  have  wished.  The  trustees  are  particularly  in  pain 
for  it,  with  regard  to  your  academy  ;  as  they  know  it  is  an  objection  made 
to  it,  by  some  persons  seriously,  and  by  others  craftily."  ^ 

In  his  third  letter,  Mr.  Neal  expresses  a  holy  dread  lest 
Doddridge  should  be  "  engaged  amongst  men  of  weak  heads, 
and  narrow,  gloomy  sentiments,  who  may  and  ought  to  be 
pitied   and   prayed   for,  but  whom   no   rules  of  piety  or  pru- 


'  Wilson's  "  Dissenting  Churches,"  vol.  iii.,  p.  loi. 
"^  Doddridge's  Correspondence,  vol.  iv.,  p.  275. 


Dissefiters  Alar7ned.  75 

dence  will   oblige    us    to   make   our  confidants   and   friends."     ^743 


He  continues  : — 

"  There  are  letters  shewn  about  town,  from  several  ministers  in  the 
west,  which  make  heavy  complaints  of  the  disorders  occasioned  by  White- 
leld  and  Wesley  in  those  parts.  One  of  them,  speaking  of  Mr.  Whitefield, 
.alls  him  ''honest,  crazy,  coiifident  Whitefield.'  These  letters,  likewise, 
lention  that  some  ministers  there,  who  were  your  pupils,  have  given 
.diem  countenance  ;  and  you  can  hardly  conceive  the  disrespect  this  has 
isccasioned  several  ministers  and  other  persons  in  town  to  speak  of  you 
with." ' 

Poor  Doddridge,  with  the  best  intentions,  had  stirred  up 
a  nest  of  ecclesiastical  hornets.  He  had  to  make  the  best 
of  the  affair  ;  and  part  of  his  answer  to  Mr.  Neal  was  as 
follows  : — 

"  Dcawiber  12,  1743. 
"  I  am  truly  sorry  that  the  manner  in  which  I  spoke  of  Mr.  Whitefield,  in 
my  last,  should  have  given  you  uneasiness.  What  I  said  proceeded  from 
a  principle  which  I  am  sure  you  will  not  despise  :  I  mean  a  certain  frank- 
ness of  heart,  which  would  not  allow  me  to  seem  to  think  more  meanly 
of  a  man  to  whom  I  had  once  professed  some  friendship  than  I  really 
did. 

"  I  must,  indeed,  look  upon  it  as  an  unhappy  circumstance  that  he  came 
to  Northampton  just  when  he  did,  as  I  perceive  that,  in  concurrence  with 
other  circumstances,  it  has  filled  town  and  country  with  astonishment  and 
indignation. 

"  I  had  great  expectations  from  the  Methodists  and  Moravians  ;  and  I 
am  grieved  that  so  many  things  have  occurred  among  them  which  have 
been  quite  unjustifiable.  I  suppose  they  have  also  produced  the  same 
sentiments  in  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  who,  to  my  certain  knowledge, 
received  Count  Zinzendorf  with  open  arms,  and  wrote  of  his  being  chosen 
the  Moravian  Bishop,  as  what  was  done  '  plaudeiite  toto  coclesii  choro! 
I  shall  always  be  ready  to  weigh  whatever  can  be  said  against  Mr.  White- 
field  ;  and,  though  I  must  have  actual  demonstration  before  I  can  admit 
him  to  be  a  dishonest  man,  and  though  I  shall  never  be  able  to  think  all 
he  has  v/ritten,  and  all  1  have  heard  from  him  to  be  nonsense  ;  yet,  I  am  not 
so  zealously  attached  to  hiin  as  to  be  disposed  to  celebrate  him  as  one  of 
the  greatest  men  of  the  age,  or  to  think  that  he  is  the  pillar  which  bears 
up  the  whole  interest  of  religion  among  us. 

"  I  had  heard  before  of  the  offence  which  had  been  taken  at  two  of  my 
pupils  in  the  west,  for  the  respect  they  shewed  to  Mr  Whitefield:  and  yet 
they  are  both  persons  of  eminent  piety.  He  whose  name  is  chiefly  in 
question,  I  mean  Mr.  Darracott,  is  one  of  the  most  devout  and  extraor- 
dinary men  I  ever  sent  out,  and  a  person  who  has,  within  these  ic^  years, 
been  highly  useful  to  numbers  of  his  hearers.     Mr.  Fawcett  labours  at 

Doddridge's  Correspondence,  vol.  i' .,   p.  289. 


Age  2S 


76  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1743     Taunton  ;  and  his  zeal,  so  far  as  I  can  judge,  is  inspired  both  with  love 

~~  o   and  prudence.     Yet,  I  hear  those  men  are  reproached  because  they  have 

treated  Mr.  Whitefield  respectfully;  and  that  one  of  them,  after  having 

had  a  correspondence  with  him  for  many  years,  admitted  him  into  his 

pulpit. 

'•  I  own,  I  am  very  thoughtful  where  these  things  will  end.  In  the 
meantime,  I  am  as  silent  as  I  can  be.  I  commit  the  matter  to  God  in 
prayer.  I  am  sure  1  see  no  danger  that  any  of  my  pupils  will  prove 
Methodists.  I  wish  many  of  them  may  not  run  into  the  contrary  ex- 
treme." ' 

These  are  long,  almost  tedious,  extracts  ;  but  they  are  of 
great  importance  as  plainly  shewing  that,  at  the  beginning 
of  his  career,  the  Independents  looked  upon  Whitefield  with 
as  much  suspicion  as  many  of  the  clergy  of  the  Church  of 
England  and  many  of  the  Presbyterian  ministers  of  Scotland 
did.  It  was  a  heinous  sin  against  all  the  proprieties  of  their 
Church,  that  Doddridge  and  two  of  his  ordained  pupils  had 
countenanced  the  preaching  of  this  young,  popular,  power- 
ful, and  successful  evangelist. 

We    again    return    to   Whitefield's    wanderings.      In    the 
Scots   Magazine,  for  1743,  under  the  heading  of  "  Marriages 
and  Births,"  the  following  announcement  was  made:  "October, 
1743.      At   his  house  in   Hoxton,  the  wife  of  Mr.   George 
Whitefield,  of  a  son."      This  event  seems  to   have  occurred 
during  Whitefield's   "  short  excursion  "   to  Northampton  and 
its   neighbourhood.      Hence,  under   date   of  October  5  th,  he 
writes  :   "  The  last  evening  of  my  short  excursion,  I  preached 
from  a  balcony,  to  many  thousands,  who  stood  in  the  street 
as  comfortable  as  at  noonday.      Upon  retiring  to  my  lodgings, 
news  was  brought  me,  that  God    had  given  me  a  son.      This 
hastened    me    up    to   London,   where    I    now  am,   and   from 
whence,  after  I  have  baptized  my  little  one,  I  purpose  to  set 
out  again  on  my  Master's  public  business."      Ten  days  after 
writing  this,  the  untiring  Whitefield  was  at  Avon,  in  Wilt- 
shire, and    did    not    return  to  his  wife  and  infant  son    until 
seven  weeks   afterwards.      Perhaps,  this  was  not  an  example 
of  either  connubial  or  paternal  behaviour  to  be  commended  ; 
but  let  it  pass.      The  following  extracts  from  his  letters  will 
furnish    an    idea    of  his    labours,   in    the   west    of    England, 
during  the  next  tuo  months  : — 

'  Doddridge's  Correspondence,  vol.  iv.,  p.  loix. 


Whitcfield  iji  the   West  of  England.  77 

"COLLUMPTON,  October  2$,  1743.         1743 

"I  wrote  to  you  on  the  I5tli  instant  at  Avon.  In  the  morning,  I  walked  a  "28 
to  Tythcrton,  and  preached.  After  sermon,  I  baptized  four  boys,  each 
about  three  months  old.  The  ordinance  was  so  solemn  and  awful,  that 
Mrs.  Gotley"  (who  is  a  Quaker)  had  a  mind  immediately  to  partake  of  it. 
When  I  go  to  Wiltshire,  I  believe  I  shall  baptize  her  and  her  children, 
with  some  adult  persons  who  have  tasted  of  redeeming  love.  About  one 
o'clock  I  preached  at  Clack,  in  the  street.  I  then  rode  to  Brinkworth 
and  preached  there,  and,  afterwards,  administered  the  holy  sacrament  to 
about  two  hijndred  and  fifty  communicants.  Some  strangers,  from  Bath, 
went  home  filled  with  our  Redeemer's  presence.  I  have  also  preached  at 
Chippenham.     We  had  a  wonderful  time  in  Wiltshire. 

"  I  hope  I  managed  all  things  right  about  the  afiair  of  the  Hampton 
rioters.  They  have  compelled  us  to  appeal  unto  Ctesar.  Evidences  shall 
be  examined  in  the  country,  in  time  enough  to  send  the  examinations  to 
town. 

"  On  Saturday  last  (October  22nd),  when  I  came  to  Wellington,  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Darracott-  persuaded  me  to  stay  there,  because  the  country 
people  had  come  from  all  quarters  several  times  to  hear  me,  and  had  been 
disappointed.  I  consented,  and  preached  in  his  meeting-house,  in  the 
evening,  to  a  large  auditory.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Fawcett,^  formerly  pupil  to 
Dr.  Doddridge,  came  there,  and  stayed  all  night.  The  blessed  Jesus  gave 
us  much  freedom  in  conversation.  I  hope  both  will  be  instruments,  under 
God,  in  promoting  a  good  work  in  these  parts. 

"  Sunday  morning,  1  preached  again  in  the  meeting-house  ;  and,  in  the 
evening,  to  seven  thousand  in  the  field.* 

"  On  Monday,  at  ten  in  the  morning,  and  at  two  in  the  afternoon,  I 
preached,  at  CoUumpton,  with  much  freedom  and  power  ;  was  kindly 
received,  met  some  reputable  Dissenters,  and  am  now  setting  out  for 
Exeter." 

Whitefield  seems  to  have  made  Exeter  his  head-quarters  for 
nearly  a  fortnight.      Hence  the  following  letters  : — 

"Exeter,  October  n^,  1743. 
"  I  have  a  strong  conviction  that  our  Lord  intends  doing  something  in 
the  west.  Since  my  arrival  here,  letters  of  invitation  have  come  from 
many  parts.  The  common  people  begin  to  feel.  I  preached  this  after- 
noon on  Southernay  Green.  Even  some  of  the  polite  were  much  affected. 
I  believe  I  shall  think  it  my  duty  to  stay  in  these  parts  for  some  time." 

•  See  Primitive  Methodist  Magazine,  1865,  p.  602. 

-  The  Rev.  Risdon  Darracott,  one  of  Doddridge's  pupils,  mentioned  in 
the  foregoing  letter,  dated,  December  12,   1743.      He  was  an  eminently 
devout  and  useful  Dissenting  minister,  at  Wellington,  Somersetshire,  where     ' 
he  died,  at  the  early  age  of  forty-two,  in  the  year  1759. 

'  A  young  Dissenting  minister  at  Taunton.     Also  mentioned  in  Dod- 
dridge's letter. 

*  The  reader  has  already  seen  the  fluttering  which  these  services  created 
among  the  London  Dissenters. 


78  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 


1743  "Exeter,  A^(?t/<?W(5^r  6,  1743. 

.  ~"  o       "On  Monday  last  "  (October  31st),  " I  went  to  Axminst'er,  and  preached 

■f^ge  25  ^.Q  j^i^out  two   thousand  without ;    and    afterwards  exhorted   within   the 

house  where  I  lay.      The  next  day,  I  preached  to  a  greater  number  of 

people  ;  and,  at  night,  gave  an  exhortation,  and  met  the  Society.     Our 

Lord  vouchsafed  us  a  gracious  blessing. 

"  On  Wednesday,  I  went  to  Ottery  ;  but,  just  as  I  named  my  text,  the 
bells  rang.  Upon  this,  I  adiourned  to  a  field,  whither  the  people  ran  in 
droves.  As  I  stepped  into  the  inn,  before  I  went  to  the  field,  a  clergyman 
came,  who  asked  me  by  what  authority  I  preached,  and  said  it  was  a 
riot,  and  that  the  meeting  was  illegal.  I  answered  him,  as  I  thought, 
pertinently,  and  afterwards  went  and  shewed  him  my  authority,  by  preach- 
ing on  these  words,  '  Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the  gospel  to 
every  creature.'  In  the  evening,  I  returned  to  Exeter,  where  some 
hundreds  were  waiting  to  hear  me  expound.  The  Lord  makes  this  place 
very  comfortable  to  me.  Prejudices  fall  off  daily,  and  people  begin  not 
only  to  discern,  but  to  feel,  the  doctrines  of  the  gospel. 

"  Postscript. — -Ten  at  night.  It  would  have  pleased  you  to  be  here  this 
evening.  I  question  whether  near  a  third  part  of  Exeter  were  not  attend- 
ing on  the  word  preached.  All  was  solemn  and  awful,  and  the  Lord  gave 
me  much  assistance  from  His  Holy  Spirit.     Help  me  to  praise  Him." 

From   Exeter,  Whitefield  proceeded  to  Bideford,  where  he 
wrote  as  follows  : — 

"Bideford,  November  1 1,  1743. 

"  The  Rev.  Mr.  Thompson,  Rector  of  St.  Gennys,  Cornwall,  is  here. 
God  willing,  I  will  go  with  him  to-morrow.  There  is  also  another  clergy- 
man about  eighty  years  of  age,  but  not  above  one  year  old  in  the  school 
of  Christ.*  He  lately  preached  three  times  and  rode  forty  miles  the  same 
day.  The  Dissenting  minister  and  his  wife  were  very  hearty  ;  and,  per- 
haps, here  is  one  of  the  most  settled  female  Christian  Societies  in  the 
kingdom.  I  cannot  well  describe  with  what  power  the  word  was  attended. 
Yesterday,  in  the  afternoon  and  evening,  it  was  just  like  as  at  Edinburgh. 
The  old  clergyman  was  much  broken.  A  young  Oxonian,  who  came  with 
him,  and  many  others,  were  most  deeply  affected.  I  suppose,  there  were 
upwards  of  two  thousand,  in  the  evening,  in  the  meeting-house.  Dear 
Mr.  Hervey,'^  one  of  our  first  Methodists  at  Oxford,  and  who  was  lately  a 
curate  here,  had  laid  the  blessed  foundation. 

"  So  far  from  thinking  of  nestling  at  London,  I  am  more  and  more 
convinced  that  I  should  go  from  place  to  place  ;  and  I  therefore  question 
if  I  shall  see  London  for  some  time. 

'  Doubtless,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Bennet,  perpetual  curate  of  Tresmere.  (See 
C.  Wesley's  Journal,  vol.  i.,  pp.  369,  376  ;  and  J.  Wesley's  Journal,  vol.  ii., 
p.  197). 

-  The  Rev.  James  Hervey,  author  of  "  Meditations  among  the  Tombs," 
etc.,  had  been  curate  at  Bideford  for  the  last  three  years,  and  had  left  the 
town  only  four  months  before  this  visit  by  his  friend  Whitefield. 


Whitejield  in  the   West  of  England.  79 

"  Postscript. —  Seven  at  night.  To-day  has  been  as  yesterday,  and  much 
more  abundant.  I  am  here,  as  in  Scotland  and  New  England.  Here  is 
work  enough  for  three  months.  The  weather  is  very  favourable  ;  range, 
therefore,  I  must  and  will." 

On  Saturday,  November  12,  Whitefielcl  accompanied  Mr. 
Thompson  to  his  rectory  at  St.  Gennys,  Cornwall,  where  he 
seems  to  have  remained  a  fortnight.    Hence  the  following  : — 

"St.  Gennys,  Novejiiber  2$,  1743. 

"  I  am  glad  that  the  Lord  inclined  my  heart  to  come  hither.  He  has 
been  with  us  of  a  truth.  How  did  His  stately  steps  appear  in  the 
sanctuary  last  Lord's-day  !  Many,  many  prayers  v/ere  put  up,  by  the 
worthy  rector  and  others,  for  an  outpouring  of  God's  blessed  Spirit. 
They  were  answered.  Arrows  of  conviction  fled  so  thick  and  so  fast,  and 
such  a  universal  weeping  prevailed  from  one  end  of  the  congregation  to 
the  other,  that  good  Mr.  Thompson  could  not  help  going  from  seat  to 
seat,  to  encourage  and  comfort  the  wounded  souls.  The  Oxonian's 
father  was  almost  struck  dumb  ;  and  the  young  Oxonian's  crest  was  so 
lowered,  that  I  believe  he  will  never  venture  to  preach  an  unknown  Christ, 
or  to  deal  in  the  false  commerce  of  unfelt  truths. 

"  I  could  enlarge,  but  I  must  away  to  Bideford,  just  to  give  Satan 
another  stroke,  and  bid  my  Christian  friends  farewell ;  and  then  return 
the  way  I  came,  namely,  through  Exeter,  Wellington,  and  Bristol,  to  the 
great  metropolis." 

Whitefield  arrived  in  London  at  the  beginning  of  Decem- 
ber, and  wrote  the  following  hitherto  unpublished  letter  to 
"Mr.  Howell  Harris,  at  Trevecca,  near  the  Hay,  South 
Wales,  Breconshire." 

"  London,  December'  6,  1743. 

"  My  very  dear  Brother, — I  thank  you  for  your  kind  letters  and 
kind  present.  Our  Saviour  will  plentifully  reward  you  for  all  favours 
conferred  on  me  and  mine. 

"I  rejoice  exceedingly  that  the  word  runs  and  is  glorified  in  Wales. 
I  hope  to  rejoice  together  with  you  at  the  next  Association.  Great  things 
have  been  doing  in  the  west.  I  believe  Mr.  Thompson,  of  Cornwall, 
will  come  with  me  into  Wales.  I  have  thoughts  of  removing  my  little 
family  to  Abergavenny  in  a  short  time  ;  and  to  leave  that  house  for  you 
and  yours  to  live  in,  till  I  come  from  abroad  again,  if  you  will  be  pleased 
to  accept  of  it. 

"  I  can  easily  forgive  our  dear  brother  Beaumont ; '  but,  I  think,  he 
and  his  wife  have  dealt  very  un simply  in  respect  to  their  marriage.  I 
pray  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  to  bless  them  exceedingly,  and  to  prevent  all 
ill  consequences  that  may  arise,  to  the  people  of  God,  from  such  a  pro- 
cedure. 

'  One  of  the  "public  cxLorters"  or  itinerant  picrxhers  in  Wales. 


Age  29 


80  The  Life  of  WJiitefield. 

1743  "  I  intend  being  here  but  a  few  days  ;  and  I  have  many  things  to  say 
to  you  when  we  see  each  other  lace  to  lace.  Oh,  my  brotlier,  my  dear, 
very  dear  brother  Harris,  Jesus  is  better  and  better  to  me  every  day.  I 
have  had  close  attacks,  but  strong  consolations.  I  would  write  much, 
would  time  and  business  permit ;  but  I  must  bid  you  adieu.  My  tender, 
tender  love  to  all.  My  dear  wife  and  Mr.  Grace  send  their  most  cordial 
respects.  The  Lord  Jesus  be  with  your  dear  soul,  and  give  you  to  pray 
for,  my  dear,  dear,  dear  brother, 

"  Yours  most  affectionately  in  Christ  Jesus, 

"George  Whitefield." 

"P.S. — Mr.  Mason,  the  bookseller,  is  dead;  also  Mr.  Dubert's  wife. 
About  seven  of  our  friends  have  lately  died  in  the  Lord.  Courage,  my 
dear  man, — courage  ;  we  shall  go  ere  long.  Yet  a  little  while,  and  He 
that  cometh  will  come,  and  will  not  tarry." 

In  less  than  a  fortnight,  Whitefield  was  again  on  the 
wing.  On  Friday,  December  1 6,  he  rode  to  a  place  "  five 
miles  beyond  Reading."  The  next  day,  he  got  to  Clack. 
"  It  rained  and  snowed  much  for  about  seven  miles,"  says 
he,  "  and  the  way  was  dangerous  ;  but  the  blessed  Jesus 
kept  us  in  safety."  On  Sunday  morning,  he  preached,  and 
administered  the  sacrament  to  the  Wiltshire  Societies,  at 
Tytherton  ;'  and,  in  the  evening,  he  preached  at  Brinkworth. 
He  writes  :  "  They  were  good  times.  I  have  a  cold,  but 
our  Lord  warms  my  heart.  To-morrow  (December  19)  I 
must  away  to  Gloucester.  Oh,  follow,  fellow  with  your 
prayers." 

Whitefield  was  now  on  his  way  to  a  new  sphere  of  labour. 
All  readers  of  Methodist  history  are  well  acquainted  with 
the  disgraceful  and  terrible  riots  which  took  place  at  Walsal, 
Wednesbury,  Darlaston,  and  West  Bromwich,  in  1743.  In 
the  former  part  of  the  year,  both  the  Wesleys  had  preached 
here,  at  the  peril  of  their  lives.  As  recently  as  October  20, 
John  Wesley  had  been  all  but  murdered  by  the  godless 
ruffians  of  the  neighbourhood  ;  and  now,  at  the  end  of 
Decemb2r,  Whitefield  came.^    The  followino-  extract  is  taken 


>  Pri7nith'c  Methodist  Maoaztue,  1865,  p.  661. 

"  At  the  very  time  when  Whitefield  was  on  his  way  to  brave  the  mur- 
derous rioters  in  Staffordshire,  he  was  being  sanctimoniously  attacked  by 
"  The  Associate  Presbytery"  in  Stirling.  On  December  23,  the  members 
of  that  body  met,  to  renew  "  The  Solemn  League  and  Covenant,  in  a  way 
and  manner  agreeable  to"  their  '' present  situation  and  circumstances." 


Whitejield  in   Siaj^ordshtre,  etc.  8i 


from  a  pamphlet,  entitled,  "Some  Papers,  giving  an  Account    ^743 
of  the  Rise   and   Progress  of  Methodism   at  Wednesbury,  in  Age  29 
Staffordshire,  and  in  other  Parishes  adjacent;    as   likewise  of 
the    late    Riot    in    those    parts."      Printed    by    J.    Roberts, 
London.      1744.      (8vo.  30  pp.) 

"  Mr.  Whitefield  was  at  Birmingham,  where  there  is  a  Society,  about 
Christmas  last ;  and  you  may  suppose  great  numbers  would,  out  of 
curiosity,  flock  to  hear  a  man  who  had  been  so  much  talked  of.  He  was 
also  invited  to  Wednesbury,  where  he  preached  in  the  streets  for  several 
days.  He  was  invited  to  Birmingham  by  a  Dissenter.  His  stay  was  not 
above  a  week  or  ten  days,  and,  towards  the  last,  his  auditors  were  not  so 
numerous,  and  the  behaviour  of  some  of  them  not  over  civil.  I  do  not 
find  the  number  of  the  Methodist  converts  to  be  near  so  numerous  as  was 
at  first  apprehended  ;  and  those  few  of  them,  who  were  of  the  communion 
of  the  Church  of  England,  are,  in  general,  very  regular  in  their  behaviour, 
and  in  their  attendance  at  church.  The  Dissenters  constitute  the  greater 
number,  and  are  their  greatest  admirers,  particularly  of  Mr.  Whitefield. 
.  About  Wednesbury,  some  of  their  converts  have  been  raised  into  strange 
and  unaccountable  ecstasies  ;  but  I  cannot  find  there  have  been  any  of 
the  like  instances  at  Birmingham." 

Such  was  the  testimony  of  an  unfriendly  vvriter.      White- 
field's  own  account  is  as  follows  : — 

"  December  31,1 743. 
What  do  you  think  "i     Since  my  last,  I  have  stolen  a  whole  day  to 
dispatch  some  private  business  ;  however,  in  the  evening,  I  expounded,  at 
Birmingham,  to  a  great  room  full  of  people,  who  would  rush  into  my 
lodgings,  whether  I  would  or  not. 

"  On  Sunday  morning  (Christmas  Day),  at  eight,  I   preached,  in  the 

A  full  account  of  their  proceedings  was  published  in  1744;  and,  among 
the  many  sins  of  which  they  accuse  themselves,  the  following  was  one  : — 
"  We  desire  to  be  humbled  before  the  Lord,  that  some  of  us  were  not 
timeously  enough  aware  of  Mr.  George  Whitefield,  a  priest  of  the  Church 
of  England,  and  the  danger  of  his  way,  nor  timeously  enough  employed 
in  warning  the  Lord's  people  against  the  same  ;  and  that  all  of  us  have 
been  too  remiss,  in  our  endeavours  to  prevent  the  sad  effec's,  which  have 
attended  and  followed  upon  his  ministrations,  particularly  in  this  land  ; 
that  we  ha\e  been  too  little  humbled  for  the  entertainment  which  hath 
been  given  him  ;  that  we  have  been  too  little  affected  before  the  Lord, 
with  the  bold  attack  made  upon  the  order  and  institutions  of  the  Lord's 
house,  by  the  latitudinarian  principles  which  he  hath  propagated,  and 
with  the  awful  delusion  wherein  he  has  been  an  instrument  of  the  Lord's 
wrath  unto  this  generation  ;  that  we  have  not  been  duly  exercised  in 
searching  into  the  grounds  of  the  Lord's  controversy  this  way  ;  and  in 
crying  unto  Him,  that  He  would  pity  His  heritage,  and  rebuke  the  devourer, 
casting  the  false  prophet  and  the  unclean  spirit  out  of  the  land."  (Act  of 
tl:e  Associate  Presbytery,  etc.,  1744.) 

VOL.  II.  6 


Age  29 


82  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1743  street,  to  about  a  thousand,  with  much  freedom.  I  then  went  to  church 
and  received  the  sacrament,  and  afterwards  preached  to  several  thousands 
in  the  street.  As  no  minister  would  preach  in  a  house  at  Wednesbury,' 
where  a  weekly  lecture  used  to  be  kept  up,  I  was  earnestly  entreated 
to  go  ;  and,  after  my  afternoon's  preaching  at  Birmingham,  I  went  and 
preached  there,  at  six  in  the  evening,  to  many  hundreds  in  the  street. 
The  word  came  with  power,  and  only  one  or  two  made  a  noise.  We 
afterwards  had  a  precious  meeting  in  private. 

"  On  Monday  morning,  about  eight,  I  preached  to  a  large  company  in 
a  field.  By  eleven,  I  returned  to  Birmingham,  and  preached  to  many 
thousands,  on  a  common  near  the  town.  The  soldiers  were  exercising  ; 
but  the  officers,  hearing  that  I  was  come  to  preach,  dismissed  them,  and 
promised  that  no  disturbance  should  be  made.  All  was  quiet,  and  a 
blessed  time  we  had.  In  the  afternoon,  at  three,  I  preached  again  to 
about  the  same  company,  with  the  same  success.  Then  I  rode  to  Wednes- 
bury, and  preached  there,  and  afterwards  exhorted.  About  one,  I  went 
to  bed  exceeding  happy. 

"  In  the  morning,  I  broke  up  some  fallow-ground  at  a  place  called 
Mare  Green,  about  two  miles  from  Wednesbury.  Much  mobbing  had 
been  there  against  Mr.  Wesley's  friends.  A  few  began  to  insult  me.- 
Several  clods  were  thrown,  one  of  which  fell  on  my  head,  and  another 
struck  my  fingers,  while  I  was  in  prayer.  A  sweet  gospel  spirit  was  given 
to  me.  I  preached  again  at  Birmingham,  to  larger  auditories  than  before, 
about  eleven  in  the  morning  and  three  in  the  afternoon.  In  the  evening, 
I  expounded  twice  in  a  large  room  ;  once  to  the  rich,  and  once  to  the 
poor  ;  and  went  to  rest  happier  than  the  night  before.'' 

"In  the  morning  (Wednesday,  Dec.  28),  I  took  my  leave  of  the  Bir- 
mingham people,  who  wept  much,  and  shewed  great  concern  at  my 
departure.  I  then  went  to  Kidderminster,  where  I  was  kindly  received 
by  Mr.  Williams,  with  whom  I  have  corresponded  for  near  two  years. 
Many  friends  were  at  his  house.  I  was  greatly  refreshed  to  find  what  a 
sweet  savour  of  good  remained  to  this  day,  from  Mr.  Baxter's  doctrine, 
works,  and  discipline.  I  preached,  about  three  in  the  afternoon,  to  a 
large  auditory,  near  the  church.  Some  unkind  men,  though  they  pro- 
mised not  to  do  so,  rang  the  bells  ;  but  our  Saviour  enabled  me  to  preach 
with  power.  In  the  evening  and  next  morning,  I  preached  in  the 
meeting-house. 

"  I   then  (Thursday)  went  with   Mr.  Williams  to   Bromsgrove,  and  was 

kindly  received  by  one   Mr.   K y,  a  good  man,  and   several  others, 

among  whom  were  two  or  three  Baptist  ministers,  and  one  Independent. 

'  Whitefield,  probably  guided  by  the  pronunciation  of  the  word,  writes 
«  Wedgbtiry:' 

2  In  another  letter,  Whitefield  says  :  "  It  is  near  eleven  at  night,  and 
nature  calls  for  rest.  I  have  preached  five  times  this  day  (Tuesday, 
December  27),  and,  through  Christ  strengthening  me,  I  could  preach  five 
times  more.  I  was  scarce  ever  so  happy  before.  It  is  surprising  how 
the  Lord  Jesus  has  made  way  for  me  in  these  parts.  I  lose  nothing  by 
being  quiet,  and  leaving  all  to  Him.     The  weather  is  like  spring." 


Whitefield  in  Staffordshire,  etc.  83 

In  the  afternoon,  I  preached  in  a  field.     Some  rude  people  kicked  a  foot-     1743 
ball,  and  sounded  a  horn  ;    but  the   Lord   enabled   me  to   preach   with      — 
boldness.     About  six,  I  preached  in  the  Baptist  meeting-house  ;  left  Kid-  "^^^  ^^ 
derminster  at  eight,  and  reached  Worcester  at  ten.     Mr.  Williams  and 
another  friend  accompanied  us. 

"  The  next  day,  I  reached  Gloucester,  very  thankful,  and  rejoicing 
greatly  in  Christ  for  giving  me  such  a  delightful  and  happy  Christmas." 

This  is  a  notable  letter.  Whitefield  was  now  on  the 
ground  where  Wesley  and  his  friends  had  been  nearly- 
murdered  ;  but  all  the  inconvenience  sufifered  by  Whitefield 
was  a  little  noise  at  Wednesbury,  the  throwing  of  a  few 
clods  at  Mare  Green,  the  ringing  of  the  church  bells  at 
Kidderminster,  and  a  game  at  football  and  the  sounding  of 
a  horn  at  Bromsgrove.  Compared  with  Wesley,  the  lines 
fell  to  Whitefield  in  pleasant  places. 

The  observant  reader  will  also  notice  Whitefield's  enor- 
mous labours.  In  four  days,  in  mid-winter,  he  held  nineteen 
services,  twelve  of  his  sermons  being  preached  in  the  open 
air,  and  three  in  Dissenting  chapels.  The  opportunity  of 
thus  serving  his  great  Master  was  Whitefield's  idea  of  spend- 
ing "  a  delightful  and  happy  Christmas  !''  No  wonder  that 
his  Master  blessed  him,  and  filled  him  so  full  of  joy  at 
midnight  hours. 

But  little  more  remains  to  be  said  respecting  Whitefield's 
career  in  1743.  In  common  with  his  friend  Wesley,  he 
was  again  and  again  fiercely  assailed  by  the  public  press. 
He  was  pilloried  in  the  famous  Dunciad  of  Alexander  Pope, 
as  follows  ; — 

"  So  swells  each  windpipe  ;  ass  intones  to  ass, 
Harmonic  twang  !  of  leather,  horn,  and  brass  ; 
Such  as  from  lab'ring  lungs  th'  Enthusiast  blows, 
High  Sound,  attemper'd  to  the  vocal  nose  ! 
Or  such  as  bellow  from  the  deep  Divine  ; 
There,  Webster  !  peal'd  thy  voice,  and,  Whitefield  !  thine." 

Pope  was  a  poet  ;  another  assailant,  the  author  of  "  The 
Progress  of  Methodism  in  Bristol,  or,  the  Methodists  Un- 
masked, 1743"  (i8mo.  yi  pp.),  was  a  poetaster,  and 
unworthy  of  being  further  noticed  ;  but,  possibly,  his  ribald 
verses,  in  which  he  malignantly  attacked  Whitefield,  as  well 
as  Wesley,  were  quite  as  goading  as  Pope's  more  polished 
lines. 


84  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1744  Whitefield    began     the    year    1 744    in    his    native     city, 

Age  29  Gloucester.  He  then  went  to  Watford  in  Wales,  and,  as 
moderator  of  the  Calvinistic  Methodists,  presided,  on  January 
3rd,  at  one  of  their  associations,  or  conferences.  Among 
the  subjects  considered  at  this  meeting,  the  Hampton  riot 
seems  to  have  been  the  principal.      Whitefield  writes  : — 

"  After  mature  deliberation,  we  determined  to  prosecute  the  affair  to 
the  utmost,  and  to  set  apart  January  24  (the  first  day  of  the  term)  for  a 
day  of  fasting  and  prayer,  and  to  make  collections  for  that  purpose.  The 
cause  is  the  Lord's,  and  much  depends  on  our  getting  the  victory.  I 
believe  we  shall." 

The  work  in  Wales  was  in  great  prosperity.  In  a  letter, 
written  soon  after  the  assembling  of  this  conference,  Howell 
Harris  says  : — 

"  The  labours  of  all  our  associates  are  more  or  less  blessed.  The  Lord 
countenances  the  lay-preachers  much  ;  but  He  is  more  abundantly  with 
the  ordained  ministers.  The  believers  are  generally  strong  and  full  of 
spiritual  warmth  and  life.  They  do,  indeed,  adorn  the  gospel.  The 
congregations  are  exceedingly  large  wherever  we  preach.  Some  of  the 
greatest  opposers  are  not  only  silenced,  but  constrained  t6  own  that  the 
Lord  is  among  us  of  a  truth.  In  many  places,  the  people  meet  at  five 
o'clock  in  the  morning  to  adore  and  worship  the  Lord  together  ;  and,  in- 
some  places,  meetings  are  resumed  in  the  evenings,  and  kept  up  all  night 
in  prayer  and  praise."' 

It  is  a  strange  fact,  that,  notwithstanding  the  falsely 
reputed  wealth  of  Whitefield's  wife,  and  hjs  own  enormous 
popularity,  his  income  was  insufficient  for  the  maintenance 
of  his  family  in  London.  Hence,  during  his  visit  to  Wales, 
he  made  arrangements  for  the  removal  of  his  wife  and  child 
to  Abergavenny; 2  and,  on  his  return  to  London,  wrote,  as 
follows,  to  a  friend  at  Gloucester  : — 

"London,  January  18,  1744. 
"  This  afternoon,  I  receive  d  your  kind  letter  ;  and  I  thank  you  a  thou- 
sand times  for  your  great  gei  erjsity  in  lending  me  some  furniture,  having 
little  of  my  own.  I  know  who  will  repay  you.  Next  week,  God  willing, 
my  dear  wife  and  little  one  will  come  to  Gloucester,  fojr  I  find  it  beyond 
my  circumstances  to  maintain  them  here.  I  leave  London  this  day 
sennight.  My  brother  will  receive  a  letter  about  my  wife's  coming.  She 
and  the  little  one  are  brave  and  well.     But  why  talk  I  of  wife  and  little 


'  "  Life  and  Times  of  Howell  Harris,"  p.  134. 
*  Whitefield's  Works,  vol.  ii.,  p.  49. 


Death  of  White/ield'' s   Cnild.  85 

one  ?     Let  all  be  absorbed  in  the  thoughts  of  the  love,  sufferings,  free  and     1744 
full  salvation,  of  the  infinitely  great  and  glorious  Emmanuel." 


Age  29 


Three  weeks  after  this,  Whitefield's  "  little  one "  was 
dead.  The  letter  containing  an  account  of  his  bereavement 
is  so  characteristic,  and  so  unfolds  Whitefield's  weaknesses 
as  well  as  virtues,  that  it  must  be  inserted  without  abridg- 
ment. 

"  Gloucester,  February  9,  1744. 
"Who  knows  what  a  day  may  bring  forth  .?     Last  night,  I  was  called  to 
sacrifice  my  Isaac  ;  I  mean,  to  bury  my  only  child  and  son,  about  four 
months  old. 

"  Many  things  had  occurred  to  make  me  believe  he  was,  not  only  to  be 
continued  to  me,  but,  to  be  a  preacher  of  the  everlasting  gospel.  Pleased 
with  the  thought,  and  being  ambitious  of  having  a  son  of  my  own  so 
divinely  employed,  Satan  was  permitted  to  give  me  some  wrong  impres- 
sions, whereby,  as  I  now  find,  I  misapplied  several  texts  of  Scripture. 
Upon  these  grounds,  I  made  no  scruple  of  declaring  '  that  I  should  have 
a  son,  and  that  his  name  was  to  be  John.'  I  mentioned  the  very  time  of 
his  birth,  and  fondly  hoped  that  he  was  to  be  great  in  the  sight  of  the 
Lord. 

"  Everything  happened  according  to  the  predictions,  and  my  wife  having 
had  several  narrow  escapes  while  pregnant,  especially  by  her  falling  from . 
a  high  horse,  and  my  driving  her  into  a  deep  ditch  in  a  one-horse  chaise 
a  little  before  the  time  of  her  lying-in,  and  from  which  -we  received  little 
or  no  hurt,  confirmed  me  in  my  expectation,  that  God  would  grant  me 
my  heart's  desire. 

"  I  would  observe  to  you,  that  the  child  was  even  born  in  a  room  which 
the  master  of  the  house  had  prepared  as  a  prison  for  his  wife,  on  account 
of  her  coming  to  hear  me.  With  joy  would  she  often  look  upon  the  bars 
and  staples  and  chains,  which  were  fixed  in  order  to  keep  her  in.  About 
a  week  after  his  birth,  I  publicly  baptized  him  in  the  Tabernacle,  and,  in 
the  company  of  thousands,  solemnly  gave  him  up  to  that  God,  who  gave 
him  to  me.  A  hymn,  too  fondly  composed  by  an  aged  widow,  as  suitable 
to  the  occasion,  was  sung,  and  all  went  away  big  with  hopes  of  the  child's 
being  hereafter  to  be  employed  in  the  work  of  God  ;  but  how  soon  have 
all  their  fond,  and,  as  the  event  has  proved,  their  ill-grounded  expectations 
been  blasted,  as  well  as  mine  ! 

"  House-keeping  being  expensive  in  London,  I  thought  it  best  to  send 
both  parent  and  child  to  Abergavenny,  where  my  wife  had  a  little  house, 
the  furniture  of  which,  as  I  thought  of  soon  embarking  for  Georgia,  I 
had  partly  sold,  and  partly  given  away.  In  their  journey  thither,  they 
stopped  at  Gloucester,  at  the  Bell  Inn,  which  my  brother  now  keeps,  and 
in  which  I  was  born.  There,  my  beloved  was  cut  off  with  a  stroke.  Upon 
my  coming  here,  without  knowing  what  had  happened,  I  enquired  con- 
cerning the  welfare  of  parent  and  child ;  and,  by  the  answer,  found  that 
the  flower  was  cut  down. 


86  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 


1744         "  I  immediately  called   all   to  join  in  prayer,  in  which  I  blessed  the 
—      Father  of  mercies  for  giving  me  a  son,  continuing  it  to  me  so  long,  and 

^^  ^^  taking  it  from  me  so  soon.  All  joined  in  desiring  that  I  would  decline 
preaching  till  the  child  was  buried  ;  but  I  remembered  a  saying  of  good 
Mr.  Henry,  'that  weeping  must  not  hinder  sowing;'  and,  therefore,  I 
preached  twice  the  next  day,  and  also  the  day  following  ;  on  the  evening 
of  which,  just  as  I  was  closing  my  sermon,  the  bell  struck  out  for  the 
funeral.  At  first,  I  must  acknowledge,  it  gave  nature  a  little  shake  ;  but, 
looking  up,  I  recovered  strength,  and  then  concluded  with  saying,  that 
this  text,  on  which  I  had  been  preaching,  namely,  '  All  things  work  to- 
gether for  good  to  them  that  love  God,'  made  me  as  willing  to  go  out  to 
my  son's  funeral,  as  to  hear  of  his  birth.  Our  parting  from  him  was 
solemn.  We  kneeled  down,  prayed,  and  shed  many  tears,  but,  I  hope, 
tears  of  resignation  ;  and  then,  as  he  died  in  the  house  wherein  I  was  born, 
he  was  taken  and  laid  in  the  church  where  I  was  baptized,  first  commu- 
nicated, and  first  preached. 

"  All  this,  you  may  easily  guess,  threw  me  into  very  solemn  and  deep 
reflection,  and,  I  hope,  deep  humiliation  ;  but  I  was  comforted  from  that 
passage  in  the  book  of  Kings,  where  is  recorded  the  death  of  the  Shunam- 
mite's  child,  which  the  prophet  said,  '  the  Lord  had  hid  from  him,'  and 
the  woman's  answer  to  the  prophet  when  he  asked,  '  Is  it  well  with  thee? 
Is  it  well  with  thy  husband?  Is  it  well  with  thy  child?'  And  she 
answered,  '  It  is  well.'  This  gave  me  no  small  satisfaction.  I  preached 
upon  the  text,  the  day  following,  at  Gloucester  ;  and  then  hastened  up  to 
London,  and  preached  upon  the  same  there. 

"  Though  disappointed  of  a  living  preacher,  by  the  death  of  my  son, 
yet,  I  hope,  what  happened  before  his  birth,  and  since  at  his  death,  has 
taught  me  such  lessons,  as,  if  duly  improved,  may  render  his  mistaken 
parent  more  cautious,  more  sober-minded,  more  experienced  in  Satan's 
devices,  and,  consequently,  more  useful  in  his  future  labours  to  the  Church 
of  God.  Thus,  '  out  of  the  eater  comes  forth  meat,  and  out  of  the  strong 
comes  forth  sweetness.'  Not  doubting  but  our  future  life  will  be  one 
continued  explanation  of  this  blessed  riddle,  I  commend  myself  and  you 
to  the  unerring  guidance  of  God's  word  and  Spirit,  and  am, 

"  Yours,  etc., 

"  George  Whitefield. 

Whilst  Whitefield  was  burying  his  child  at  Gloucester,  his 
friend,  Charles  Wesley,  was  preaching,  at  the  peril  of  his  life, 
in  Staffordshire.  At  Wedne.sbury,  the  mob  "  assaulted,  one 
after  another,  all  the  houses  of  those  who  were  called 
Methodists."  All  the  windows  were  broken,  and  furniture 
of  every  kind  was  dashed  in  pieces.  At  Aldridge  and 
several  other  villages,  many  of  the  houses  were  plundered, 
and  the  rioters  "  loaded  themselves  with  clothes  and  goods  of 


Whitefield  and  the  Bishops.  87 

all   sorts,  as  much  as  they  could   carry."  ^      Whitefield   heard     ^744 
of  this  execrable  rioting,  and  wrote  :- — ■  Age  29 

"There  has  been  dreadful  work  near  Birmingham  ;  but  Satan  will  be 
overthrown.  We  had  a  glorious  fast  on  Monday  (February  20th),  and 
collected  above  ^60  for  our  poor  suffering  brethren." 

A  week  after  this,  Whitefield  set  out  on  a  visit  to  his  wife 
at  Abergavenny,  and  took  her  "  a  second-hand  suit  of  cur- 
tains," which  he  had  bought  for  her  humble  dwelling. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  month  of  March,  he  returned  to 
Gloucester,  to  be  present  at  the  assizes,  at  which  the 
Hampton  rioters,  already  mentioned,  were  tried,  and  found 
guilty,  the  amount  of  damages  to,  be  paid  being  referred  to 
the  King's  Bench,  London.      Whitefield  writes  : — 

"  I  hear  the  rioters  are  hugely  alarmed ;  but  they  know  not  that  we 
intend  to  let  them  see  what  we  could  do,  and  then  to  forgive  them.  This 
troublesom.e  affair  being  over,  I  must  now  prepare  for  my  intended  voyage 
to  America." 

Nearly  seven  months,  however,  elapsed  before  White- 
field's  voyage  was  begun, ^an  interval  which  was  partly 
occupied  with  what,  to  Whitefield,  was  extremely  uncon- 
genial, a  literary  war. 

To  understand  the  controversy,  it  is  needful  to  remark, 
that,  of  late,  several  publications  had  been  issued,  and  indus- 
triously circulated,  attacking  the  loyalty  of  Whitefield  and 
his  friends.  Among  others,  there  was  a  quarto-sized  sheet, 
of  four  pages,  entitled,  "  The  Case  of  the  Methodists  briefly 
stated,  more  particularly  in  the  point  of  Field-Preaching." 
The  writer  tries  to  prove  that  field-preaching  is  contrary  to 
the  Act  of  Toleration  ;  and  then  he  proceeds  to  shew,  that, 
because  of  the  largeness  of  his  congregations,  Whitefield's 
preaching  in  the  open  air  was  eminently  calculated  to 
promote  sedition,  and  to  be  a  serious  danger  to  the  state. 

The  principal  publication,  however,  was  "  Observations 
upon  the  Conduct  and  Behaviour  of  a  certain  Sect,  usually 
distinguished  by  the  name  of  Methodists.  London  :  printed 
by  E.  Owen,  in  Amen  Corner.  1744."  (4to.  24  pp.) 
Rightly    or   wrongly,   Dr.   Gibson,    Bishop  of  London,   was 

'  Wesley's  Works,  vol.  i.,  p.  427. 


88  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

'^'^  supposed  to  be  the  author.  The  pamphlet  consisted  of 
Age  29  three  parts.  In  the  first,  it  was  alleged,  i.  That  the  Metho- 
dists generally  set  the  government  at  defiance,  by  appointing 
public  places  of  religious  worship,  and  by  preaching  in  the 
fields,  without  taking  the  prescribed  oaths,  and  subscribing 
.the  declaration  against  popery,  2.  That  they  broke  the 
rules  of  the  Church,  of  which  they  professed  themselves 
members,  by  going  to  other  than  their  own  parish  churches 
to  receive  the  sacrament.  3.  It  was  also  stated  that  really 
there  was  no  need  for  Methodist  meetings,  because,  for  many 
years  past,  many  of  the  Religious  Societies,  in  London  and 
Westminster,  had  spent  their  Sunday  evenings  (after  attend- 
ing church)  in  serious  conversation  and  reading  good  books  ; 
and  the  bishops  and  clergy  had  encouraged  these  Societies, 
though  some  oT  them  had  been  misled  into  Methodist 
extravagances. 

In  the  second  part,  which  is  principally  levelled  against 
Whitefield,  thirteen  questions  are  asked,  of  which  the  follow- 
ing are  specimens  : — Question  4.  Whether  a  due  and  regular 
attendance  in  the  public  offices  of  religion  does  not  better 
answer  the  true  ends  of  devotion,  and  is  not  better  evidence 
of  the  co-operation  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  than  those  sudden 
agonies,  roarings,  and  scream.ings,  tremblings,  droppings- 
down,  ravings,  and  madness  into  which  the  hearers  of  the 
Methodists  had  been  cast  .-*  Question  9.  Wliether  it  does 
not  savour  of  self-sufficiency  and  presumption,  when  a  few 
young  heads,  without  any  colour  of  a  Divine  commission, 
set  up  their  own  schemes  as  the  great  standard  of  Chris- 
tianity } 

The  third  part  is  a  severe  critique  on  the  Christian  History^ 
of  which  Whitefield  was  the  chief  promoter.  Here,  again, 
sundry  questions  were  asked,  as,  for  instance,  "  Whether  the 
zealous  endeavours  to  form  Band-Societies,  according  to  the 
Moravian  way,  and  putting  them  under  the  instruction  and 
ordering  of  particular  sttperintendents,  and  exhot'ters ;  and 
the  holding  of  associations  and  meetings,  at  set  times 
and  places,  with  select  moderators  ;  together  with  the  fixing 
of  visitations  and  their  boundaries  and  limits, — whether 
these  proceedings,  not  warranted  by  any  law,  are  not  a  pre- 
sumptuous attempt  to  erect  a  new  church  constitution,  upon 


Whitefield  and  the  Bishopz.  89 

a  foreign  plan,  in  contempt  of  those  wise  rules  of  govern-  ^744 
ment,  discipline,  and  worship,  which  were  judged  by  our  Age  29 
pious  ancestors  to  be  the  best  means  for  preserving  and 
maintaining  religion,  together  with  public  peace  and  order 
in  Church  and  State  ?  "  Again,  "  Whether  these  itinerant 
preachers,  and  the  setting  up  of  separate  places  of  public 
worship  at  pleasure,  and  those  pretences  to  more  immediate 
communications  with  God,  .and  the  visible  endeavours  to 
bring  the  parochial  pastors  and  the  public  worship  under  a 
disesteem  among  the  people,— whether  these  and  the  like 
practices  are  not  of  the  same  kind  with  those  of  the  last 
century,  that  had  so  great  a  share  in  bringing  on  those  reli- 
gious confusions,  which  brought  a  reproach  upon  Christianity 
in  general,  and  which,  by  degrees,  worked  the  body  of  the 
people  into  a  national  madness  and  frenzy  in  matters  of 
religion  ? " 

To  see   the    full   force    of  these   accusations,    it   must    be 
borne   in   mind,   that,   they  were   published   at   a  time  when, 

(1)  The  nation  was  in  a  state  of  great  excitement  from  an 
expected  invasion   by  Prince  Charles,  the  yo.ung   Pretender; 

(2)  The  Methodists  in  Wiltshire,  Gloucestershire,  and  Stafford- 
shire, were  being  subjected  to  the  most  brutal  treatment  by 
clerically  encouraged  mobs  ;  and  (3)  The  general  belief  was 
that  these  "  Observations  upon  the  Conduct  and  Behaviour 
of  the  Methodists "  were  not  of  ignoble  origin,  but  were 
written  by  the  bishop  of  the  metropolitan  diocese,  and  with 
the  approval  of  a  considerable  number  of  his  prelatic 
brethren. 

On  January  26,  1744,  Whitefield   published  the  following 
advertisement : — 

"  Whereas  sonje  anonymous  papers,  against  the  people  called  Methodists 
in  general,  and  myself  and  friends  in  particular,  have  been,  for  some  weeks, 
printed  in  a  large  edition,  and  handed  about  and  read  in  the  Religious 
Societies  of  the  cities  of  London  and  Westminster,  and  given  into  the  hands 
of  many  private  persons,  with  strict  injunctions  to  lend  them  to  no  one, 
nor  let  them  go  out  of  their  hands  to  any  ;  and  whereas,  after  having 
accidentally  had  the  hasty  perusal  of  them,  I  find  many  queries,  of  great 
importance,  concerning  me  and  my  conduct,  contained  therein  ;  and  as  it 
appears,  that,  one  paper  has  little  or  no  connection  with  another,  and  a 
copy,  when  applied  for,  was  refused  me,  and  I  know  not  how  soon  I  may 
embark  for  Georgia — I  am,  therefore,  obliged  hereby  to  desire  a  speedy 


CO  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1744     open  publication  of  the  aforesaid  papers,  in  order  that  a  candid  impartial 
—       answer  may  be  made  thereto  by  me, 
Age  29  a  George  Whitefield." 

Six  days  after  the  date  of  this  advertisement,  Whitefield 
wrote  as  follows  to  the  Bishop  of  London  : — 

"  London,  February  i,  1744. 

"My  Lord, — SimpHcity  becomes  the  followers  of  Jesus  Christ ;  and, 
therefore,  I  think  it  my  duty  to  trouble  your  lordship  with  these  few 
lines. 

"  I  suppose  your  lordship  has  seen  the  advertisement  published  by  me, 
about  four  days  ago,  concerning  certain  anonymous  papers,  which  have 
been  handed  about  the  Societies  for  some  considerable  time.  As  I  think 
it  my  duty  to  answer  them,  I  should  be  glad  to  be  informed  whether  the 
report  be  true,  that  your  lordship  composed  them,  that  I  may  the  better 
know  to  whom  I  may  direct  my  answer.  A  sight  also  of  one  of  the  copies, 
if  in  your  lordship's  keeping,  would  oblige,  my  lord,  your  lordship's  most 
obliged,  dutiful  son  and  servant, 

"George  Whitefield." 

"  P.S.  The  bearer  will  bring  your  lordship's  answer  ;  or,  if  your  lord- 
ship favour  me  with  a  line,  be  pleased  to  direct  for  me,  to  be  left  with 
Mr.  J.  Syms,  in  Pitfield  Street,  near  Hoxton." 

Instead  of  writing,  the  Bishop  sent,  by  the  bearer  of 
Whitefield's  letter,  a  verbal  message,  to  the  effect  that 
Whitefield  should  hear  from  him  ;  but  the  only  further 
communication  which  came  to  hand  was  the  following, 
written,  two  days  after  the  date  of  Whitefield's  letter  to  the 
Bishop,  by  the  printer  of  the  "  anonymous  papers." 

"  February  3,  1744. 
"  Sir, — My  name  is  Owen.  I  am  a  printer  in  Amen  Corner,  and  I 
waited  upon  you  to  let  you  know  that  I  have  had  orders  from  several  of 
the  Bishops,  to  print,  for  their  use,  such  numbers  of  the  '  Observations 
upon  the  Conduct  and  Behaviour  of  the  Methodists,'  with  some  few  addi- 
tions, as  they  have  respectively  bespoken  ;  and  I  will  not  fail  to  wait  upon 
you  with  one  copy,  as  soon  as  the  impression  is  finished. 

"  I  am,  sir,  your  most  obedient  servant, 

"E.  Owen." 

There  can  hardly  be  a  doubt  that  the  "  Observations  " 
were  the  productions  of  Bishop  Gibson's  pen.  Others, 
besides  Whitefield  and  his  friends,  fully  believed  this. 
Zinzendorf,  on  receiving  a  copy  of  the  anonymous  pamphlet, 
wrote  a  long  letter,  in  Latin,  to  the  Bishop,  expressing  his 
surprise  that  any  one  belonging  to  the  Church  of  England 


Whitefield  and  the  Bishops.  9 1 

should  have  evinced  such  ignorance  by  the  remarks  made  '744 
respecting  the  Moravians.  A  Moravian  deputation  also  Age  29 
waited  upon  Gibson,  on  the  same  subject  ;  and  a  further 
correspondence  ensued  between  the  Bishop,  Zinzendorf,  and 
:ames  Hutton;'^  in  which  Zinzendorf  almost  indignantly 
^pudiated  any  present  connection  with  the  Methodists, 
dling  his  lordship,  that,  it  was  "  very  difficult  to  decide 
vvhether  the  Moravians  have  a  greater  dislike  to  the 
Vlethodists'  plan  of  salvation,  or  the  Methodists  to  that  of 
the  Moravians." 

But  leaving  this,  all  candid  readers  will  acknowledge  -that 
the  "  conduct  and  behaviour  "  of  the  Bishop  of  London 
and  his  brethren  were  disingenuous.  To  be  the  circu- 
lators of  anonymous  "  fly-sheets,"  full  of  the  most  serious 
accusations,  was  an  act  dishonourable  to  a  bishop's  dignity, 
and  savoured  more  of  the  assassin  than  of  a  pastor  of  the 
flock  of  Christ. 

Whitefield  lost  no  time  in  replying  to  the  Bishops' 
pamphlet.  On  the  loth  of  March,  he  finished,  and  com- 
mitted to  the  press,  "  An  Answer  to  the  fir>st  part  of  an 
anonymous  Pamphlet,  entitled,  '  Observations  upon  the  Con- 
duct and  Behaviour  of  a  certain  Sect  usually  distinguished 
by  the  nanie  of  Methodists.'  In  a  Letter  to  the  Right 
Reverend  the  Bishop  of  London,  and  the  other  the  Right 
Reverend  the  Bishops  concerned  in  the  publication  thereof." 
{8vo.  26  pp.)  Before  the  year  was  ended,  Whitefield's 
"  Letter"  passed,  at  least,  through  three  editions  in  England, 
besides  being  printed  and  published  at  Boston  in  America. 
The  motto  on  his  title-page  was  Psalm  xxxv.  i  i,  "  False 
witnesses  did  rise  up  ;  they  laid  to  my  charge  things  that  I 
knew  not." 

It  is  difficult  to  furnish  an  outline  of  Whitefield's  pam- 
phlet ;  but  the  following  extracts  will  give  the  reader  an 
idea  of  its  style  and  spirit : — 

"Young  as  I  am,  I  know  too  much  of  the  devices  of  Satan,  and  the 
desperate  wickedness  and  deceitfulness  of  my  own  heart,  not  to  be  sensi- 
ble, that  I  am  a  man  of  like  passions  with  others ;  and  that  I,  conse- 
quently, may  have  sometimes  mistaken  nature  for  grace,  imagination  for 

*  Hutton's  Memoirs,  pp.  157 — 167. 


92  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1744  revelation,  and  the  fire  of  my  own  temper  for  the  pure  and  sacred  flame 
—  of  holy  zeal.  If,  therefore,  upon  perusing  the  pamphlet,  I  find  that  I  have 
^^  ^^  been  blameable  in  any  respect,  I  will  not  only  confess  it,  but  return  hearty 
thanks  both  to  the  compiler  and  your  lordships,  though  unknown. 
Indeed,  it  is  but  of  little  consequence  to  the  merits  of  the  cause  to  know 
■who  the  author  is.  Only  this  much  may  be  said,  your  lordships  your- 
selves being  judges,  it  is  not  quite  fair  \.o  give  stabs  in  the  dark." 

Whitefield  proceeds  to  say,  that  the  title  of  the  Bishops' 
pamphlet  ought  to  have  run  thus  :  "  Misrepresentations  of 
the  Conduct  and  Principles  of  many  Orthodox,  well-meaning 
Ministers  and  Members  of  the  Church  of  England,  and 
loyal  Subjects  to  his  Majesty,  King  George,  falsely  termed  a 
Sect,  and  usually  distinguished,  out  of  contempt,  by  the  name 
of  Methodists."      He  adds  : — 

"  The  p7'inciples,  as  well  as  conduct,  of  the  Methodists  are  greatly  mis- 
represented in  this  pamphlet.  Its  design  is  to  exhibit  their  proceedings 
as  dangerous  to  the  Church  and  State,  in  order  to  procure  an  Act  of 
Parliament  against  them,  or  to  oblige  them  to  secure  themselves  by  turn- 
ing Dissenters.  But  is  not  such  a  motion,  at  such  a  season  as  this,  both 
uncharitable  and  unseasonable  ?  Is  not  the  Administration  engaged 
enough  already  in  other  affairs,  without  troubling  themselves  with  the 
Methodists  ?  Or,  who  would  now  advise  them  to  bring  further  guilt  upon- 
the  nation,  by  persecuting  some  of  the  present  government's  most  hearty 
friends  ?  I  say,  my  lords,  the  present  government' s  most  hearty  friends ; 
for,  though  the  Methodists  (as  the  world  calls  them)  disagree  in  some 
particulars,  yet  I  venture  to  affirm  that,  to  a  man,  they  all  agree  in  this  : 
namely,  to  love  and  honour  the  king.  For  my  own  part,  I  profess  myself 
a  zealous  friend  to  his  present  majesty  King  George,  and  the  present 
Administration.  Wherever  I  go,  I  think  it  my  duty  to  pray  for  him  and 
to  preach  up  obedience  to  him,  and  all  that  are  set  in  authority  under  him. 
I  have  now  been  a  preacher  above  seven  years,  and  for  six  years  past 
have  been  called  to  act  in  a  very  public  way.  Your  lordships  must  have 
heard  of  the  great  numbers  who  have  attended  :  sometimes  several  of  the 
nobility,  and,  now  and  then,  even  some  of  the  clergy  have  been  present. 
Did  they  ever  hear  me  speak  a  disloyal  word .''  Are  there  not  thousands, 
who  can  testify  how  fervently  and  frecjuently  I  pray  for  his  majesty  King 
George,  his  royal  offspring,  and  the  present  government  ?  Yes,  my  lords, 
they  can  ;  and,  I  trust,  I  should  be  enabled  to  do  so,  though  surrounded 
with  popish  enemies,  and  in  danger  of  dying  for  it  as  soon  as  my  prayer 
was  ended." 

So  much  for  Whitefield's  loyalty.  What  about  his  eccle- 
siastical misbehaviour  }      He  writes  :■ — - 

*'  If  your  lordships  apprehend  that  we  are  liable  to  ecclesiastical  censures, 
we  are  ready  to  make  a  proper  defence,  whenever  called  to  it  by  our 


Whit efi eld  and  the  Bishops.  93 


ecclesiastical  superiors.     As  for  myself,  your  lordships  very  well  know     ^744 
that  I  am  a  Bachelor  of  Arts,  have  taken  the  oaths,  have  subscribed  to  the   p~ 
Articles,  and  have  been  twice  regularly  ordained.     In  this  character,  I  have 
acted,  both  at  home  and  abroad;  and  I  know  of  no  law  of  our  government 
which  prohibits   my   preaching  in  any  field,   barn,   street,    or  outhouse 
whatever." 

Whitcfield  proceeds  to  say,  he  has  perused  "  all  the  Acts 
of  King  Charles  II.,  wherein  the  word  field  is  mentioned," 
and  that  he  finds  "they  are  intended  to  suppress  seditiojis 
conventicles"  and  then  continues  : — 

"  These  are  the  only  Jield-nicciiiigs  that  are  prohibited  ;  and  how,  my 
lords,  can  such  Acts  be  applied  to  the  Methodists  .-*  Are  they  '  seditious 
sectaries,  disloyal  persons,  who,  under  pretence  of  tender  consciences, 
contrive  insurrections.?'  No,  my  lords.  How  then  can  your  lordships, 
with  a  safe  conscience,  encourage  such  a  pamphlet,  or  bespeak  any  num- 
ber of  Mr.  Owen,  in  order,  as  may  be  supposed,  that  they  may  be  dis- 
persed among  your  lordships'  clergy.''  Well  might  the  author  conceal 
his  name.  A  more  notorious  libel  has  not  been  published.  The  pamphlet 
comes  into  public  like  a  child  dropped,  that  nobody  cares  to  own.  And, 
indeed,  who  can  be  blamed  for  disowning  such  a  libel  ?  " 

This,  addressed  to  bishops,  by  a  young  clergyrrjaij, -was 
bold  language;  but  their  lordships  deserved  it  ;  for,  whatever 
faults  belonged  to  Whitefield  and  the  first  Methodists,  they 
certainly  were  as  free  from  sedition  as  the  Episcopal  Bench 
itself 

Whitefield's  "  Second  Letter,"  to  the  bishops,  was  written 
during  his  voyage  to  America,  and  was  first  "  printed  and 
sold  by  Rogers  and  Fowle,  in  Queen  Street,  near  the  Prison, 
Boston,  1744."  (4to.  24  pp.)  It  is  dated  August  25,  1744; 
but,  to  prevent  a  recurrence  to  the  subject,  it  is  noticed 
here.  First  of  all,  Whitefield  replies  to  the  censures  pro- 
nounced upon  "  itinerant  preaching,"  and  concludes  thus  : — 

"  May  1  not  take  the  freedom  of  acquainting  your  lordships,  that,  if 
all  the  Right  Reverend  the  Bishops  did  their  duty,  (especially  my  Lord  of 
London,  whose  diocese  is  of  such  vast  extent,)  they  would  all  of  them  long 
since  have  become  itinerant  preachers." 

He  next  defended  the  doctrines,  preached  by  himself  and 
the  Methodists, — justification  by  faith,  sudden  and  instanta- 
neous conversion,  and  other  cognate  truths.  He  attacked 
Archbishop  Tillotson,  because,  "  contrary  to  the  laws  of 
Church  and    State,  he  makes   good  works  a  condition  of  our 


94  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1744  acceptance  with  God  ; "  and  he  declared  concerning  the 
Age~2Q  author  of  "  The  Whole  Duty  of  Man,"  that,  because  he 
entirely  omits  to  teach  the  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith, 
his  famous  book  might  "  more  properly  be  termed,  Half  the 
Duty  of  Ma7ir  He  belaboured  the  clergy  for  playing  at  dice, 
and  cards,  and  other  unlaziful games,  contrary  to  the  seventy- 
fifth  canon  of  the  Church  ;  and  complained,  that,  by  "  fre- 
quenting taverns  and  alehouses,"  they  injured  the  laity  by  a 
vile  "  example."  He  rebutted  the  charge  against  himself  of 
being  an  enthusiast ;  and,  as  for  the  "  sudden  agonies,  roar- 
ings, and  screamings  "  of  some  of  his  converts,  he  said,  "  The 
itinerant  preachers  look  upon  these  as  extraordinary  things, 
proceeding  generally  from  soul-distress,  and  sometimes,  it  may 
be,  from  the  agency  of  the  evil  spirit,  who  labours  to  drive 
poor  souls  into  despair." 

What  was  the  result  of  all  this  plain-speaking  ?  First  of 
all,  another  anonymous  author,  merely  using  the  initials, 
"J.  B.,"  published  a  furious  pamphlet  of  fifty-four  pages, 
entitled,  "  A  Letter  to  the  Reverend  Mr.  Whitefield,  occa- 
sioned by  his  pretended  Answer  to  the  first  part  of  the 
Observations  on  the  Conduct  and  Behaviour  of  the  Metho- 
dists. By  a  Gentleman  of  Pembroke  College,  Oxon.  London, 
1744."  (8vo.) 

How  far  the  author  of  this  letter  was  a  gentleman  will 
appear  from  the  following  extracts  from  his  rancorous  pro- 
duction : — 

"  Do  you  think  my  Lord  of  London  would  choose  to  let  you  know 
whether  he  was  the  author  of  the  papers,  or  would  be  fond  of  entering 
into  a  personal  dispute  with  you  ?  with  you,  I  say,  sir,  or  your  followers; 
who,  I  may  venture  to  affirm,  can  curse,  rail,  and  berogue  your  anta- 
gonists, (though  in  Scripture  language  all  the  while,)  so  as  hardly  to 
be  exceeded  by  any  Pope,  or  spiritzial  bully,  that  ever  yet  appeared  in 
Christendom." 

"  You  are  one  who  has  been  travelling  over  all  countries,  to  establish 
new  f angled  societies  J  heads  and  spiritual  directors,  hot-brained  cobblers, 
and  the  meanest  class  of  men  ;  fellows  that  have  nothing  to  lose,  all  big 
with  venom  against  the  clergy  of  the  present  Establishment,  and  despising 
the  laws  of  the  State,  and  t\iQ  peaceful  constitution  of  the  realm.  You  are 
perpetually  sowing  divisions,  and  urging  on  the  bigotry  of  your  disciples, 
and  their  implacable  malice,  by  your  belying,  railing,  and  scandalising 
the  ministers  of  the  Church,  as  well  as  by  treating  as  heathens  and  repro- 
bates of  the  infinitely  good  Being,  all  others,  who  dare  despise  your  hellish 
doctrines  and  practice  .     You  exactly  copy  after  Ci^omwell,  the  Whitefield 


A  Furious  Pamphleteer.  95 

of  the  last  century,  in  artfully  compounding  Churchmen  and  Dissenters,     ^744 
people  of  all  sorts  and  denominations,  to  bring  about  your  design  of  ruining    . 
the  present  constitution.     When  I  see  a  man,  of  your  vast  importance, 
railing,  hectoring,  and  bullying  your  superiors,  I  cannot  help  thinking 
oia.pert  Hquor  amongst  us,  which  foams,  and  bounces,  and  sputters,  and 
makes  a  mighty  ado  ;  and  yet  all  the  while  is  but  bottled  small-beer. 

"  Your  favourite  method  of  wounding  characters  in  a  scrip  of  prayer,  to 
shew  the  world  how  kindly  you  can  forgive,  after  you  have  been  publicly 
railing  at  them  for  nothing,  puts  me  in  mind  of  Jack  in  the  Talc  of  a  Tub; 
who  was  mighty  fond  of  falling  down  on  his  knees,  and  turning  up  his 
eyes  in  the  midst  of  a  kennel,  as  if  at  his  devotions  ;  but  who,  when  curi- 
osity attracted  men  to  laugh  or  to  listen,  would,  of  a  sudden,  bespatter 
them  with  mud." 

Much  more  of  the  same  kind  of  scurrility,  and  of  even 
worse,  might  be  given  ;  but  the  last  paragraph  in  the  "  Gen- 
tleman's "  ill-mannered  pamphlet  must  suffice. 

"Thus  ends  your  railing  ;  and,  like  a  woman  that  h.?isfought  herself  out 
of  breath,  when  you  can  spit  no  inore  of  your  7)ialice,  you  tell  us,  you  would 
'  not  bring  a  railing  accusation  against  any.'  What  a  monstrous  fib  is 
that  !  *  Neither  would  I,'  you  add,  '  when  giving  a  reason  of  the  hope 
that  is  in  me,  do  it  any  otherwise  than  with  meekness  and  fear.'  There 
you  fib  again  most  desperately  !  Why,  my  dear  meek  soul,  of  a  sudden, 
you  have  certainly  forgot  yourself  ;  and  your  darling  spirit  of  bitterness, 
that  has  possessed  you  through  the  tuhole  Letter,  at  length,  seems  to  be 
jaded.  However,  it  cannot  \i&\y^  fibbing  still;  and  there  is  not  a  more 
remarkable  instance  of  this,  than  in  your  last  Judas'  kiss,  where  you 
would  have  their  lordships  believe,  you  are  '  their  most  dutiful  son  and 
sei  vanti' " 

These  are  fair  specimens  of  the  scolding  of  this  zealous 
defender  of  the  Bishop  of  London  and  his  brethren,  and  of 
Church  and  State.  Whitefield  never  noticed  the  defence, 
though  written  by  a  Gentlenian  of  Pembroke  College,  Oxford. 
Another  pamphlet,  however,  written  by  a  Church  dignitary 
of  some  importance,  received  more  attention.  This  was  "  A 
Serious  and  Expostulatory  Letter  to  the  Reverend  Mr. 
George  Whitefield,  on  occasion  of  his  late  Letter  to  the 
Bishop  of  London  and  other  Bishops  ;  and  in  Vindication 
of  the  '  Observations  upon  the  Conduct  and  Behaviour  of  a 
certain  Sect  usually  distinguished  by  the  Name  of  Metho- 
dists,' not  long  since  published.  By  Thomas  Church,  A.M., 
Vicar  of  Battersea,  and   Prebendary  of  St.  Paul's,   London.-^ 

'  Besides  the  pamphlets  already  noticed,  another  may  be  mentioned : 


9 6  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1/44    1744."  (8vo.  60  pp.)      Want  of  space  prevents  the  insertion 
Age  29  of  lengthy  extracts   from   Mr.  Church's   letter,  but  its   scope 
may  be  guessed  by  the  following  sentences  : — 

"  Field-preaching  is  forbidden  by  the  statute,  as  having  a  tendency  to 
sedition  and  tumults."  "  Your  extravagances  have  been  the  scorn  of  the 
profane,  and  have  strengthened  the  prejudices  of  some  against  our  relisjion 
itself"  "  I  never  knew  nor  heard  of  any  one  instance  of  a  parish  in  Eng- 
land so  carelessly  attended  as  the  charge  committed  to  you  in  Georgia, 
the  only  place,  I  think,  to  which  you  have  had  any  regular  appointment. 
How  unfit  are  you,  of  all  men,  to  upbraid  the  clergy  with  non-residence, 
with  being  shepherds  who  leave  their  flocks,  and  let  them  perish  for  lack 
of  knowledge." 

Whitefield  immediately  replied  to  this,  in  an  8vo.  pam- 
phlet of  20  pages,  bearing  the  following  title  : — "  A  Letter  to 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Thomas  Church,  M.A.,  Vicar  of  Battersea,  and 
Prebendary  of  St.  Paul's  ;  in  Answer  to  his  Serious  and 
Expostulatory  Letter  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  George  Whitefield,  on 
occasion  of  his  late  Letter  to  the  Bishop  of  London,  and  other 
Bishops.  By  George  Whitefield,  A.B.,  late  of  Pembroke 
College,  Oxford.  London  :  printed  by  W.  Strahan,  for  J. 
Robinson,  at  the  Golden  Lion,  in  Ludgate  Street,  and  sold  at 
the  Tabernacle,  near  Moor-Fields,  1 744."  The  letter  is 
dated,  "  London,  May  22,  1744,"  and  its  biographical  sections 
must  be  briefly  noticed. 

Whitefield  had  often  been  taunted  and  even  threatened 
for  not  using  the  Liturgy  in  many  of  his  public  services.  In 
reference  to  this,  he  writes  : — 

"  A  Fine  Picture  of  Enthusiasm,  chiefly  drawn  by  Dr.  John  Scott,  formerly 
Rector  of  St.  Giles's  in  the  Fields.  To  which  is  added.  An  Application 
of  the  Subject  to  the  Modern  Methodists,  exposing  the  Principles  and 
Practices  of  all  such.  Dedicated  to  the  Bishop  of  London.  1744."  (8vo. 
40  pp.)  The  writer  says,  "  Thousands  are  flocking  after  those  enthusiasts, 
Whitefield  and  Wesley,  and  are  being  deluded  into  2.  passionate,  inecliani- 
cal  religion.  Wesley  attempted,  for  some  time,  at  the  opening  of  his 
mission,  to  exorcise  the  devil  out  of  a  parcel  of  weak,  if  not  worse,  women; 
whom  he  had  taught  to  go  into  agitations  and  screamings  in  the  public 
assemblies  of  his  people."  The  author  acknowledges  that  the  Methodists 
"  have  got  some  of  the  most  melodious  tunes  that  ever  were  composed  for 
church-music  ;  there  is  great  harmony  in  their  singing,  and  it  is  very  en- 
chant irig ;  but  the  hymns  they  sing  are  immediate  addresses  to  the  Son 
of  God,  as  the  supreme  object  of  worship,  and  represent  Him  as  much 
7nore  friendly  and  compassionate  to  the  human  world  than  God  the  Father 
ever  was.  And,  lest  men  should  not  be  enough  affected  with  the  natne 
and  the  sufferings  of  Jesus,  one  of  those  artful  teachers  has  ordered  the 
■tickets  for  his  people  to  be  impressed  with  the  crucifix^ 


Non-residence  at  Savannah.  97 

"As  for  my  irregularities  in  curtailing  the  Liturgy,  or  not  using  the     ^744 
Common  Prayer  in  the  fields,  I  think  it  needless  to  make  any  apology  till    .       ^ 
I  am  called  thereto  in  a  judicial  way  by  my  ecclesiastical  superiors.     They 
have  laws  and  courts.     In  and  by  those,  ecclesiastics  are  to  be  judged  ; 
and  I  am  ready  to  make  a  proper  defence,  whenever  it  shall  be  required 
at  my  hands." 

Mr.  Church  and  many  others  had  retorted  Whitefield's 
attacks  on  non-resident  clergy,  by  telling  him  he  had  been 
guilty  of  non-residence  himself.  To  this  Whitefield  replied 
as  follows  : — • 

"  I  wish  every  non-resident  minister  in  England  could  give  as  good  an 
account  of  his  non-residence  as  I  can  give  of  my  absence  from  Savannah. 
To  satisfy  you,  reverend  sir,  I  will  acquaint  you  with  the  whole  afTair. 
"When  I  first  went  abroad,  I  was  appointed  to  be  minister  of  Frederica  ; 
but,  upon  my  arrival  in  Georgia,  finding  there  was  no  minister  at  Savannah, 
and  no  place  of  worship  at  Frederica,  by  the  advice  of  the  magistrates 
and  people,  I  continued  at  Savannah,  teaching  publicly,  and  from  house 
to  house,  and  catechizing  the  children  day  by  day,  during  the  whole  time 
of  my  first  continuance  in  Georgia  ;  except  about  a  fortnight,  in  which  I 
went  to  Frederica,  to  visit  the  people,  and  to  see  about  building  a  church, 
for  which  I  had  given  ^50  out  of  some  money  I  had  collected,  and  of 
which  I  have  given  a  public  account.  In  about  four  months,  I  came  back 
■to  England  to  receive  priest's  orders,  and  to  collect  money  for  building  an 
Orphan  House.  At  the  request  of  many,  the  honourable  trustees  presented 
me  to  the  living  of  Savannah.  I  accepted  it,  but  refused  the  stipend  of 
;^5o  per  annum,  which  they  generously  offered  me.  Neither  did  I  put 
them  to  any  expense  during  my  stay  in  England,  where  I  thought  it  my 
duty  to  abide  till  I  had  collected  a  sufficient  sum  wherewith  I  might  begin 
the  Orphan  House,  though  I  should  have  left  England  sooner,  had  I  not 
been  prevented  by  the  embargo.  However,  I  was  more  easy,  because  I 
knew  the  honourable  trustees  had  sent  over  another  minister,  who  arrived 
soon  after  I  left  the  colony. 

"  Upon  my  second  arrival  at  Georgia,  finding  the  care  of  the  Orphan 
House  and  the  care  of  the  parish  too  great  a  task  for  me,  I  immediately 
wrote  to  the  honourable  trustees  to  provide  another  minister.  In  the 
meanwhile,  as  most  of  my  parishioners  were  in  debt,  or  ready  to  leave  the 
colony  for  want  of  being  employed,  and,  as  I  believed  erecting  an  Orphan 
House  would  be  the  best  thing  I  could  do  for  them  and  their  posterity,  I 
thought  it  my  duty,  from  time  to  time,  to  answer  the  invitations  that  were 
sent  me  to  preach  Christ  Jesus  in  several  parts  of  America,  and  to  raise 
further  collections  towards  carrying  on  the  Orphan  House.  The  Lord 
stirred  up  many  to  be  ready  to  distribute  and  willing  to  communicate 
on  these  occasions.  I  always  came  home  furnished  with  provisions  and 
money,  most  of  which  was  expended  among  the  people  ;  and,  by  this 
means,  the  northern  part  of  the  colony  almost  entirely  subsisted  for  a 
considerable  time.  This  was  asserted,  not  very  long  ago,  before  the 
House  of  Commons 

■•^^'.  rr.  7 


9^  1^^^^  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1744  "And  now,  sir,  judge  you  whether  my  non-residence  was  anything  like 
~~  the  non-residence  of  most  of  the  English  clergy.  When  I  was  absent 
from  my  parishioners,  I  was  not  loitering  or  living  at  ease,  but  preaching 
Christ  Jesus,  and  begging  for  them  and  theirs  ;  and  when  I  returned,  it 
was  not  to  fleece  my  flock,  and  then  go  and  spend  it  upon  my  lusts,  or  lay 
it  up  for  a  fortune  for  myself  and  my  relations.  No:  freely  as  I  had 
received,  freely  I  gave.  I  choose  a  voluntary  poverty.  The  love  of  God 
and  the  good  of  souls  is  my  only  aim." 

All  candid  readers  will  admit  that  Whitefield's  simple 
statement  is  a  sufficient  refutation  of  the  plausible  charge,  so 
often  brought  against  him,  concerning  his  non-residence  in 
the  only  parish  he  ever  had. 

Before  proceeding  with  Whitefield's  itinerary,  it  may  be 
well  to  complete  the  list  of  his  publications  during  the  year 
1744.      This  shall  be  done  as  briefly  as  possible. 

1 .  "A  Short  Account  of  God's  Dealings  with  the  Reverend 
Mr.  George  Whitefield,  A.B.,  from  his  Infancy  to  the  Time 
of  his  entering  into  Holy  Orders.  The  Second  Edition." 
(l2mo.  46  pp.)  This  was  an  exact  reprint  of  the  edition 
published  in  1 740. 

2.  "A  Brief  Account  of  the  Occasion,  Process,  and  Issue 
of  a  late  Trial  at  the  Assize  held  at  Gloucester,  March  3, 
1 744."      (8vo.  I  5  pp.)      This  has  been  already  noticed. 

3.  "  The  Experience  of  Mr.  R.  Cruttenden,  as  delivered  to 
a  Congregation  of  Christ  in  Lime  Street,  under  the  pastoral 
care  of  the  Rev,  Mr.  Richardson.  Prefaced  and  recommended 
by  George  Whitefield,  A.B."  (8vo.  32  pp.)  Cruttenden, 
after  losing  his  fortune,  by  the  bursting  of  the  South  Sea 
bubble,  had  recently  been  converted,  at  the  Tabernacle,  under 
the  preaching  of  John  Cennick.^  Nothing  in  the  pamphlet 
requires  notice,  except,  perhaps,  the  following  well-deserved 
rap,  which  Whitefield,  in  his  preface,  gives  to  Dissenting 
ministers,  some  of  whom  were  as  bitterly  opposed  to  the 
great  preacher  as  were  his  clerical  brethren  of  the  Church  of 
England. 

'  Cruttenden  was,  first  of  all,  a  Dissenting  minister  ;  but,  as  he  did  not 
believe  the  truths  he  preached,  he  relinquished  the  pulpit,  and  betook 
himself  to  business.  This  he  pursued  with  considerable  success,  and,  in 
process  of  time,  was  chosen  the  Lord  Mayor's  Common  Hunt.  After  the 
loss  of  his  property,  he  principally  subsisted  upon  the  profits  of  a  place  in 
the  post  office.  He  became  a  member  of  the  Miles  Lane  congregation, 
and  died,  happy  in  God,  in  1763.     We  shall  hear  of  him  again. 


Whitefield* s  Publicatmis.  99 

"Those  serious,  godly  ministers  among  the  Dissenters,  who,  through  1744 
prejudice  or  misinformation,  oppose,  or  are  shy  of  us,  as  though  some 
dangerous  sect  was  sprung  up,  may,  from  this  and  such-hke  instances,  '^ 
begin  to  reason  with  themselves,  whether  we  are  not  sent  of  God  ?  and 
whether  it  is  not  high  time  to  acknowledge  and  adore  God  in  His  late 
sovereign  way  of  working  ?  Here  is  an  account  of  a  learned  and  rational 
man,  brought  to  Jesus,  and  built  up  in  Him,  by  what  the  world  would  call 
illiterate  preachers.  This  is  not  the  first  instance  by  hundreds.  No  set 
of  men  could  do  such  things,  or  meet  with  such  success,  unless  God  was 
with  them.  It  is  not  the  first  time  that  our  Saviour  has  perfected  praise 
out  of  the  mouths  of  babes,  and  chosen  the  weak  things  of  this  world  to 
confound  the  strong." 

4.  There  is  only  another  pubhcation  to  be  noticed.     Three 
years  before,  Dr.  Smalbroke,  Bishop  of  Lichfield  and  Coventry, 
had  delivered  a  charge,  to  his  clergy,  against  the  Methodists  ; 
and  now,  in  the  year  1744,  and  when  a  part  of  his  diocese 
was  disgraced  by  the   riots  at  Wednesbury  and  other  places, 
he  published   it.      Smalbroke  was  a  somewhat  distinguished 
man  ;    but  withal  whimsical,  as,   for  instance,   when,   in   his 
"  Vindication  of  the  Miracles  of  Christ,"  he  made  elaborate 
calculations  concerning  the   number  of  devils  in  the  herd  of 
swine  at  Gadarene.      He  was  also  fond  of  strife,  more  than 
twenty  of  his  publications  being  of  a  controversial  character. 
The  pith  of  his  anti-Methodistic  charge  was,  that,  "  the  in- 
dwelling and   inward   witnessing  of  the   Spirit   in   believers' 
hearts,  (if  there  were  ever  such  things  at  all,)  as  also  praying 
and   preaching  by  the  Spirit,  are  all  the  extraordinary  gifts 
and  operatigns  of  the   Holy  Ghost,  belonging  only  to  the 
apostolical  and  primitive  times  ;   and,  that,  consequently,  all 
pretensions  to  such  favours,  in   these  last  days,  are  vain  and 
enthusiasticaiy      Whitefield's  reply  was  written  on  shipboard, 
during  his  voyage  to  America,  and  was  first  printed  at  Boston, 
in   New   England.      Its   long    title  was   as    follows  :.  "  Some 
Remarks  upon   a  late  Charge  against  Enthusiasm,  delivered 
by  tlie  Right  Reverend  Father  in  God,  Richard,  Lord  Bishop 
of  Lichfield   and   Coventry,  to  the   Rev.  the   Clergy  in  the 
several  parts  of  the  Diocese  of  Lichfield  and  Coventry,  in  a 
Triennial  Visitation  of  the  same  in  1741;   and  published,  at 
their  request,  in  the  present  year  i  744.      In  a  Letter  to  the 
Rev.  the   Clerg7  of   that   Diocese.      By  George   Whitefield, 
A.B.,    late    of    Pembroke    College,    Oxon."       (8vo.    35    pp.) 
Passing  over  the  theological  part  of  Whitefield's  pamphlet, 


lOO  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

'744    one  extract  from  his  concluding  observations  musit  suffice. 

Atc  29  In  a  foot-note  he  states,  "  The  Methodists  in   Staffordshire 

were   mobbed   last   Shrove-Tuesday,  and   plundered   of  their 

substance   to  the  amount   of  ;^700."      To  these  persecuted 

inhabitants  of  the  diocese  of  Lichfield,  Whitefield  says  ; — 

"  You  have  lately  been  enabled  joyfully  to  bear  the  spoiling  of  your 
goods.  Think  it  not  strange,  if  you  should  hereafter  be  called  to  resist 
tmto  blood.  Fear  not  the  faces  of  men,  neither  be  afraid  of  their  revilings. 
The  more  you  are  afflicted,  the  more  you  shall  multiply  and  grow.  Per- 
secution is  your  privilege  ;  it  is  a  badge  of  your  discipleship  ;  it  is  every 
Christian's  lot,  in  some  degree  or  other.  Only  be  careful  to  give  no  just 
cause  of  offence.  Be  studious  to  bring  forth  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit  in 
your  lives.  Call  no  man  master,  but  Christ.  Follow  others  only  as  they 
are  followers  of  Him.  Be  fond  of  no  name  but  that  oi  Christiait.  Beware 
of  making  parties,  and  of  calling  down  fire  from  heaven  to  consume  your 
adversaries.  Labour  to  shine  in  common  life,  by  a  conscientious  discharge 
of  all  relative  duties  ;  and  study  to  adorn  the  gospel  of  our  Lord  jn  all 
things.  If  you  are  good  Christians,  you  will  fear  God,  and,  for  His  sake, 
lionour  the  king.  Be  thankful  for  the  many  blessings  yon  enjoy  under  the 
,i;overnment  of  his  present  majesty,  King  George  ;  and  continue  to  pray 
to  Him,  by  vWiom  kings  reign,  and  princes  decree  justice,  to  keep  a 
popish  pretender  from  ever  sitting  on  the  English  throne." 

We  now  return  to  Whitefield's  itinerancy.  There  is  but 
little  evidence  to  shew  how  he  spent  the  interval  between 
March  15th  and  June  26th.  John  Cennick,  in  his  diary, 
says  :  "On  the  3rd  of  April,  at  my  special  desire,  the  first 
association  of  our  ministers  and  preachers,  which  had  been 
kept  in  Wilts,  took  place  in  my  house  at  Tytherton.  There 
were  present  the  following  preachers  :  Mr.  Whitefield,  Howell 
Harris,  John  Cennick,  Joseph  Humphreys,  and  Thomas 
Adams  ;  and  the  following  exhorters  ;  William  Humphreys, 
Isaac  Cottle,  Thomas  Lewis,  and  Thomas  Beswick."  ^ 

Part  of  the  fifteen  weeks  was  spent  in  London,  part  in 
Bristol,  and  part  in  Wilts.  He  was  also  awaiting  an 
opportunity  to  embark  for  Georgia  ;  and,  with  Mr.  Smith,  a 
merchant,  actually  took  a  passage  in  a  ship  about  to  sail 
from  Portsmouth.  At  the  last  moment,  however,  the  captain 
refused  to  take  him  ;  upon  which  he  set  out  for  Plymouth, 
preaching  at  Wellington,  Exeter,  Bideford,  and  Kingsbridge 
on  the  way.^      At  Plymouth,  he  was  made  the  subject  of  a 

'  Primitive  Methodist  Ma(;azine,  1865,  \).  662. 
*  Seymour's  "  Memoirs  of  Whitefield,"  p.  66. 


Brutal  Ireatment  at  Plymouth.  loi 

brutal  attack,  which  might  have  ended  seriously.     Hence  the     ^744 
following  letters  ; —  A^^e  29 

"  Plymouth,  jficne  26,  1744. 

"  Mv  DEAR  Friend, — You  see  by  this  where  I  am.  Doubtless,  you 
will  wonder  at  the  quick  transition  from  Portsmouth  to  Plymoutk  When 
I  wrote  last,  I  intended  going  to  the  former  ;  but,  just  before  I  took  leave 
of  the  dear  Tabernacle  people,  a  message  was  sent  to  me,  that  the  captain, 
in  whose  ship  I  was  to  sail  from  thence,  would  not  take  me,  for  fear  of  my 
spoiling  his  sailors.  Upon  this,  hearing  of  a  ship  that  was  going  under 
convoy  from  Plymouth,  I  hastened  hither,  and  have  taken  a  passage 
in  the  Wilmington,  Captain  Dalby,  bound  to  Piscataway,  in  New 
England. 

"  My  first  reception  here  was  a  little  unpromising,  A  report  being 
spread  that  I  was  come,  a  great  number  of  people  assembled  upon  the 
Hoe  (a  large  green  for  walks  and  diversions),  and  somebody  brought  out 
a  bear  and  a  drum  ;  but  I  did  not  come  till  the  following  evening,  when, 
under  pretence  of  a  hue-and-cry,  several  broke  into  the  room  where  I 
lodged  at  the  inn,  and  disturbed  me  very  much. 

"  I  then  betook  myself  to  private  lodgings,  and  being  gone  to  rest,  after 
preaching  to  a  large  congregation,  and  visiting  the  French  prisoners,  the 
good  woman  of  the  house  came  and  told  me,  that  a  well-dressed  gentleman 
desired  to  speak  with  me.  Imagining  that  he  was  some  Nicodemite,  i 
desired  he  might  be  brought  up.  He  came  and  sat  down  by  my  bedside, 
told  me  he  was  a  lieutenant  of  a  man  of  war,  congratulated  me  on  the 
success  of  my  ministry,  and  expressed  himself  much  concerned. for  being 
detained  from  hearing  me.  He  then  asked  mc  if  I  knew  him  ?  I 
answered,  No.  He  replied,  his  name  was  Cadogan.  I  rejoined,  that  I 
had  seen  one  Mr.  Cadogan,  who  was  formerly  an  ofticer  in  Georgia,  about 
a  fortnight  ago,  at  Bristol  Upon  this,  he  immediately  rose  up,  uttering 
the  most  abusive  language,  calling  me  dog,  rogue,  villain,  etc.,  and  beat 
me  most  unmercifully  with  his  gold-headed  cane.  As  you  know,  I  have 
not  much  natural  courage  ;  and,  being  apprehensive  that  he  intended  to 
shoot  or  stab  me,  I  underwent  all  the  fears  of  a  sudden  violent  death.  My 
hostess  and  her  daughter,  hearing  me  cry  *■  Murder,'  rushed  into  the  room, 
and  seized  him  by  the  collar  ;  but  he  immediately  disengaged  himself  from 
them,  and  repeated  his  blows  upon  me.  The  cry  of  murder  was  repeated, 
and  he  made  towards  the  cliamber  door,  from  whence  the  good  woman 
pushed  him  downstairs.  A  second  man  now  cried  out,  '  Take  courage,  I 
am  ready  to  help  you  ; '  and,  accordingly,  whilst  the  other  was  escaping, 
he  rushed  upstairs,  and  finding  one  of  the  women  coming  down,  took  her 
by  the  heels,  and  threw  her  upon  the  floor,  by  which  her  back  was  almost 
broken.  By  this  time  the  neighbourhood  was  alarmed ;  but,  being  un- 
willing to  add  to  the  commotion,  I  desired  the  doors  might  be  shut,  and 
so  betook  myself  to  rest." 

This   strange   adventure   is   explained    in   another   letter, 
written  to  the  same  friend,  a  few  days  afterwards. 


I02  The  Life  of  Whiiefield. 

1744  "  Plymouth,  July  4,  1744. 

A£re~2Q  "  Since  my  last,  I  have  had  some  information  about  the  late  odd 
adventure.  It  seems  that  four  gentlemen  came  to  the  house  of  one  of 
my  particular  friends,  and  desired  to  know  where  I  lodged,  that  they 
might  pay  their  respects  to  me.  My  friend  directed  them  ;  and,  soon 
afterwards,  I  received  a  letter,  informing  me  that  the  writer  of  it  was  a 

nephew  of  Mr.  S ,  an  eminent  attorney  at  New  York  ;  that  he  had  had 

the  pleasure  of  supping  with  me  at  his  uncle's  house  ;  and  that  he  desired 
my  company  to  sup  with  him  and  a  few  more  friends  at  a  tavern.  I  sent 
him  word  that  it  was  not  customary  for  me  to  sup  out  at  taverns,  but  I 
should  be  glad  of  his  company,  out  of  respect  to  his  uncle,  to  eat  a  morsel 
with  him  at  my  lodgings.  He  came  ;  we  supped.  I  observed  that  he 
frequently  looked  around  him,  and  seemed  very  absent  ;  but,  having  no 
suspicion,  I  continued  in  conversation  with  him  and  my  other  friends  till  we 
parted.  I  now  find  that  this  man  was  to  have  been  the  assassin  ;  and 
that,  being  interrogated  by  his  companions  as  to  what  he  had  done, 
he  answered,  that  being  used  so  civilly,  he  had  not  the  heart  to  touch 
me. 

"  Upon  this,  as  I  am  informed,  the  person  who  assaulted  me,  laid  a 
wager  of  ten  guineas  that  he  would  do  my  business  for  me.  Some  say, 
that  they  took  his  sword  from  him,  which  I  suppose  they  did,  for  I  only 
saw  and  felt  the  weight  of  his  cane. 

"  The  next  morning,  I  was  to  expound  at  a  private  house,  and  then  to 
set  out  for  Bideford.  Some  urged  me  to  stay  and  prosecute  ;  but,  being 
better  employed,  I  went  on  my  intended  journey  ;  was  greatly  blessed  in 
preaching  the  everiasting  gospel  ;  and,  upon  my  return,  was  well  paid  for 
what  I  had  suffered  ;  for  curiosity  led  perhaps  two  thousand  more  than 
ordinary  to  see  and  hear  a  man  who  had  like  to  have  been  murdered  in 
his  bed.     Thus  all  things  tend  to  the  furtherance  of  the  gospel. 

" '  Thus  Satan  thwarts,  and  men  object, 
And  yet  the  thing  they  thwart  effect.' 

"  Leaving  you  to  add  a  hallelujah,  I  subscribe  myself, 

"  Ever,  ever  yours, 

■   '■'  George  Whitefield.** 

Whiteficld  seriously  believed  that  this  atrocious  outrage 
was  a  deliberate  attempt  to  murder  him  ;  the  probabihty  is, 
that  it  was  a  cruel  freak,  similar  to  many  others  for  which 
naval  stations  have  frequently  been  infamous. 

Whitcfield  spent  more  than  six  weeks  at  Plymouth,  and 
in  the  immediate  neighbourhood.  His  detention,  occasioned 
by  waiting  for  the  convoy,  was  not  without  good  results. 
Hence  the  following  extracts  from  letters  written  during  this 
interval.      To  John  Syms,  Whitefield  wrote  as  follows: — • 


Labours  at  Plymouth.  IC3 

"Plymouth,  July  21,  1744.        1744 
"My  dear  Man, — I  expected  a  line  from  you  to-day  ;  but,  I  suppose,    a       20 
you  think  we  are  gone.     This  day   came  in  a  privateer,    who   saw   the 
Brest  squadron,  which  has  pursued  two  of  our  men  oi  war  ;  so  that,  had 
we  sailed,  we  should  in  all  probability  have  been  carried  into  France.    We 
are  now  to  go  under  the  convoy  of  the  grand  fleet. 

"  I  have  been  greatly  refreshed  this  evening  in  preaching  the  blood 
of  Jesus.  The  congregations  grow  every  day.  Last  night,  many  from 
the  dock  guarded  me  home,  being  apprehensive  there  was  a  design  against 
me.  Without  my  knowledge,  they  insulted  a  man  who  intended  to  hurt 
me.  I  am  sorry  for  it.  My  health  is  better.  Whether  we  sail  or  not, 
expect  to  hear  again  from,  dear,  dear  Johnny,  ever,  ever  yours  whilst 

"  George  Whitefield."' 

"  Plymouth,  July  26,  1744, 
"Could  you  think  it?  I  have  been  preaching  a  confirmation  sermon. 
Do  you  ask  me  where  ?  In  a  Quakers  field.  As  I  saw  thousands 
flocked  to  the  church  to  have  the  bishop's  hands  imposed  upon  them,  I 
thought  it  not  improper  to  let  them  have  a  word  of  exhortation  suitable 
to  the  occasion.  I  have  also  made  an  elopement  to  Kingsbridge, 
where,  a  few  days  ago,  I  preached  to  many  thousands.  It  was  a  most 
solemn  occasion.  The  hearts  of  the  auditory  seemed  to  be  bowed  as  the 
heart  of  one  man." 

In    other   letters    to    his    "  dear    man,"    John    Syms,    he 

writes  : — 

Plymouth,  July  27,  1744. 

"  Matters  go  on  better  and  better  here.  I  begin  to  think  myself  in 
London.  We  have  our  regular  morning  meetings.  We  are  looking  out 
for  a  place  proper  for  a  Society,  and  to  expound  in.  People  come  daily 
to  me,  especially  from  the  dock,  under  convictions.  Some,  I  believe, 
have  really  closed  with  Christ  ;  and  here  are  several  aged  persons 
perfectly  made  young  again.  We  are  just  now  entered  upon  our  singing 
hours. 

"  Fresh  news  from  Kingsbridge  of  souls  being  awakened  ;  but  I  am  kept 
close  prisoner  on  account  of  .the  convoy.  Brother  Cennick  must  come 
into  these  parts  soon." 

"Plymouth,  J2tly  29,  1744. 
"Our  Lord  has  been  giving  us  blessings  in  drops;  but  now  He  is 
sending  them  in  showers.  We  have  had  a  most  precious  meeting  this 
morning.  Perhaps  more  good  has  been  done  by  this  one  sermon,  than 
by  all  I  have  preached  before.  The  wind  is  yet  against  us.  Our  Lord 
detains  me  here  for  wise  reasons.  Some  persons,  formerly  prejudiced 
against  me,  have  offered  to  give  ine  a  piece  of  ground  for  a  Society  room, 
I  believe  one  will  be  built  soon.  Brother  Cennick  must  stay  in  the  west 
some  time." 


Cliristian  Hislory,  1 744. 


1 04  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1744  "Plymouth,  August  3,  1744, 

—  "  Our  convoy   is  come,  and  perhaps  we   may  sail   to-morrow.     It  is 

^  ^^  delightful  to  be  here.  We  come  from  the  dock,  in  the  evenings,  singing 
and  praising  God.  Our  parting  there  has  been  more  awful  than  words 
can  express. 

"  I  must  tell  you  one  thing  more.  There  is  a  ferry  over  to  Plymouth  ; 
and  the  ferrymen  are  now  so  much  my  friends,  that  they  will  take  nothing 
of  the  multitude  that  come  to  hear  me  preach,  saying,  '  God  forbid  that 
we  should  sell  the  word  of  God  ! '" 

Thus,    at    Plymouth,  as    in   other    places,    did    Whitefield 
triumph   in    Christ   Jesus.      One    of  the   conversions,   which 
took  place  under  his   marvellous   ministry,  is   too  notable  to 
pass  unnoticed.      Henry  Tanner,   born   at  Exeter,  was   now 
in   the  twenty-sixth    year    of  his   age,  and   was  working,   at 
Plymouth,    as    a    shipwright.      One  day,   while  at  work,  he 
heard,  from  a  considerable  distance,  the  voice  of  Whitefield, 
who  was  preaching  in  the  open  air;   and,  concluding  that  the 
man  was  mad,  he  and  half  a  dozen   of  his  companions  filled 
their  pockets  with  stones,  and  set  off  to  knock  the  preacher 
down.      Whitefield's   text  was  Acts  xvii.    19,    20.      Tanner 
listened   with   astonishment ;   and,  without  using  his  stones, 
went    home,    determined    to    hear   him   again   next  evening. 
The  text,  on  this  occasion,  was  Luke  xxiv.  47  ;   and  Tanner 
was    in   such  an   agony  of  soul,   that  he  was  forced    to  cry, 
"  God  be  merciful   to  me  a  sinner!"      The  next  night,  while 
Whitefield  was  preaching  on  "Jacob's  Ladder,"  Tanner  found 
peace  with  God.    He,  at  once,  joined  the  Society  at  Plymouth, 
which  had   been  formed   by  Whitefield,  and   suffered  violent 
persecution  from  his  unconverted  wife.      To  secure  time  for 
prayer  and  Christian   usefulness,  he   seldom  allowed   himself 
more  than   six  hours  in  bed,  and   frequently  but  four.      Ten 
years  after  his  conversion,  he  removed  to  Exeter,  and  began 
to  preach  with  great   success.      In  1769,  the  Tabernacle    at 
Exeter   was   built,    mainly    through   his    exertions,    and  he 
became  its  minister.      His   labours,  however,  were   not  con- 
fined  to    Exeter.     At  the   request    of  Toplady,  he   used   to 
preach   at   Broad    Hembury ;    whilst   Moreton,    Hampstead, 
Crediton,  Topsham,  and  various  other  places,  were  favoured 
with  his  services.       On  Sunday   morning,   March   24,    1805, 
when  he  had  completed  the  eighty-sixth  year  of  his  age,  he 
was  carried,  in  a  chair,  to  his  pulpit,  and  tried  to  preach,  but 


Deaths.  105 

was  so  ill  that  he  was  obliged  to  relinquish  the  attempt.     A    '744 
week  afterwards  he  peacefully  expired/  Age  29 

While,  however,  God  was  raising  up  new  labourers,  by- 
means  of  Whitefield's  ministry,  He  was  taking  others  to 
Himself  One  of  these  was  the  Rev.  David  Crossly,  of 
Manchester,  who,  within  a  week  of  the  time  when  White- 
field  embarked  at  Plymouth  for  America,  wrote  as  follows  to 
Whitefield's  friend,  Mr.  Syms  : — 

"  Manchester,  August  3,  1744. 

"  How  glad  I  am  to  hear  of  Mr.  Whitefield's  success  in  the  service  of 
his  God.  O  happy  Mr.  Whitefield  !  His  unparalleled  labours,  with 
answerable  success,  make  his  life  a  continued  miracle.  For  a  month 
past,  I  have  been  nigh  unto  death.  My  life  is  generally  despaired  of ; 
and  the  Lord  seems  to  be  preparing  the  way  for  it,  first,  by  a  flow 
of  converts,  above  twenty  having  been  added  to  us  during  the  last  two 
months  ;  and,  secondly,  by  raising  up  several  with  very  useful  gifts  ;  so 
that  I  am  ready  to  say,  '  Lord,  now  let  Thy  servant  depart  in  peace  ! 
Let  me,  O  Lord,  come  above  to  the  palm-bearing  company  !  Fifty-five 
years  have  I  been  in  the  work,  a  poor  weakling,  yet  crowned,  by  Thy 
blessing,  with  success.' 

"As  to  Mr.   Whitefield's  Preface  to  my  Sermon,^  I  give  a  thousand 
thanks  to  him.     It  is  his  goodness,  not  my  deserts,  that  has  placed  hi 
valuable  name  before  any  performance  of  mine."* 

A  month  after  the  date  of  this  letter,  good  old  David 
Crossly  was  gone.  "  I  am  ready  for  the  Bridegroom,"  he 
cried  ;  "  I  know  my  Redeemer  liveth  ;"  with  the  utterance 
of  which  he  triumphantly  expired.^ 

Another  brave-hearted  man  must  be  mentioned.  Thomas 
Beard  was  one  of  Wesley's  preachers,  but  he  was  also 
warmly  attached  to  Whitefield,  and  wrote  to  him  the  follow- 
ing sweet  and  simple  letter  : — 

"Berwick-upon-Tweed,  September  17,  1744. 
"  Sir, — It  has  been  often  upon  my  mind  to  write  to  you  since  I  have  been 
in  this  state  of  life,  which  is  not  agreeable  at  all  to  my  inclinations.    I  have 
but  little  acquaintance  with  you,  but  I  hope  you  will  not  be  offended  at 

'  Evangelical  Magazine,  1805. 

*  A  Sermon  on  Samson,  a  type  of  Christ.  To  which  is  added  an 
Exposition  of  Ephesians  v.  22 — 33  ;  prefaced  and  recommended  by  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Whitefield.  Sold  by  Mr.  John  Syms,  in  Ironmonger  Row,  near 
St.  Luke's  Church,  Old  Street ;  John  Lewis,  printer,  in  Bartholomew  Close, 
near  West  Smithfield  ;   or  Mr.  Wharton,  at  the  Tabernacle. 

*  Christian  History,  1744, 
» Ibid. 


lo6  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 


1744     my  writing  to  you.     The  children  of  God,  while  on  this  side  of  the  grave, 
always  stand  in  need  of  one  another's  prayers,  especially  such  of  them  as 
''  are  under  persecutions,  or  temptaWons,  for  the  truth's  sake.    I  find  I  stand 

in  need  of  the  prayers  of  all  the  children  of  God. 

"  I  was  pressed,  in  Yorkshire,  for  •preaching,  and  so  sent  for  a  soldier. 
I  earnestly  pray  for  them  who  were  the  occasion  of  it.  All  my  trust  is 
reposed  in  Jesus,  my  sweet  Saviour.  I  know  He  will  not  leave  nor 
forsake  me.  His  blood  has  atoned  for  my  sin,  and  appeased  His 
Father's  wrath,  and  procured  His  favour  for  such  a  sinful  worm  as 
myself.  Herein  is  my  comfort,  though  men  raged  at  me,  my  dear 
Saviour  did  not  leave  nor  forsake  me. 

"  I  have  lately  been  on  a  command  in  Scotland,  and  met  with  many 
who  enquired  concerning  you.  I  preached  at  Cowdingham.  Some  of 
your  friends  came  to  see  me  from  Coppersmith.  Many  thought  it  strange 
to  see  a  man  in  a  red  coat  preach. 

"  I  beg  you  would  write  to  me  in  General  Blakeney's  regiment  of  foot, 
in  Captain  Dunlop's  company. 

"  I  am  your  unworthy  brother, 

"Thomas  Beard."* 

Before   Whitefield   had   an   opportunity   to    answer,    poor 
Beard,  as  one  of  the  first  of  Methodism's  martyrs,  had  been 
called  to  inherit  a  martyr's  crown.     Wesley,  in  1744,  wrote 
-  thus  concerning  him  : — 

"  Thomas  Beard,  a  quiet  and  peaceable  man,  who  had  lately  been  torn 
from  his  trade,  and  wife  and  children,  and  sent  away  as  a  soldier  ;  that  is, 
banished  from  all  that  was  near  and  dear  to  him,  and  constrained  to  dwell 
among  lions,  for  no  other  crime,  either  committed  or  pretended,  than  that 
of  calling  sinners  to  repentance.  But  his  soul  was  in  nothing  terrified  by 
his  adversaries.  Yet  the  body,  after  a  while,  sunk  under  its  burden.  He 
was  then  lodged  in  the  hospital  at  Newcastle,  where  he  still  praised  God 
continually.  His  arm  festered,  mortified,  and  was  cut  off:  two  or  three 
days  after  which,  God  signed  his  discharge,  and  called  him  up  to  his 
eternal  home." 

The  case  of  Thomas  Beard  was  far  from  being  a  solitary 
one.  Magistrates,  as  well  as  mobs,  hated  the  Methodists, 
and  were  always  ready  to  approve  of  the  violent  proceedings 
of  the  press-gangs  of  the  period.  Not  a  few  of  both 
Wesley's  and  Whitefield's  preachers  and  people  were  driven 
from  their  homes,  and  dragged  into  the  army.  Two  purposes 
were  thought  to  be  served  by  these  high-handed  acts  ;  first, 
the  army  obtained  the  recruits  it  greatly  needed  ;  and, 
secondly,  as  both   mobs  and  magistrates  imagined,  the  voices 

'   Chris ticrn  History,  vol.  vi.,  p.  40,   1744. 


Methodist  Soldiers.  icy 

of  Methodists  and  Methodist  preachers  were  likely  to  be  '744 
silenced.  The  last  was  a  huge  mistake.  It  may  fairly  be  Acre  29 
questioned  whether  the  Methodists,  who  were  forced  into  the 
army  and  navy,  did  not,  in  such  positions,  render  greater 
service  to  the  cause  of  Christ  and  of  Methodism,  than  they 
Joould  have  rendered  had  they  remained  at  home  unmolested, 
.^assing  men  like  John  Nelson,  Thomas  Beard,  and  many 
others,  pressed  into  regiments  at  home,  there  were  a  consi- 
derable number  with  the  English  army  in  Flanders,  whose 
heroism  and  Christianity  will  always  shed  a  lustre  on  Me- 
thodism's early  annals.  Wesley  mentions  some  of  these 
with  the  highest  approbation,  as,  for  instance,  John  Haime, 
John  Greenwood,  William  Clements,  John  Evans,  and  others. 
Whitefield  also,  in  his  periodical,  the  Christian  History} 
published  a  number  of  letters,  written  by  soldiers  belonging 
to  his  own  community,  as  well  as  by  some  who  were  Wesley's 
followers.  One  man,  at  Ghent,  under  the  date  of  December 
24,  1744,  tells  of  being  recently  converted  under  the  preach- 
ing of  a  "  dragoon,"  belonging  to  "  the  first  regiment  of 
guards,"  in  which  regiment  there  were  now  "  about  a  hundred 
members  of  that  branch  of  the  Society,  that  is,  the  United 
Society."  He  continues  :  "  The  Lord  adds  to  our  number 
daily,  and  works  very  powerfully  amongst  us."  Another,  at 
the  same  place,  blesses  God  that  he  ever  heard  John  Cennick 
preach.  Anthony  Conjuet,  "  a  drummer  in  the  English  camp 
in  Flanders,"  relates  that  he  and  the  regiment  of  English 
Guards  had  lately  been  "  seven  hours  under  the  firing  of  the 
French  cannons,"  and  then  adds  : — 

"  There  are  many  of  the  members  of  the  Societies  killed  and  wounded. 
Most  of  them  were  taken  notice  of  for  their  valour.     Ebenezer  Wells  and 

'  Though  "  printed  and  sold  by  J.  Lewis,  in  Bartholomew  Close,"  the 
Christian  History  was  really  under  the  control  of  Whitefield.  In  an  ad- 
vertisement appended  to  No.  3,  vol.  vi.,  1744,  it  is  stated,  that  the  publica- 
tion "  contains  a  general  account  of  the  progress  of  the  gospel,  under  the 
ministry  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Whitefield,  his  fellow-labourers,  and  assistants  ;" 
that,  though  originally  published  in  the  folio  size,  "yJ/r.  White/ietd  h^-d 
ordered  it  to  be  printed  in  a  pocket  volume,  as  judging  it  less  cumber- 
some ;"  and  that  it  was  "the  Rev.  Mr.  Whitefield's  desire  to  have  the 
volumes  made  as  public  as  possible." 

It  may  be  added,  that,  on  Whitefield's  return  from  America,  in  July, 
1748.  the  Cliristiaii  History  was  discontinued.  The  last  letter  in  it  is 
d.tcd  "June  23,  1748  ;"  and  on  the  last  page  is  the  following  : — "N.B. 
This  is  the  last  number  of  the  Cliristian  History  that  will  be  printed." 


lo8  The  Life  of  Whifefield. 

1744    Thomas   Burford,  and  our  brothers  Cook  and  Forrest,  are  all  wounded, 
.  and  prisoners  with  the  French,     William  Clements,  teacher  of  a  Society, 

is  wounded  in  both  arms,  but  is  in  a  fair  way  to  do  well.  John  Evans, 
teacher  of  another  Society,  (who  is  a  gunner  of  the  train,)  and  Brother 
Hymms  (Hainie?)  the  dragoon,  are  well.  Brother  Hymms  is  also 
teacher  of  another  Society.  There  are  three  other  teachers  alive  and 
well. 

"  There  is  a  G^reat  awakening  in  our  camp,  and  the  work  of  grace  goes 
on  with  great  success.  Many  blaspheming  tongues  are  now  singing  praises 
to  God,  and  to  the  Lamb." 

William  Clements,  mentioned  in  the  foregoing  letter,  gives 
an  account  of  "an  engagement  with  the  French,  which  lasted 
from  five  o'clock  in  the  morning  until  three  in  the  after- 
noon ;  "  and  of  his  being  "  now  under  the  surgeon's  hands  in 
Brussels."  He  adds,  that  he  has  "  received  letters  from  the 
Brethren  at  the  Camp,"  telling  him,  that,  since  the  battle, 
"  the  work  of  the  Lord  had  gone  on  with  great  power."  And 
then,  after  sending  his  salutations  to  his  "  friend  in  Suffolk," 
he  concludes  thus  : — 

"  Grant,  I  beseech  Thee,  O  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  that  we  may  be  of  that 
happy  number  who  have  washed  their  robes  and  made  them  white  in  the 
blood  of  the  Lamb  ;  and  that  we  may  stand  upon  Mount  Zion,  amongst 
the  multitude  which  no  man  can  number,  to  sing  praises  and  hallelujahs 
for  ever  and  ever.     Amen. 

"  Which  is  all  at  present  from  your  poor  unworthy  brother, 

"  W.  Clements." 

These  were  bravely  loyal,  though  deeply  injured,  Metho- 
dists ;  and  displayed  equal  valour  in  fighting  for  their  country, 
and  for  the  kingdom  of  their  God  and  Saviour. 

Before  following  Whitefield  to  America,  a  few  facts  re- 
specting the  Societies  over  which  he  and  his  assistants 
presided  may  be  useful.  For  want  of  materials,  a  full 
account  of  these  is  impossible ;  but  the  following  scraps  of 
information,  taken  from  the  Christian  History,  will,  perhaps, 
be  interesting : — 

Wales. — Herbert  Jenkins,  in  a  letter  dated  "  October  3, 
1 744,"  tells  of  attending  an  "  Association,"  in  Wales,  at  which 
*'  above  twenty  brethren  "  were  present. 

"  The  Lord,"  says  he, "  made  us  of  one  heart  and  mind.  We  consulted 
about  the  best  measures  to  carry  on  the  cause  of  our  Redeemer.  We 
sung  and  prayed  heartily  together.  When  we  parted,  we  went  east,  west' 
north,  and  south.     The  waters  were  out,  and  I  was  to  the  middle  of  my 


Whitefield'' s  Preachers.  109 

leg  on  horseback.     One  of  the  brethren  had  his  horse  carried  away  by  the     I744 
floods,  and  he  himself  narrowly  escaped  being  drowned."  . 

In  another   letter,   dated   "  February  23,  1745,"    Jenkins 
writes  : — 

"  I  went  'to  the  Association  in  Wales,  where  about  sixty  of  us  met 
together,  four  of  whom  were  clergymen.  The  Lord  was  amongst  us. 
Many  of  the  hearers  were  greatly  comforted.  We  were  two  days  together, 
and  had  sweet  harmony.  We  had  good  accounts  of  the  progress  of  the 
work  of  our  Lord  in  six  or  seven  counties." 

Bristol,  Bath,  etc. — In  October,  1 744,  E.  Godwin  writes: — 

"  I  have  changed  the  tickets  of  about  a  hundred  and  twenty  at  Bristol, 
and  have  received  fourteen  new  members.  After  I  changed  the  tickets,  I 
held  a  lovefeast,  when,  with  a  hymn,  we  publicly  admitted  our  new  mem- 
bers. On  the  first  Monday  in  this,  month,  we  had  a  letter-day.  We  were 
about  three  hours  together,  and  had  a  collection  for  defraying  the  charge 
of  the  place,  which  was  the  largest  that  had  been  made  since  Mr.  White- 
field  solemnized  a  feast-day  here." 

Under  the   date  of  November  16,  1744.,  Herbert  ye7tkins 

says  : — 

''  The  hall  in  Bristol  is  commonly  full.  I  generally  preach,  morning 
and  evening,  with  freedom  and  delight.  The  people  are  devout  and 
serious.  Last  Sunday,  I  preached  four  times  ;  but,  though  I  had  walked 
to  Connam  and  Kingswood,  I  was  stronger  in  body,  and  happier  in  my 
soul  at  last  than  I  was  at  first.  The  Society  at  Bath  goes  on  sweetly,  and 
grows  in  grace,  and  in  number,  daily.  We  had  a  choice  lovefeast  there 
last  Thursday  night.  It  was  the  first  in  that  place,  and  was  very  solemn 
and  orderly." 

Ludlow^  Leominster,  etc. — In  a  letter,  dated  December  12, 
1 744,  James  Ingram  says  : — 

"  I  went  to  Ludlow,  it  being  fair-day  there  ;  and  soon  had  a  pressing 
invitation  to  preach  at  an  honest  Dissenter's  house.  I  complied,  though 
a  young  man  told  my  sister  I  should  be  put  into  the  stocks  if  I  offered  to 
cant  there.  I  preached  to  a  serious  auditory,  and  the  poor  loving  people 
would  not  willingly  part  with  me.  Only  one  of  them  had  ever  heard  such 
things  before.  I  promised  to  visit  them  again.  The  Society  at  Leominster 
seems  pretty  sweet.  We  met  at  four  in  tne  morning.  I  have  now  almost 
finished  my  round,  and  a  happy  one  it  has  been.  The  people  in  Mon- 
mouthshire are  more  lively  than  usual.  I  was  accompanied  by  eight  or 
nine  horse-people,  and  some  on  foot,  from  Caldicot  to  Redwick." 

A  letter  from  James  Beaumont  must  be  quoted  at  greater 
length.      It  is  dated  June  10,  1745.      He  writes  : — 

"  On  Thursday,  the  7th  inst.,  I  was  at  Leominster.     During  the  time  oj 


no  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 


1744     my  preaching,  the  people  behaved  tolerably  well  ;  but,  soon  after  I  had 

—       done,  a  man  came  to  press  me.     He  took  me  to  the  justice's  house,  and 

■Age  29  ^^^^  jgf(.  jj^g_     'pj^g  justice  being  absent,  I  knew  not  what  to  do  ;  but, 

seeing  myself  surrounded  by  a  large  and  turbulent  mob,  I  got  upon  the 

justice's  steps,  and  spake  of  their  illegal  proceedings,  and  then  returned, 

without  any  hurt,  to  Brother  K 's,  and  sang  a  hymn  of  praise  to  our 

great  Deliverer.  Soon  after  this,  I  was  pressed  again,  by  another  con- 
stable, who  took  me  before  the  commissioners  in  a  public-house.  By  this 
time  the  town  was  in  an  uproar.  The  commissioners  ordered  the  constable 
to  take  me  to  a  private  room.  I  was  confined  about  four  hours  ;  and  was 
then  called  before  the  commissioners,  who  asked  me  if  I  was  exempted 

from  the  present  Act.    I  told  them  I  was.   Justice  H- said, '  By  what  ? ' 

I  answered,  '  I  have  ^3  a  year  freehold  in  the  parish  of  Old  Radnor.' 
'Where  are  your  writings  ?' said  they.  I  said,  'At  home.'  They  then 
asked  me  if  I  had  any  friend, '"in  Leominster,  who  wovdd  satisfy  them  of 
the  account  I  had  given  of  myself.  '  I  have,'  said  I  ;  and,  soon  after,  the 
man  came  in,  and  confirmed  what  I  had  said.  Then  the  gentlemen  were 
pleased  to  condescend  to  do  me  justice,  and  I  was  discharged  imme- 
diately. They  ordered  an  officer  to  guard  me  to  my  friends,  to  whom  I 
was  safely  brought ;  and  we  joined  in  praises  to  God  for  His  mercies  to 
me  His  sinful  child." 

Wiltshire. — On  November  15,  1744,  ir".  Godwin  writes: — 

"  Wiltshire  is  surely  a  garden  of  the  Lord.  Last  week  I  was  chiefly 
about  Longley  and  Brinkworth.  Last  Monday  I  went  to  Blunsdon.  It 
was  their  revel  ;  so  I  preached  out  of  doors,  and  a  great  power  seemed 
to  attend  the  word,  some  crying,  who  had  hardly  ever  wept  since  they 
were  children." 

The  preacher,  at  this  time  appointed  to  the  Wiltshire 
circuit,  was  George  Cook,  of  whom  E.  Godwin  had  said,  only 
a  few  weeks  before,  "  Brother  Cook's  preaching  is  much 
blessed  in  Wiltshire,  though  his  gifts  are  not  enlarged  enough 
for  a  city."     On  December  8,  Cook  wrote  to  Cennick  : — 

"  On  the  22nd  day  of  last  month  I  went  to  Wickwar.  As  soon  as  I 
began  preaching,  the  mob  came  with  sheep-bells  tied  to  a  stick,  and  so 
they  did  ring  them.  They  had  also  frying-pans,  horse-rugles,  a  salt-box, 
and  a  post-horn.  Some  of  the  mob  did  put  their  mouths  to  the  window, 
and  made  a  noise  like  that  of  dogs  ;  and  they  called  me  false  prophet, 
and  all  manner  of  names  they  could  think  of;  but  Satan  can  go  no  farther 
than  his  chain.  The  Lord  gave  me  an  uncommon  power  to  speak  of  His 
blood  ;  and  many  of  the  people  were  greatly  refreshed  in  their  souls.  Pray 
for  me,  dear  sir. 

"  I  am  your  little,  weak,  sinful,  simple  brother,  in  the  wounds  of  the 
Lamb, 

"  George  Cook." 


WJntefield'' s  Preachers. 


Ill 


Within  a  month  afterwards,  this  "weak  and  simple  brother"     1744 
was  dead.      JoJin  Cennick  writes  : — 


"January  7,  1745.  I  rode  round  by  Avebury,  where  brother  Cook 
sickened  of  the  small-pox.  The  minister  of  Avebury  behaved  very  ill 
while  he  was  sick,  and  threatened  he  would  remove  him,  bad  as  he  was 
out  of  the  place,  and  would  treat  him  as  a  vagabond.  He  was  not  willing 
that  brother  Cook  should  be  buried  at  Avebury ;  and,  therefore,  in  the 
dead  of  the  night,  the  friends  brought  him  to  Tytherton  upon  a  horse  ; 
and,  about  two  o'clock  on  Sunday  morning  last,  they  laid  him  by  the  side 
of  three  other  bodies  of  the  saints." 

Eight  months  after  this  strange  interment,  John  Edzvards 
came  to  Avebury,  where  Cieorge  Cook  had  died.  Edwards 
shall  tell  his  own  story. 

"  I  went  to  Avebury,  where  we  had  a  blessed  season  ;  but,  in  the  midst 
of  my  discourse,  came  the  minister's  servant-maid,  from  her  master,  with 
a  partridge  for  my  supper  ;  and  to  tell  me,  that  he  would  have  me  come 
to  drink  a  bottle  with  him.  I  met  him  the  next  day,  and  thanked  him  for 
his  present  and  invitation.  He  called  me  ignorant,  unlearned,  fool,  etc, 
I  told  him  I  was  wise  unto  salvation  ;  but  as  for  being  a  fool,  I  acknow- 
ledged that,  and  was  determined  to  be  more  and  more  a  fool  for  Christ's 
sake.  He  hooted  and  hallooed  me,  like  a  schoolboy,  till  I  left  him.  The 
same  night,  when  in  the  midst  of  my  discourse,  a  company  came,  and 
began  to  throw  stones  at  me,  and  struck  me  once  on  the  breast.  The 
people  shut  the  door,  and  then  those  outside  began  their  music  with  bells 
and  horns.  They  broke  the  windows  with  clubs,  and  some  of  the  people's 
faces  were  cut  with  glass.  They  threw  in  dirt  and  mud  ;  and,  at  length, 
I  broke  off  preaching,  and  went  to  prayer  for  our  enemies." 

Gloucestershire. — Isaac  Cottell,  in  a  letter  dated  October  i  o, 
1744,  gives  an  account  of  his  labours  in  the  Gloucestershire 
circuit.      The  following  is  an  extract : — 

"  On  October  7,  I  came  to  Wickwar  about  five  o'clock  in  the  evening. 
The  house,  where  I  was  to  preach,  was  surrounded  with  a  mob,  making 
a  great  noise.  When  I  had  been  there  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  in 
came  the  curate  of  the  town,  three  gentlemen,  and  the  constable  with  his 
long  black  staff.  One  of  the  gentlemen  ordered  the  people  to  make  way 
for  the  parson  to  come  up  to  me,  I  was  then  singing  a  hymn  ;  and  the 
gentleman  snatched  the  book  out  of  my  hand,  tore  it,  and  threw  it  up 
into  the  window,  I  then  gave  out  a  verse  extempore ;  and  he  put  his 
elbow  up  to  stop  my  mouth.  Then  the  curate  came  up  to  me,  and  began 
to  read  the  Act  of  Parliament,  and  commanded  us  to  depart  in  half  an 
hour.  At  the  same  time,  the  gentleman  asked  me  why  I  ran  about  the 
countr)',  to  pick  people's  pockets  ?  I  told  him  I  came  to  preach  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  the  King  of  kings.  He  said  I  came  to  make  a  riot,  I  told 
him,  if  he  did  not  take  care,  he  would  make  a  riot  himself  With  that  the 
gentlemen  began  to  withdraw  ;  and  I  got  upon  a  stool,  sang  a  hymn,  and 


Age  29 


112  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1744    went  to  prayer.     Dear  sir,  though  the  devil  roars,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 

.  will  have  the  victory." 

Age  29 

This  kind  of  persecution,  in   Whitefield's  native  country, 

was  continued.      Ten  months  afterwards,  George  Cross  wrote 

to  John  Cennick  : — 

"  I  met  with  much  opposition  in  Gloucestershire ;  for  T.  B.  had  declared 
to  the  congregations  at  Thornbury  and  Rangeworthy,  that,  I  preach 
damnable  doctrine  ;  and  that  you,  brother  Godwin,  brother  Thorne, 
brother  Pugh,  and  I  worship  the  body  of  Jesus,  which,  he  said,  is 
idolatry." 

Essex, — In  a  letter  dated  July  30,  1744,  F.  PngJi  gives 
an  interesting  narrative  of  his  preaching  at  Braintree,  Bocking, 
and  in  "a  Quaker's  mill-yard,  about  a  mile  from  Chelmsford." 
In  another  letter,  written  at  Braintree,  twelve  months  after- 
wards, he  says  : — 

"  I  have  met  with  a  deal  of  persecution  since  I  came  here.     There  were 
many  stones,  and  much  dust  thrown  at  me  last  Wednesday  night.    There 
/  is  a  mountebank  in  town,  who  is  the  cause  of  all  the  persecution.     There 

was  a  drummer,  who  drew  his  hanger  at  me,  and  damned  me,  saying  it 
was  fit  for  me  to  die  ;  but  a  soldier  ran  to  him,  and  took  it  from  him. 
Last  Sunday,  I  preached  at  Tiptree-heath,  to  some  thousands.  There  were 
two  chariots  ;  and  gentlemen  in  gold  lace  came  to  hear.  One  of  the 
gentlemen,  in  a  chariot,  sent  for  me,  and  desired  me  to  preach  in  the 
town  where  he  lived  ;  but  I  could  not,  for  my  rounds  were  already  settled 
and  published." 

NortJiamptonshire^  etc. —  TJiomas  Leiuis,  in  a  long  letter, 
written  at  Olney,  October  13,  1744,  tells  of  his  preaching 
"  in  the  Tabernacle "  there,  for  an  entire  week,  and  of  the 
conversions  which  took  place  during  the  services.  At 
Northampton,  "  the  people  seemed  to  be  all  in  a  flame,  and 
stretched  after  God."  Other  places  in  the  counties  of 
Buckingham  and  Northampton  were  also  visited. 

Staffordshire,  etc. —  W.  A  lit  writes  : — • 

"February  6,  1745.  Several  at  Whittington  are  under  convictions. 
One,  who  had  spent  all  his  youth  in  indefatigable  industry  to  gather 
together  this  world's  wealth,  was  for  selling  what  he  had,  and  said  he 
could  travel  the  world  over  with  me  ;  but  I  advised  him  to  keep  at  home, 
telling  him  that  Jesus  would  be  found  there.  Many  at  Wolverhampton 
seem  very  desirous  to  meet,  but  dare  not,  the  mob  is  so  desperate.     They 

arose,  after  I  was  gone  on  Sunday  last,  and  broke  brother  D 's  windows, 

and  beat  :i  voung  man  shamefully,  and  tore  his  coat  all  to  pieces.     At 
Brewood,  the  friends  are  very  zealous,  in  going  from  house  to  house,  to 


Whitefield'' s  Preachers,  1 13 

tell  what  the  Lord  has  done  for  them  ;  and  people  come  several  miles  to     174' 
converse,  and  sing,  and  pray  with  them.      I  am  persuaded,  if  a  minister 
was  there,  sjsveral  hundreds  would  come  to  hear  him  every  Sunday.     The      ^ 
people  are  very  simple  and  free  from  prejudice.    They  say  the  parishioners 
are  half  papists  ;  and  the  Church  and  Dissenting  ministers  are  exceeding 
bitter.      I  h'ave  exhorted  twice  at  Birmingham  with  much  freedom." 

Herbert  Jenkins,   in    a   letter,   dated    February   23,    1745, 
says  : — 

"The  first  night  I  was  at  Birmingham,  the  people  received  the  word 
with  great  affection,  and  with  many  tears.  The  place  where  we  met  on 
Sunday  night  was  so  thronged  that  the  candles  went  out  ;  but  the  Lord 
made  the  place  a  Bethel  to  our  souls.  I  stayed  there  four  days,  declaring 
to  all  who  came  the  glad  tidings  of  salvation.  From  thence,  I  went  to 
Wednesbury,  where,  for  a  week,  morning  and  evening,  I  shunned  not  to 
declare  the  whole  counsel  of  God.  Many  heard  with  tears,  longing  and 
panting  for  a  discovery  of  the  Lord  Jesus  ;  while  others  rejoiced  in  the 
Lord,  their  portion  and  everlasting  friend.  There  is  much  Christian 
simplicity  among  them.  I  preached  once  at  Wolverhampton  (a  large 
populous  place),  to  a  little  company  of  sincere  seeking  souls.  The 
next  day  I  went  to  Brewood,  where  there  was  scarcely  a  dry  eye  among 
all  the  people.  From  thence,  I  went  to  Bewdley,  where  I  was  invited  by 
a  minister  of  the  Established  Church,  who  received  me  very  courteously, 
and  procured  the  Presbyterian  meeting-house  for  me  to  preach  in.  The 
minister  came  to  hear  me,  and  behaved  very  civilly.  The  people  flocked 
to  hear  the  word.     There  is  a  little  Society  formed." 

DevonsJiire. — After  attending  "  The  Association"  of  Cal- 
vinistic  Methodists  in  Bristol,  John  Cennick,  on  September  5, 
1744,  set  out  for  Devonshire.  He  preached  in  Mr.  Darra- 
cott's  chapel  at  Wellington,  to  a  "  congregation  made  up  of 
Church  people,  and  several  sorts  of  Dissenters."  He  had, 
what  he  calls,  "  blessed  times,"  at  Exeter.  At  Kingsbridge, 
he  preached  in  the  Baptist  and  Presbyterian  chapels.  At 
Plymouth,  "the  room"  was  always  crowded ;  and,  on  Tuesday, 
September  11,  he  "laid  the  first  stone  of  the  New  Taber- 
nacle with  prayer  and  singing."  On  his  return  to  London 
(to  officiate  as  Whitefield's  successor  at  the  Tabernacle),  he 
spent  ten  days  at  Exeter,  where  the  Dissenting  ministers 
circulated  "  fly-sheets,"  asserting  that  Whitefield  and  his 
assistants  were  "false  prophets,  unlearned,  and  Antinomians." 
Cennick  was  a  puzzle  to  the  people.  Some  said  he  was 
"a  patten-maker;"  others  said  he  had  been  "a  footman." 
Numerous  other  trades  were  mentioned,  when,  at  last,  a  man 
declared    he   "  was    certainly  a    coachman."      "  Ye.s,"   replied 

VOL.    IL  8 


114  "^^^^  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1744    another,   who    happened   to    be    one    of  Cennick's    hearers. 
Age  29  "  Yes,  he  is  a  coachman,  and  drives  the  chariot  of  the  Lord, 
and  wishes  you  all  to  be  his  passengers." 

On  his  arrival  in  London,  Cennick  seems  to  have  received 
a  large  number  of  letters  from  the  Plymouth  converts.  One 
correspondent  told  him,  that,  the  Presbyterian  minister  had 
warned  his  people  against  Whitefield  and  his  preachers, 
whom  he  called  "  Bold  Intruders,  Usurpers,  and  Novices." 
The  same  writer  said  : — 

"  I  have  removed  our  singing  meeting  to  the  Baptist  Chapel.  There 
are  about  fifty  who  meet  to  learn  the  tunes.  My  house  is,  every  night? 
like  a  little  church  ;  and,  last  Sunday  evening,  I  began  to  read  Mr.  White- 
field's  sermons  to  the  people.  Several  gentlemen  have  desired  to  draw 
off  our  masons,  so  that  the  building  of  the  Tabernacle  has  been  neglected. 
I  have  had  much  trouble  to  keep  the  work  going  forward." 

Cennick  was  succeeded  in  Devonshire  by  Thomas  Adams. 
At  Exeter,  Adams  preached  in  "  the  Society  room,"  at  five  in 
the  mornings  ;  and  in  the  house  of  Mr.  Kennedy,  his  host, 
at  seven  in  the  evenings.  He  writes  :  "  It  would  have  de- 
lighted you  to  have  seen  the  multitudes  who  flocked  to  hear. 
Mr.  Kennedy's  three  rooms  and  large  passage  would  not 
near  contain  the  people :  many,  very  many  stood  in  the 
court."  At  Kingsbridge,  Adams  met  a  lawyer  who  had 
been  converted  by  Whitefield's  preaching.  At  Plymouth,  he 
found  "  the  partition-wall  of  bigotry  tumbling  down  daily." 
This  was  in  the  month  of  November,  1744.  Shortly  after- 
wards, so  far  as  Exeter  was  concerned,  the  scene  had 
changed. 

In  1745)  3,  pamphlet  of  forty-two  pages  was  published  at 
Exeter,  entitled,  "  A  brief  Account  of  the  late  Persecution 
and  Barbarous  Usage  of  the  Methodists  at  Exeter.^  By  an 
Impartial  Hand."  The  author  assures  his  readers,  that  he 
is  not  a  Methodist  himself ;  and  that  "  it  would  never  have 
entered  his  head  to  have  taken  up  his  pen  in  defence  of  the 
Methodists,  had  they  not  been  daily,  and  openly,  treated  in 
Exeter  with  such  rudeness,  violence,  and  abuse,  as  would 
have  made  even  Indians,  or  Pagans,  to  have  blushed."  He 
relates  that, — 

'  At  this  time,  the  only  Methodists  in  Exeter  were  the  followers  of 

Whitefield. 


Outrages  at  Exeter.  115 


"  The  rioters  violently  entered  the  Methodist  meeting-house,  interrupted  i744 
the  minister  with  opprobrious  and  obscene  language,  and  fell  upon  him  in  .  ~ 
a  most  furious  manner  with  blows  and  kicks,  They  treated  every  man  '^ 
they  could  lay  their  hands  upon  with  such  abuse  and  indignity  as  is  not 
to  be  expressed.  But  what  is  more  than  all,  was  their  abominable  rude- 
ness to  the  poor  women.  Some  were  stripped  quite  naked.  Others 
notwithstanding  their  most  piercing  cries  for  mercy  and  deliverance,  were 
forcibly  held  by  some  of  the  wicked  ruffians,  while  others  turned  their 
petticoats  over  their  heads,  and  forced  them  to  remam,  in  that  condition, 
as  a  spectacle  to  their  infamous  banter  and  ridicule  ;  the  poor  creatures 
Leing  afterwards  dragged  through  the  kennel,  which  had  been  filled  with 
mud  and  dirt.  Others  of  the  women  had  their  clothes,  yea,  their  very 
shifts,  torn  from  their  backs.  Towards  the  close  of  the  evening,  one  of 
the  mob  forced  a  woman  up  into  the  gallery,  and  attempted  other 
outrages,  three  different  times.  After  many  struggles,  she  freed  herself, 
leaped  over  the  gallery,  and  so  made  her  escape.  Many,  to  avoid  falling 
into  the  hands  of  this  wicked  crew,  leaped  out  of  the  windows,  and  got 
over  the  garden  walls,  to  the  endangering  of  their  lives.  This  outrage 
was  committed  in  the  centre  of  the  city,  and  in  the  presence  of  many 
thousands.  The  riot  continued  for  several  hours.  The  mob  had  their 
full  swing.  No  magistrates  came  to  the  relief  or  assistance  of  the  poor 
people,  notwithstanding,  they  were  applied  to,  and  greatly  importuned  to 
read  the  Riot  Act,  It  is  true,  no  one  was  actually  murdered  ;  but  the 
whole  Society  were  put  into  great  danger  and  fear  of  their  lives,  and 
expected  nothing  but  death.  Many  of  the  women  are  now  in  very  critical 
circumstances,  under  the  care  of  surgeons  and  apothecaries  ;  and  their 
lives  are  even  yet  (two  days  after  the  riot)  in  danger. 

"  Before  I  dismiss  this  Exeter  riot,  I  must  remark,  that  the  Methodists, 
not  only  on  the  day  of  the  grand  riot,  but,  many  times  since,  have  been 
treated  by  this  lawless  rabble  with  the  utmost  fury  and  violence.  They 
have  been  mobbed  and  insulted,  at  noonday,  in  the  open  streets,  and 
furiously  pelted  with  dirt,  stones,  sticks,  and  cabbage-stumps. 

"After  the  strictest  enquiry,  I  cannot  find  that  any  one  Dissenter,  of 
any  denomination,  was  at  all  concerned  in  this  riot.  They  were  all  of  the 
old  stamp,  that  have  ever  been  known  by  the  name  of  church  rabble; 
though  I  cannot  omit  to  notice,  that  the  Methodists  complain  much 
against  the  Presbyterian  clergy,  who  (they  say),  in  their  sermons  and 
conversations,  frequently  represent  them  in  2i  false  and  injurious  light ; 
and,  thereby,  lessen  the  affection,  and  raise  the  antipathy,  of  the  people 
towards  them," 

The  author  concludes  by  saying,  that  his  pamphlet  was 
written  "  for  his  otvn  private  ainuscuient,  and  without  any 
design  to  pttblisJi  it ;  "  and  that  its  publication  was  the  result 
of  what  he  saw  and  heard  after  the  pamphlet  was  finished. 

"On  a  certain  evening,  he  saw,  with  his  own  eyes,  the  wicked  rioters 
collected  and  assembled  together,  by  beat  of  dnrni,  in  the  open  streets, 


Il6  The  Life  of  White  field. 


with  sticks  and  bats,  in  order  to  disturb  and  abuse  the  poor  Methodists, 
who  were  at  their  meeting-house,  worshipping  and  serving  God,  in  a 
manner  perfectly  innocent  and  inoffensive,  without  the  least  disturbance 
to  the  pubhc  peace.  He  saw  the  Methodists  flee  with  great  fear  and 
trembhng,  and  the  rabble  persecuting  with  rage  and  violence.  And  he 
heard,  that,  the  very  night  before,  this  same  riotous  crew,  to  the  number 
of  many  hundreds,  attacked  Mr.  Adams,  one  of  the  Methodist  ministers, 
with  sticks,  dirt,  and  mud  ;  and  that,  in  all  probability,  they  would  have 
murdered  him  in  the  open  street,  had  not  a  good  Samaritan,  in  Southgate 
Street,  taken  him  into  his  house,  and  there  rescued  him  from  their  violent 
and  wicked  hands." 

At  the  risk  of  being  prolix,  Mr.  Adams's  own  account 
must  be  added  to  these  statements  of  the  "  impartial  " 
observer  at  Exeter.  The  Christian  History  No.  3,  vol. 
vii.,  1745,  contains  two  letters  on  the  subject,  one  by  "a 
gentleman  in  Exeter,"  1  dated  June  16,  1745,  and  the  other 
by  Thomas  Adams  himself,  dated  Hampton,  June  20,  1745. 
The  latter  writes  : — 

"  On  my  way  to  the  west,  I  heard  of  a  cruel  persecution  at  Exeter  ;  but 
I  had  no  freedom  to  omit  going  thither,  though  L  expected  much  opposi- 
tion. Our  Saviour  brought  me  there  on  Saturday  evening,  and  I  was 
kindly  received  by  Mr.  Kennedy  and  his  wife.  Many  told  me,  w^e  should 
be  mobbed,  if  I  preached  in  the  play-house  ;  but  we  thought  it  was  right 
to  try.  Accordingly,  I  preached  there,  at  six  o'clock  on  Sunday  morning, 
and  we  were  not  much  disturbed.  I  preached  again  in  the  afternoon,  and, 
though  many  of  the  mob  came  in,  they  did  not  disturb  us. 

"  The  next  morning,  (Monday)  we  were  much  inten-upted,  by  the  mob 
beating  a  drum  and  a  pan,  at  a  window  of  the  play-house  ;  and  they 
hallooed  us,  and  beat  the  drum  quite  to  Mr.  Kennedy's  house.  We  did 
not,  however,  receive  much  personal  abuse  until  eight  days  after,  when  I 
came  back  from  Plymouth."  [Adams  here  interjects  gn  account  of  his 
preaching  at  Plymouth,  Kingsbridge,  Wonhil,  and  Tavistock,  at  which 
last-mentioned  place,  the  mob  brought  out  the  water-engine,  and  en- 
deavoured to  play  it  upon  him  and  his  congregation.  He  then  proceeds 
with  his  narrative  of  the  persecution  at  Exeter.] 

"  The  evening  I  returned  to  Exeter,  I  preached  in  Mr.  Kennedy's  house. 
The  next  morning,  (Thursday)  I  preached  at  the  play-house  ;  and  so  con- 
tinued morning  and  evening  till  Saturday  ;  but  not  without  interruption 
of  a  drum,  besides  being  hallooed  after,  and  pushed  about,  as  we  went 
along  the  street. 

"  On  Saturday  morning,  as  soon  as  I  had  done  preaching,  some  of  the 
brethren  told  me  there  were  several  constables  waiting  at  the  Dove  to 
impress  me.  Accordingly,  when  I  came  to  the  Dove,  one  of  the  constables 
laid  hold  on  me,  and  said,  I  was  a  tit  person  to  serve  the  king.     I  told 

Mr.  Kennedy,  Adams's  host. 


Outrages  at  Exeter.  1 1 7 


him,  if  he  had  sufficient  authority  for  his  proceedings,  I  would  go  with      1744 

him.     They  then   took  hold  of  Brother   S ,  who  had   come  with  me 

from  Plymouth,  and  told  him  he  must  go  with  me.  We  knew  not  whither  ^^  ^ 
we  were  going,  till  we  got  to  Southgate  prison.  When  we  came  to  the 
prison  door,  they  stopped  us,  and  said,  we  must  go  in  there.  Having 
entered,  one  of  the  constables  asked  me  what  countryman  I  was.  I 
modestly  answered,  '  My  country  is  Canaan,  and  thither  I  am  journeying.' 
They  said  we  must  stay  in  prison  till  Monday,  and  then  be  brought  before 
the  justices  at  their  quarter  sessions. 

"  We  had  not,  however,  been  there  above  five  or  six  hours,  when  two  of 
the  constables  came  again,  and  desired  to  know  our  circumstances  and 
manner  of  living ;  and  particularly  if  I  had  taken  the  oaths,  and  qualified 
myself  for  preaching.  I  said,  '  You  ought  to  have  enquired  into  this 
before  you  brought  us  hither.  Do  we  look  like  vagrants?  Mr.  S.  i=?  a 
tradesman,  and  keeps  an  open  shop  in  Plymouth,  and  came  hither  about 
business.  He  is  also  a  constable,  so  that  you  have  impressed  one  of  the 
king's  officers.  As  to  myself,  I  am  of  the  Church  of  England,  and  have 
no  need  to  take  the  oaths  to  qualify  myself  for  a  preacher  ;  and,  besides, 
I  am  a  freeholder.'  When  they  heard  this,  they  said,  '  Gentlemen,  we 
have  no  more  to  say.  You  are  welcome  to  go  as  soon  as  you  please.' 
So  they  called  the  keeper  of  the  prison,  and  desired  him  to  release  us. 
At  first,  he  refused,  and  said  he  durst  not  without  an  order  from  the 
magistrates.  They  said,  as  they  brought  us  thither  without  being  com- 
mitted by  the  justices,  they  had  power  to  release  us.  The  keeper  said, 
they  must  give  security  to  bear  him  blameless.  Whether  they  did  or  not, 
I  cannot  tell ;  but  they  let  us  go  ;  and  I  believe  the  poor  constables  were 
as  glad  to  bring  us  out  as  they  were  to  put  us  in.  I  gave  the  turnkey 
sixpence,  because  he  used  us  kindly,  and  asked  us  to  go  on  the  leads  of 
the  house  to  air  ourselves. 

"In  the  evening,  I  again  preached  in  the  play-house,  but  was  much  dis- 
turbed. Some  beat  a  drum  ;  some  hallooed;  some  stamped  up  and  down 
the  galleries  ;  and  some  spat  on  the  people,  and  slapped  them  on  their 
faces.  Mr.  S.  and  another'  went  to  a  justice  of  the  peace,  and  desired 
the  Proclamation  might  be  read,  to  disperse  the  mob.  The  justice  said 
he  would  come ;  and  bid  them  go  directly  to  the  town  clerk's,  and  he 
would  meet  them  there.  Thither  they  went,  and  from  thence  to  the 
mayor's,  who  made  many  objections  against  going.  After  great  delay, 
he  went  with  reluctance  ;  but,  before  they  came,  we  were  gone,  being 
apprehensive  that  the  mob  would  abuse  the  women  as  they  had  done 
before,  which  was  cruel  and  inhuman. 

"  The  passage,  from  the  play-house  to  the  street,  was  filled  with  fellows 
of  the  baser  sort.  One  poor  wretch  gnashed  his  teeth,  and  swore  he  would 
be  revenged  on  me.  We  were  pushed  about  most  grievously.  The 
women  were  thrown  into  the  dirt,  and  one  Iiad  her  eye  much  hurt.  Two 
of  the  brethren,  were  cuffed  prodigiously.  I  received  only  some  scratches 
on  my  hand,  but  was  besmeared  all  over  with  mud  and  dirt,  the  mob 

'  Mr.  Kennedy  went  with  Mr.  S.  (Kennedy's  Letter.) 


Ii8  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1744  pelting  us  with  all  the  nastiness  the  kennels  aftbrded,  till  we  got  to  the 
house  of  Mr.  Kennedy. 

ge  29  u  ^j^^  Vi^-^x.  day  being  Sunday,  and  the  last  of  my  being  there,  many  of 
our  friends  thought  it  would  be  best  to  preach  in  Mr.  Kennedy's  house, 
which  I  did  both  morning  and  evening.  It  was  well  we  did  not  go  to  the 
play-house,  for  the  mob  were  there,  and  seemed  more  desperate  than  ever. 
One  of  our  friends  found  a  paper  stuck  up  against  the  play-house  door, 
with  these  words  :  '  For  the  benefit  of  the  mob.  litis  evening  will  be 
acted  at  the  theat?-e.  Hell  in  an  Uproar;  or,  the  Furies  let  loose.     The 

part  of  Beelzebub,  by  Mr.   P ns  :  Queen  of  Hell,  by  Mrs.   L w, 

etc.^ 

"After  I  had  done  preaching  on  Sunday  evening,  and  was  going  to 
Rocks  Lane,  to  take  my  leave  of  the  Society,  I  was  stopped  by  the  same 
two  constables  who  imprisoned  and  released  us.  They  told  me,  the 
mayor  had  sent  them  to  acquaint  me,  that  I  must  meet  him  and  the 
justices  at  their  quarter  sessions  on  the  morrow,  at  eleven  o'clock.  I 
answered,  '  I  cannot,  for  I  am  obliged  to  go  out  of  town  early  in  the  morn- 
ing.' They  said,  if  I  would  not  promise  them  to  be  there,  they  must  keep 
me  in  custody.  I  said,  I  would  wait  upon  the  mayor  in  half  an  hour,  if 
they  would  appoint  a  place  where  I  should  meet  them  ;  which  they  did. 

So  I  gave  a  short  exhortation  to  the  Society  ;  and  then  Brother  S and  I 

went  with  one  of  the  constables  to  the  mayor. 

"His  worship  asked  me  if  my  name  was  Adams.  I  said, 'Yes.'  He 
asked  if  I  was  the  preacher.  I  said,  'Yes.'  'Have  you  qualified  your- 
self?' I  answered,  'My  qualification  and  sufficiency  are  of  the  Lord.' 
He  bid  me  not  tell  him  of  the  Lord,  but  to  say  whether  I  had  qualified 
myself  according  to  the  Act  of  Toleration.  I  answered,  '  I  am  not  a 
Dissenter,  and  therefore  have  nothing  to  do  with  that  Act,  being  a  son  of 
the  Church  of  England.'  He  furiously  cried,  'You  are  not  of  the  Churchj' 
and  called  me  several  ridiculous  names.  I  said,  '  Sir,  you  may  call  me 
what  you  please,  but  I  say  I  am  of  the  Church  ;  and,  considering  myself 
so,  do  not  know  that  my  proceedings  are  illegal.'  He  called  me  several 
names  again,  and  said  I  made  collections  among  the  poor  people,  and 
got  their  money  from  them.  '  Sir,'  said  I,  '  I  never  made  a  collection 
amongst  them  in  my  life.'  He  persisted  in  saying  that  I  did  ;  and  asked, 
'  How  else  do  you  live?'  'Sir,'  I  said,  '  I  have  nothing  from  you  ;  and  I 
know  not  why  I  came  here  to  receive  such  ill-treatment ; '  to  which  I 
added,  that,  '  I  did  not  apprehend  I  was  under  any  obligation  at  all  to 
come  there;  for,'  said  I,  'by  the  same  rule  that  you  stop  me  on  my 
journey,  you  may   stop  any  gentleman  who   comes   on   business.'     He 

answered,  '  Sure  you  have  not  the  d d  impudence  to  call  yourself  a 

gentleman  !'  I  said,  '  Sir,  whether  I  be  gentle  or  simple,  I  am  sure  you 
do  not  use  me  well ;  therefore,  I  don't  think  to  stay  any  longer  with  you.' 
'  But,'  said  he,  '  I  desire  you  will  be  at  the  quarter  sessions  to-morrow.' 
*  I  cannot,'  said  I,  '  for  I  am  obliged  to  go  out  of  town  very  early  in  the 
morning.'  The  constable  standing  by  said,  '  Sir,  if  you  please,  I  will  keep 
him  in  custody  till  the  time.'  *  Will  you  ?' said  I;  'you  had  best  know 
by  what  authority  you  touch  me.     If  you  act  contrary  to  law,  I  shall  let 


Outrages  at  Exeter.  119 

you  hear  of  it.     Besides,'  I  added,  'you  know  I  have  not  reckoned  with     1744 
you  yet  for  yesterday's  five  hours'  false  imprisonment.'     And  so,  without 
offering  to  stop  us  any  longer,  they  let  us  go.  ^     " 

"  When  we  came  out  of  the  mayor's  house  nto  the  street,  we  found  a 
mob  of  some  hundreds  gathered  together,  who  pelted  us  with  cabbage- 
stumps,  and  whatever  they  could  find,  until  we  came  almost  to  Southgate, 
which  was  near  a  furlong ;  when  one  opened  a  door,  and  desired  us  to 
come  in,  which  we  did.  By  this  time,  I  was  ready  to  fall  down,  by  reason 
of  the  violent  blows  I  received  on  my  head,  and  other  parts  of  my  body.  . 
O  good  God,  forgive  these  cruel  men  ! 

"  I  am  to  return  to  the  west  in  a  few  days.  I  am  filled  with  comfort, 
and  not  in  the  least  troubled  or  terrified,  though  I  expect  much  opposition, 
and  am  persuaded  afflictions  await  me.  O  pray  for  me,  my  dear,  dear 
friends,  that  I  may  be  kept  near  the  Saviour,  and  may  be  made  bold  as  a 
lion,  wise  as  a  serpent,  meek  as  a  lamb,  and  harmless  as  a  dove," 

This  is  a  long  account ;  but  it  is  useful  as  illustrating  the 
state  of  some  of  the  first  towns  in  the  kingdom  a  hundred 
and  thirty  years  ago  ;  and  as  shewing  the  cruel  persecutions 
to  which  Whitefield's  preachers,  and  the  Societies  they  had 
gathered,  were  at  that  time  subjected. 

It  would  be  easy  to  furnish  other  extracts  from  the 
CJiristian  History — a  book  now  nearly  non-existent ;  but 
enough  has  been  written  to  afford  the  reader  a  glimpse — 
though  an  imperfect  one — of  the  extent  and  quality  of 
Whitefield's  brotherhood,  when,  for  the  third  time,  he  set 
sail  for  America. 


THIRD    VISIT    TO    AMERICA. 

August  1744  to  June  1748. 

1744     "\  y^  THITEFIELD   and   his  wife  embarked    at   Plymouth 
Age'ag  about    August    10,   and    landed    at    York,    in    New 

England,  on  October  26,      The  voyage  was  long,  rough,  and 
dangerous.      Six  days  before  his  arrival,  he  wrote : — 

"  In  a  week  or  two  after  we  sailed,  we  began  to  have  a  church  in  our 
ship.  Two  serious  New  England  friends,  finding  how  I  was  served  at 
Portsmouth,  came  from  thence  to  Plymouth,  to  bear  me  company.  We 
had  regular  public  prayer  morning  and  evening,  frequent  communion, 
and  days  of  humiliation  and  fasting.  Being  time  of  war,  and  sailing  out 
with  near  a  hundred  and  fifty  ships,  we  had  several  convoys.  Their 
taking  leave  of  each  other,  at  their  several  appointed  places,  was  striking. 
We  have  often  been  alarmed  ;  once  with  the  sight  of  a  Dutch  fleet,  which 
•we  took  for  an  enemy  ;  and  again  at  the  sight  of  Admiral  Balchen,  who 
rode  by  us,  receiving  the  obeisance  of  the  surrounding  ships  as  though 
he  were  lord  of  the  whole  ocean.  On  another  occasion,  one  of  the  ships 
struck  her  mainsail  into  our  bowsprit.  A  little  after  we  came  up  with  the 
convoy,  and  our  captain  infonned  them  of  what  had  happened.  The 
answer  was,  '  This  is  your  praying,  and  be  damned  to  you  !'  This  shocked 
me  more  than  the  striking  of  the  ships.  At  another  time,  we  were  alarmed 
with  the  sight  of  two  ships,  which  our  captain  took  to  be  enemies.  The  pre- 
parations for  4n  engagement  were  formidable  :  guns  were  mounted,  chains 
put  round  the  masts,  everything  taken  out  of  the  great  cabin,  and  hammocks 
placed  about  the  sides  of  the  ships.  All,  except  myself,  seemed  ready  for 
fire  and  smoke.  My  wife,  after  having  dressed  herself  to  prepare  for  all 
events,  set  about  making  cartridges,  whilst  I  wanted  to  go  into  the  holes 
of  the  ship,  hearing  that  was  the  chaplain's  usual  place.  I  went ;  but  not 
liking  my  situation,  I  crept  upon  deck,  and,  for  the  first  time  in  my  life, 
beat  up  to  arms,  by  a  warm  exhortation.  The  apprehended  enemy  ap- 
proached ;  but,  upon  a  nearer  view,  we  found  them  to  be  two  ships  going 
under  the  same  convoy  as  ourselves." 

Perhaps  it  will  be  thought  that  Whitefield  and  his  fellow- 


Wliifefield  dajigerously  III. 


121 


voyagers  were  more  alarmed  than  hurt.  But  the  narrative  is  '744 
not  ended.  When  near  the  port  of  York,  a  small  fishing  a^  zg 
smack  approached  them.  Being  told  that  the  smack  would 
be  in  port  several  hours  before  the  ship,  Whitefield  and 
others  went  on  board.  It  soon  grew  dark.  The  pilots 
missed  the  inlet,  and  the  smack  was  tossed  about  all  night. 
Whitefield's  hunger  was  such,  that,  to  use  his  own  expression, 
he  "  could  have  gnawed  the  very  boards."  The  fishermen 
had  nothing  eatable,  except  a  few  potatoes.  Whitefield 
eagerly  devoured  them.  About  half  an  hour  after  his  arrival 
at  York,  he  "was  put  to  bed,  racked  with  a  nervous  colic, 
and  convulsed  from  his  waist  down  to  his  toes."  For  four 
days,  his  life  was  in  danger.  Word  was  sent  to  Boston,  that 
he  was  dying.  A  friend  and  a  physician  came,  says  he, 
"  either  to  take  care  of  me,  or  to  attend  my  funeral  ;  but,  to 
their  great  surprise,  they  found  me  in  the  pulpit."  The 
truth  is,  as  soon  as  Whitefield's  pain  abated,  the  minister 
at  York  asked  him  to  preach,  and,  of  course,  the  temptation 
was  too  powerful  to  be  resisted. 

Not  content  with  this  imprudence,  he  crossed  the  ferry 
to  Portsmouth,  caught  cold,  had  a  return  of  illness,  and  was 
taken  to  the  house  of  Mr.  Sherburne.^  Three  physicians 
attended  him,  and  Colonel  Pepperell,^  with  many  others,  came 


'  In  Prince's  Christiatt  History,  vol.  ii.,  p.  320,  there  is  a  letter, 
written  by  "  William  Shurtleff,"  minister  at  Portsmouth,  stating  that 
"Whitefield  came  to  Portsmouth  on  November  6.  Shurtleff  and  the  Rev. 
Jabez  Fitch,  another  Portsmouth  minister,  met  him.  Fitch  asked  him  to 
preach  that  evening  in  his  meeting-house.  Whitefield  did  so  ;  and  was 
to  have  preached  again  next  morning,  but  was  taken  ill. 

Respecting  Prince's  Christian  History,  it  may  be  stated  here,  once 
for  all,  that  it  was  a  periodical,  in  two  octavo  volumes,  of  416  pages  each, 
entitled,  "The  Christian  History,  containing  Accounts  of  the  Revival  and 
Propagation  of  Religion  in  Great  Britain  and  America,  for  the  years  1743 
and  1744.  Boston  :  printed  by  S.  Kneeland  and  T,  Green,  for  T.  Prince." 
No.  I  was  issued  on  March  5,  1743  ;  and  No.  103,  the  last,  on  February 
16,  1745.  Many  of  the  correspondents  seem  to  trace  to  Whitefield  the 
beginning  of  the  revivals  both  in  Scotland  and  New  England. 

^  Sir  Wilham  Pepperell,  the  son  of  a  Cornish  fisherman,  but  bred  a 
merchant.  In  1727,  he  was  chosen  one  of  His  Majesty's  Council,  and 
was  annually  re-elected  until  his  death  in  1759.  ^'^  17455  1^<^  ^^'^'^  the 
command  of  the  troops  which  invested  and  conquered  Louisbourg.  The 
king,  in  reward  of  his  services,  conferred  upon  him  the  dignity  of  a  baronet 
of  Great  Britain,  an  honour  never  before,  and  never  since,  conferred  on  a 
native  of  New  England.  Just  before  his  death,  he  was  appointed  lieutenant- 
general. 


122  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1744  to  condole  with  him.  It  so  happened,  however,  that  he  was 
Arre  29  announced  to  preach  at  Portsmouth  the  day  after  his  arrival. 
A  substitute  was  provided  :  but,  when  the  time  for  holding 
the  service  came,  Whitefield  suddenly  exclaimed,  "  Doctor, 
my  pains  are  suspended  ;  by  the  help  of  God,  I  will  go  and 
preach,  and  then  come  home  and  die."      He  wrote  : — 

"  With  some  difficulty,  I  reached  the  pulpit.  All  looked  quite  surprised. 
I  was  as  pale  as  death,  and  told  them  they  must  look  upon  me  as  a  dying 
man  ;  and  that  I  came  to  bear  my  dying  testimony  to  the  truths  I  had 
formerly  preached  amongst  them,  and  to  the  invisible  realities  of  another 
world.  I  continued  an  hour  in  my  discourse,  and  nature  was  almost 
exhausted ;  but,  O  what  life,  what  power,  spread  all  around !  All 
seemed  to  be  melted,  and  were  in  tears.  Upon  my  coming  home,  I  was 
laid  on  a  bed,  upon  the  ground,  near  the  fire ;  and  I  heard  them  say, 
'  He  is  gone  !'  but  God  was  pleased  to  order  it  otherwise.  I  gradually 
recovered  ;  and,  soon  after,  a  poor  negro  woman  came,  sat  down  upon 
the  ground,  looked  earnestly  in  my  face,  and  said,  '  Master,  you  just  go 
to  heaven's  gate  ;  but  Jesus  Christ  said,  Get  you  down,  get  you  down ; 
you  must  not  come  here  yet.  Go  first,  and  call  more  poor  negroes." 
You  will  find  by  this,  I  am  still  alive  ;  and,  if  spared  to  be  made  instru- 
mental in  making  any  poor  dead  soul  alive  to  God,  I  shall  rejoice  that  the 
all-wise  Redeemer  has  kept  me  out  of  heaven  a  little  longer." 

Whitefield  was  now  thoroughly  disabled.  Hence  the 
following  letter  from  his  wife  to  a  friend  in  England  : — 

"  Portsmouth,  New  England,  November  14,  17 
"  My  dear  and  honoured  master  has  ordered  me  to  send  you  an  account 
of  our  sorrowful,  yet  joyful,  voyage. 

"  Our  captain  and  others  say,  they  never  saw  such  a  voyage ;  for  aU 
nature  seemed  to  be  turned  upside  down.  We  had  nothing  but  storms, 
calms,  and  contrary  winds.  We  frequently  expected  to  go  into  eternity. 
Our  own  provision  was  spent ;  and  Mr.  Whitefield  was  so  ill,  that  he  could 
not  take  the  ship's  provision.  The  winds  were  such  that  we  expected  to 
be  driven  off  the  coast,  after  we  had  seen  land  a  week.  We  prayed  to 
the  Lord  to  send  a  boat  to  take  us  on  shore  ;  and,  accordingly,  a  fishing 
schooner  came,  that  had  not  been  out  for  a  long  time  before.  Into  it  we 
went,  hoping  to  get  on  shore  in  three  or  four  hours  :  but  the  wind  arose, 
and  we  were  out  all  night. 

"  On  the  morrow,  being  the  26th  of  October,  we  landed,  about  nine  in 
the  morning,  at  York  ;  where  the  Lord  was  pleased  to  visit  my  dear  and 
honoured  master  with  a  nervous  colic,  which  almost  took  his  life.  As 
soon  as  he  was  able  to  go  about,  he  went  out  and  preached  twice  a  day, 
which  was  too  much  for  him.     We  came  from  York  here  ;  and,  in  the 

'  Gillies'  "  Memoirs  of  Whitefield." 


Dr.    Timothy  Cutler,  123 

way,  he  preached  in  the  rain.  On  reaching  Portsmouth,  he  preached  at 
candle-hght.  This  laid  him  up  again,  and  tlie  next  day  he  was  judged  to 
be  dangerously  ill ;  but,  when  the  time  he  had  proposed  to  preach  arrived, 
finding  himself  free  from  pain,  he  went  out  and  preached.  This  had  like 
to  have  cost  him  his  life,  for  he  became  as  cold  as  a  clod.  But  the  Lord 
was  pleased  to  hear  prayer  from  him,  and  he  is  now  in  a  fair  way. 

"  The  Lord  is  doing  great  things  here.  The  fields  are  indeed  ready  to 
he  harvest,  though  there  is  some  opposition.  Mr.  Whitefieldhas  written 
several  things,  which  will  be  sent  as  soon  as  printed  here.  We  received 
your  letter  by  Captain  Adams,  but  Mr.  Whitefield  has  not  strength  to 
answer  it.  He  desires  you  will  send  the  contents  of  this  to  all  friends, 
and  tell  them  they  may  expect  letters  the  first  opportunity. 

"  The  Lord  is  with  my  dear  Mr.  Whitefield,  and  has  been  through  his 
illness.  He  says,  he  was  frequently  in  hopes  of  entering  his  eternal  rest ; 
but,  since  he  is  longer  detained,  he  is  fully  persuaded  it  will  be  for  the 
Mediator's  glory.  I  would  enlarge,  but  my  dear  master's  illness,  and 
many  othqf  things,  oblige  me  to  subscribe  myself  your  sincere  friend  and 
affectionate  servant, 

"  Elizabeth  Whitefield."' 

Mrs.  Whitefield  speaks  of  ^^  some  opposition^  What  was 
it }  Considerable  space  will  have  to  be  occupied  in  answer- 
ing this  question.  The  reader  will  already  have  observed 
that  some  of  the  Presbyterian  and  Congregational  ministers 
of  America  were  as  bitterly  opposed  to  Whitefield  as  were 
any  of  the  clergy  of  the  Church  of  England.  This-  will 
become  increasingly  manifest  by  the  following  details. 
First  of  all,  however,  must  be  given  a  rampant  letter  by  a 
quondam  Congregationalist,  who  was  now  an  Episcopalian 
of  the  most  fervid  type. 

Timothy  Cutler,  after  graduating  at  Harvard  College,  was 
ordained  in  1709,  minister  of  Stratford,  Connecticut,  and 
soon  became  the  most  celebrated  preacher  in  the  colony. 
In  1 7 19,  he  was  chosen  president  of  Yale  College.  Three 
years  afterwards,  he  renounced  his  connection  with  the  Con- 
gregational churches  ;  and,  in  consequence,  was  dismissed 
from  his  presidential  chair.  Embarking  for  England,  he 
was,  in  1723,  ordained,  first  a  deacon  and  then  a  priest  of 
the  Established  Church ;  and,  at  the  same  time,  was 
created  a  doctor  of  divinity,  by  the  Oxford  University. 
Soon  after,  he  became  rector  of  Christ  Church,  Boston, 
where  he  continued  till  his  death  in  1765.    Though  haughty 

*  Christia7i  Htsio?y,  No.  3,  vol.  vi. 


124  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 


'744  and  overbearing  in  his  manners,  he  was  a  man  of  great 
Age  29  ability,  and,  in  addition  to  his  general  learning,  was  one  of 
the  best  oriental  scholars  of  the  age.  In  the  followinfr 
letter  to  the  Rev,  Dr.  Zachary  Grey,  of  Houghton  Conquest, 
Bedfordshire,  Dr.  Cutler,  doubtless,  represented  the  Episco- 
palian animosity  too  generally  cherished  by  the  clergy  of 
New  England. 

"Boston,  New  England,  September  i\^  1743. 

"  Whitefield  has  plao;ued  us  with  a  witness.  It  would  be  an  endless 
attempt  to  describe  the  scene  of  confusion  and  disturbance  occasioned  by 
him  :  the  divisions  of  families,  neighbourhoods,  and  towns  ;  the  contrariety 
of  husbands  and  wives  ;  the  undutifulness  of  children  and  servants  ;  the 
quarrels  among  the  teachers  ;  the  disorders  of  the  night  ;  the  intermission 
of  labour  and  business  ;  the  neglect  of  husbandry  and  the  gathering  of 
the  harvest. 

"  Our  presses  are  for  ever  teeming  with  books,  and  our  women  with 
bastards.  Many  of  the  teachers  have  left  their  particular  cures,  and  are 
strolling  about  the  country.  Some  have  been  ordained  by  them  evange- 
lizers.  They  all  have  their  armour-bearers  and  exhorters.  In  many 
conventicles  and  places  of  rendezvous,  there  has  been  chequered  work — ; 
several  preaching,  and  several  exhorting,  or  praying,  at  the  same  time, — r 
the  rest  crying,  or  laughing,  yelping,  sprawling,  or  fainting.  This  revel, 
in  some  places,  has  been  maintained  many  days  and  nights  together,  with 
intermission,  and  then  there  were  the  '  blessed  outpourings  of  the  Spirit ! ' 

"  Some  of  the  New  Lights  '  have  overdone  themselves  by  ranting  and 
blaspheming,  and  are  quite  demolished  ;  others  have  extremely  weakened 
their  interest,  and  others  are  terrified  from  going  the  lengths  they  are 
inclined  to.  On  the  other  hand,  many  of  the  Old  Lights  (thus  are  they 
distinguished)  have  been  forced  to  trim,  and  some  have  lost  their  con- 
gregations ;  but  they  will  soon  raise  up  a  new  congregation  in  any  new 
town  where  they  are  opposed.  I  do  not  know,  but  we  have  fifty,  in  one 
place  or  other,  and  some  of  them  large  and  much  frequented. 

"When  Mr.  Whitefield  first  arrived  here,  the  whole  town  was  alarmed. 
He  made  his  first  visit  to  church  on  a  Friday,  and  conversed  with  many 
of  our  clergy  together,  and  belied  them,  me  especially,  when  he  had  gone. 
Being  not  invited  into  our  pulpits,  the  Dissenters  were  highly  pleased,  and 
engrossed  him  ;  and  immediately  the  bells  rang,  and  all  hands  went  to 
lecture.  This  show  kept  on  all  the  while  he  was  here.  The  town  was  ever 
alarmed  ;  the  streets  were  filled  with  people,  with  coaches,  and  chaises — 
all  for  the  benefit  of  that  holy  man.  The  conventicles  were  crowded  ;  but 
he  rather  chose  the  common,  where  multitudes  might  see  him  in  all  his 
awful  postures  :  besides,  in  one  crowded  conventicle,  six  were  killed  in  a 
fight  before  he  came  in.     The  fellow  treated  the  most  venerable  with  an 

'  A  nick-name  given  to  Whiteficld's  converts  and  admirers  in  America, 
and  analogous  to  that  of  "  Methodists  "  in  England. 


Rev.    Charles  Chauncy,  D.D.  125 

air  of  superiority;  but  he  for  ever  lashed  and  anathematized  the  Church     1744 
of  England,  and  that  was  enough. 

"After  him' came  one  Tennent — a  monster  !  impudent  and  noisy — and  ^^ 
told  them  they  were  all //(?;;/ ;/r<://  damned!  damned'  This  charmed  them; 
and,  in  the  most  dreadful  winter  I  ever  saw,  people  wallowed  in  snow, 
night  and  day,  for  the  benefit  of  his  beastly  brayings  ;  and  many  ended 
their  days  under  these  fatigues.  Both  of  them  carried  more  money  out 
of  these  parts  than  the  poor  could  be  thankful  for." ' 

Another  notable  opponent  must  be  introduced.  The 
Rev.  Charles  Chauncy,  D.D.,  was  born  in  Boston,  in  the  year 
1705.  He  entered  Harvard  College  at  the  age  of  twelve, 
and  four  years  afterwards  received  his  first  degree.  In 
1727,  he  was  ordained  pastor  of  the  first  church  in  Boston, 
as  colleague  of  the  Rev.  Thomas  Foxcroft.  He  died  in 
1787,  in  the  eighty-third  year  of  his  age,  and  the  sixtieth  of 
his  ministry.  Chauncy  was  eminent  for  his  learning,  was 
ardently  attached  to  the  civil  and  religious  liberties  of  his 
country,  and  strongly  objected  to  State  Church  establish- 
ments. His  publications  were  too  numerous  to  be  specified 
in  a  work  like  this.  His  last  days  were  almost  entirely 
occupied  in  devotional  exercises. 

One  of  his  publications,  issued  in  1742,  was  entitled, 
"  Enthusiasm  described  and  cautioned  against.  A  Sermon 
preached    at    the    Old    Brick    Meeting-house    in    Boston,    in 

'  Nichols'  "  Illustrations  of  Literature,"  vol.  iv.,  p.  303. 

No  wonder  that,  soon  after  the  receipt  of  this  letter,  the  Rev.  .Zachary 
Grey,  D.D.,  wrote  and  published  a  pamphlet,  with  the  following  title  : — 
"A  serious  Address  to  Lay  Methodists,  to  beware  of  the  false  Pretences 
of  their  Teachers.  With  an  Appendix  containing  an  Account  of  the  fatal 
and  bloody  effects  of  Enthusiasm  in  the  case  of  the  Family  of  the 
Dutartres,  in  South  Carolina.  1745."  (8vo.  29  pp.)  Dr.  Grey  tells  his 
readers,  as  Dr.  Cutler,  his  correspondent,  would  have  done,  that  "the 
Methodist  preachers  are  wandering  lights,  gadding  about  with  canting 
assurances,  and  leading  people  into  bogs  of  delusion."  In  justice  to 
Whitefield,  it  must  be  added  that  he  had  no  connection  whatever  with 
the  family  of  the  Dutartres.  The  family  consisted  of  father,  mother, 
four  sons,  and  four  daughters.  .  In  the  highest  degree,  they  were  all 
fanatics.  They  withdrew  from  all  society,  believing  that  they  alone  had 
the  true  knowledge  of  God,  and  were  taught  by  Him  by  signs  and  im- 
pulses. They  refused  to  perform  militia  and  highway  duty,  and  threw  off 
all  obedience  to  the  civil  magistrates.  These  facts,  coupled  with  adultery 
on  the  part  of  one  member  of  the  family,  led  Justice  Simmons  to  issue  a 
writ  for  Judith  Dutartre.  In  executing  the  writ,  Simmons  was  killed  by  a 
shot  which  the  Dutartres  fired  at  him  and  his  men.  Six  of  the  fanatics 
were  carried  prisoners  to  Charleston,  and  five  of  them  were  sentenced  to 
be  hanged  for  murder.  Three  were  executed,  and  two,  on  confessing 
their  error,  were  pardoned.     ("The  Great  Awakening,"  by  Tracy,  p.  79.) 


126  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1744  1742.  With  a  Letter  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  James  Davenport." 
Age  29  (8vo.  3  5  pp.)  Mr.  Davenport  was  the  minister  of  South- 
hold,  Long  Island  ;  and,  during  Whitefield's  previous  visit 
to  America,  became  extremely  popular  in  the  great  revival. 
Among  other  places,  he  visited  New  Haven,  and  encouraged 
the  agitations  and  outcries,  which  at  that  time  attracted  so 
much  attention.  In  1742,  the  Assembly  of  Connecticut, 
deeming  him  under  the  influence  of  enthusiastic  impulses, 
directed  the  governor  to  transport  him  out  of  the  colony  to 
the  place  whence  he  came.  Two  years  afterwards,  he  pub- 
lished a  confession  and  retractation.  Whitefield  is  not 
mentioned  in  Dr.  Chauncy's  sermon  ;  but  there  can  be 
little  doubt,  that  it  was  levelled  against  him  as  well  as 
against  James  Davenport. 

Twelve  months  after  this,  Whitefield  was  made  one  of  the 
most  prominent  figures  in  another  of  Chauncy's  works  : 
"  Seasonable  Thoughts  on  the  State  of  Religion  in  New 
England.  By  Charles  Chauncy,  D.D.  Boston,  1743."  (8vo. 
454  pp.)  It  is  impossible  to  give  here  any  general  outline 
of  Chauncy's  book,  but  a  few  facts  and  extracts  may  be 
useful. 

Dr.  Chauncy  declares  that  he  "  could  never  see  upon 
what  warrant,  cither  from  Scripture  or  reason,  Mr.  Whitefield 
went  about  preaching  from  one  province  and  parish  to 
another,  where  the  gospel  was  already  preached,  and  by 
persons  as  well  qualified  for  the  work  as  he  could  pretend 
to  be."  He  inclines  to  think,  however,  that  Whitefield  was 
moved  by  conceit  and  a  love  of  popular  applause.  "  The 
inconveniences,  which  had  arisen  from  this  method  of  acting, 
had  been  so  great,  that  the  Assembly  of  Connecticut  had 
passed  an  Act,  restraining  both  ordained  ministers,  and 
licensed  candidates,  from  preaching  in  other  mens  parishes, 
without  their  and  their  church's  consent ;  and  wholly  pro- 
hibiting the  exhortatiojis  of  illiterate  laymen^  "  Most,  if  not 
all,  of  the  present  itinerants  are  swollen  and  ready  to  burst 
with  spiritual  pride.  As  to  their  mission,  they  have  none, 
except  from  their  own  fond  imagination."  "  Mr.  Whitefield 
seldom  preached,  but  he  had  something  or  other  in  his 
sermon,  against  unconverted  ministers ;  and  what  he  deli- 
vered  had   an   evident  tendency  to  fill  the  minds    of   the 


Rev.    Charles   Chauncy^  D.D.  127 

people  with  evil  surmisings  against  the  ministers,  as  though  ^744 
they  were,  for  the  most  part,  carnal,  unregeiicrate  wretches.  Age  29 
"He  often  spake  of  them,  in  the  himp,  as  Pharisees,  enemies 
of  Christ  Jesus,  and  the  worst  enemies  he  had."  "  There 
never  was  a  time,  since  the  settlement  of  New  England, 
wherein  there  was  so  much  bitter  and  rasJi  judging- — parents 
condemning  their  children,  and  children  their  parents  ; 
husbands  their  wives,  and  wives  their  husbands  ;  masters 
their  servants,  and  servants  their  masters  ;  ministers  their 
people,  and  people  their  ministers.  Censorioiisness,  to  a  high 
degi^ee,  is  the  constant  appendage  of  this  religions  commotion" 
"  I  have  all  along  encouraged  a  hope  of  Mr.  Whitefield  as  a 
real  CJiristian.  And  he  has  certainly  been  zealous  and 
active  beyond  most  of  his  bretJiren.  But  has  he  not,  through 
the  inexperience  of  y 021th,  and  an  intemperature  of  zeal,  been 
betrayed  into  such  things  as  cannot  but  be  condemned  .''  In 
particular,  I  was  always  afraid,  lest  people,  from  him,  should 
learn  to  give  heed  to  impidses  and  impressions,  and,  by  de- 
grees, come  to  revelations,  and  other  extraordinaries  of  this 
kind." 

"  Another  bad  thing  is  the  confusion  that  has  been  so 
common,  of  late,  in  some  of  our  houses  of  worship.  Says  a 
friend,  in  giving  an  account  of  things,  he  was  himself  a 
witness  to,  '  The  meeting  was  carried  on  with  great  con- 
fusion ;  some  screaming  out  in  distress  and  anguish  ;  some 
praying ;  others  singing ;  some  jumping  up  and  doivn  the 
house,  while  others  were  exhorting  ;  some  lying  along  on  the 
floor,  and  others  zvalking  and  talking:  the  whole  with  a 
very  great  noise,  to  be  heard  at  a  mile's  distance,  and 
continued  almost  the  whole  night."  ^ 

Dr.  Chauncy  proceeds  to  mention  the  dangerous  errors 
now  prevalent  among  the  people  ;  namely  :  i.  "That  which 
supposes  ministers,  if  not  converted,  incapable  of  being 
instruments  of  spiritual  good  to  men's  souls.      Mr.  Whitefield 

'  It  was  unfair  to  attribute  this  to  Whitefield.  In  "An  Account  of  the 
Revival  of  Religion  in  Boston,  in  1740- 1-2-3.  ^y  Thomas  Prince, 
one  of  the  Pastors  of  the  Old  South  Church,"  the  following  testimony  is 
given  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Colman  : — "  I  do  not  remember  any  crying  out,  or 
falling  down,  or  fainting,  either  under  Mr.  Whitefield's  or  Mr.  Tennent's 
ministry,  all  the  while  they  were  at  Boston,  though  many  were  in  great 
concern  of  soul."    (p.  13.) 


128  The  Life  of  Whitefield, 


1744  very  freely  vented  this  error  !"  ■^  2.  "  A  presumptuous  de- 
K^ 2<)  P^Jidence  on  the  blessed  Spirit;  appearing  in  the  following 
particulars  :  so  depending  on  the  help  of  the  Spirit  as  to 
despise  Icaniing;'"  also,  so  as  to  "oppose  a  diligent  use  of 
appointed  means ;''  and  so  as  to  "  reflect  dishonoii.r  upon  the 
written  revelations  of  God^  3.  "  The  making  assurance 
essential  to  conversion^  4.  "  The  connecting  a  knowledge 
of  the  time  of  conversion  with  the  thing  itself^  as  though 
there  could  not  be  the  one  without  the  other."  5.  "The 
vilifying  of  good  zvorks."  6.  "  Decrying  sanetif cation  as  an 
evidence  of  justifica  tion . ' ' 

Dr.  Chauncy  inserts  a  "  proclamation  for  a  day  of  public 
fasting  and  prayer,"  issued,  on  the  9th  of  February,  1743, 
by  the  Honourable  Jonathan  Law,  Esq.,  Governor  of  Con- 
necticut, in  which  the  ministers  and  people  of  the  colony  are 
exhorted  to  "  confess  and  bewail  "  all  their  sins  ;  "  particularly, 
the  great  neglect  and  contempt  of  the  gospel  and  the  ministry 
thereof,  and  the  prevailing  of  a  spirit  of  error,  disorder,  un- 
peaceableness,  pride,  bitterness,  uncharitableness,  censorious- 
ness,  disobedience,  calumniating  and  reviling  of  authority  ; 
ilso  divisions,  contentions,  separations,  and  confusions  in 
churches  ;  and  injustice,  idleness,  evil-speaking,  lascivious- 
ness,  and  all  other  vices  and  impieties  which  abound  among 
us." 

The  fifth  and  last  part  of  Dr.  Chauncy's  book  contains 
"  the  best  expedients  to  promote  the  interest  of  religion  at 
this  day."  He  quotes,  with  approval,  some  of  Jonathan 
Edwards's  recommendations,  such  as  "  confessing  of  faults 
on  both  sides  ;"  "  the  exercise  of  extraordinary  meekness 
and  forbearance  ;"  "  prayer  with  fasting  ;  "  "  care  taken  that 
the  colleges  be  so  regulated  as  to  be  nurseries  of  piety  ; " 
and  "  taking  heed  that,  while  fulfilling  the  external  duties  of 
devotion — as   praying,   hearing,   singing,  and   attending   reli- 

•  "  A  large  majority  in  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  many,  if  not  most, 
of  the  Congregationalists,  in  New  England,  held  that  the  ministrations  of 
vmconvertcd  men,  if  neither  heretical  in  doctrine  nor  scandalous  for  im- 
morahty,  were  valid,  and  their  labours  useful."  (The  Great  Awakening, 
by  Tracy,  p.  66.)  Gilbert  Tennent  was  one  of  the  first  to  publicly  attack 
this  monstrous  error,  in  his  famous  Nottingham  sermon,  on  "  The  Danger 
of  an  Unconverted  Ministry."  For  years  afterwards,  the  error  was  furi- 
ously maintained. 


1744 


VVhiteJield^ s  Reply  to   Chauncy.  129 

gious  meetings — there  must  be  proportionable  care  to  abound 
in    moral  duties,   as   acts  of   righteousness,   truth,   meekness, 
forgiveness,    and    love    towards    our    neighbour."      To    these      S^ 
recommendations,    Dr.    Chauncy    adds    some    of    his    own, 
namely:     i.  "The    putting    a    stop    to  itijierani  preacJiing!' 

2.  "  So  to  guard  church  pulpits,  that  no  raw,  unqualified 
persons  might  be  suffered,  upon  any  terms,  to  go  into  them." 

3.  To  guard  "against  a  wrong  use  of  the  passions."  4.  The 
exercise  of  a  '^strict  discipline  in  our  churches."  5,  "A  due 
care  to  prove  all  things,  that  we  may  hold  fast  that  which  is 
good." 

These  are  lengthy,  though  imperfect,  extracts  ;  but,  if  an 
apology  be  needed,  it  may  be  found  in  the  facts  that  Dr. 
Chauncy  was  one  of  the  most  influential  men  in  New  Eng- 
land, and  that  the  effects  produced  by  his  book  were  greater 
than  can  be  well  imagined.  He  prefixes  to  his  work  a  list 
of  nearly  eight  hundred  subscribers,  including  four  governors 
of  colonies,  twenty-seven  "  honourables,"  and  a  hundred  and 
fort3^-seven  "  reverends." 

Whitefield  published  a  reply  to  Chauncy's  book  ;  but, 
strangely  enough,  the  reply  is  not  in  his  collected  works, 
and  seems  to  have  been  unknown  to  all  his  biographers. 
The  following  was  its  title  :  "  A  Letter  to  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Chauncy,  on  account  of  some  passages  relating  to  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Whitefield,  in  his  book  entitled,  '  Seasonable  Thoughts 
on  the  State  of  Religion  in  New  England.'  By  George 
Whitefield,  A.B.,  late  of  Pembroke  College,  Oxon.  Boston, 
1745."  (4to.  14  pp.)  The  letter  is  dated,  "Portsmouth, 
Piscataqua,  November  19,  1744;"  and  the  preface  to  it, 
"  Boston,  January  18,  1745." 

The  spirit  breathing  in  Whitefield's  pamphlet  is  beautifully 
Christian  ;  and,  wherever  he  defends  himself,  he  does  it 
most  successfully.  He  confesses,  however,  that  he  was 
Avrong,  when  he  said,  "  Many,  nay,  most  of  the  New  England 
preachers  did  not  experimentally  know  Christ  ; "  and,  in 
reference  to  Tillotson,  he  says,  "  I  acknowledge  that  I  spake 
of  his  perso7i  in  too  strong  terms,  and  too  rashly  condemned 
his  state,  when  I  ought  only  to  have  censured  his  doctrine^ 
The  following  is  Whitefield's  concluding  paragraph  : — 

I   wfitc  this  under  the  immediaf^  views  of  a  happy  eternity     and 

VOL.   11.  C 


I30  The  Life  of  Whit  afield. 

1744     rejoice    in    the  prospect  of  that  day,  wherein  I  shall  appear  before  a 
.  compassionate  Judge,  who  will  cover  all  my  infirmities  with  the  mantle 

of  His  everlasting  righteousness,  and  graciously  accept  my  poor  and 
weak  efforts  to  promote  His  kingdom.  I  beg,  reverend  sir,  an  interest 
in  your  prayers,  that  I  may  glorify  God,  whether  by  life  or  death  ;  and, 
praying  that  you  may  be  taught  of  God  to  preach  the  truth  as  it  is  in 
Jesus,  turn  many  to  righteousness,  and  shine  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven, 
as  the  stars  in  the  firmament,  for  ever  and  ever,  I  subscribe  myself, 
reverend  and  dear  sir,  your  most  affectionate,  humble  servant, 

"  George  Whitefield." 

Other  hostile  publications  must  be  mentioned.     The  Con- 
gregational  ministers   of  Massachusetts  were   accustomed  to 
meet   at   Boston   on   the  day  of  the  opening  of  the  colonial 
legislature,  to  converse  on  matters  of  general  interest,  and  to 
hear  a  sermon  from  one  of  their  number  previously  appointed. 
The   convention    of   1743    had    for  its  moderator  the  Rev. 
Nathaniel    Eells,    and    by    its    authority   the    following    was 
published  :   "  The  Testimony  of  the  Pastors  of  the  Churches 
in   the   Province  of  Massachusetts   Bay,  in  New  England,  at 
their  Annual  Convention   in    Boston,  May  25,  1743,  against 
several  Errors   in  Doctrine  and  Disorders   in   Practice,  which 
have   of  late  obtained   in   various  parts  of  the   Land."      The 
doctrinal  errors  were  attaching  importance  to  secret  impulses 
of  the   mind,  without  due  regard   to   the  written  word  ;   that 
none  are  converted,  but   such    as  know  they  are  converted, 
and    the   time   when  ;  that   assurance   is   of  the   essence  of 
saving  faith  ;   and  that  sanctification  is  no  evidence  of  justifi- 
cation.     The  disorders  in  practice  were  :   Ordained  ministers 
and  young  candidates  going  from  place  to  place,  and  preaching 
without  the  knowledge,  or  contrary  to  the  leave,  of  the  stated 
pastors  in  such  places  ;   private  persons  of  no  education  and 
but   low  attainments,  without  any  regular  call,  taking  upon 
themselves  to  be  preachers  of  the  word  ;   ordaining  or  sepa- 
rating persons    to    the  work   of   the   evangelical  ministry  at 
large,  without  any  relation  to  a  particular  charge  ;  separation 
from  the   particular  flocks   to  which   persons  belong,  to  join 
themselves  with,  and   support   lay  exhorters  and  itinerants  ; 
and    assuming  the    prerogatives   of  God,   to  look  into   the 
hearts   of   their   neighbours,   and   to  censure  their  brethren, 
especially  their  ministers,  as  Pharisees  and  Arminians. 

As  an  antidote  to  the  decisions  of  this  convention,  another 


Hostile  Publications.  131 

publication  was  issued.  On  the  7th  of  July,  1743,  ninety  i744 
ministers  met  at  Boston,  chose  Dr.  Sewall  as  their  mode-  A-^eaQ 
rator,  and  Thomas  Prince  as  their  secretary,  and  published 
"  The  Testimony  and  Advice  of  an  Assembly  of  Pastors  of 
Churches  in  New  England,  at  a  meeting  in  Boston,  July  7, 
1743,  occasioned  by  the  late  happy  Revival  of  Religion  in 
many  parts  of  the  Land."  The  "  Testimony"  was  signed 
by  sixty-eight  of  the  ministers  present,  and  was  agreed  to 
by  forty-five  who  were  absent. 

After  this  there  was  a  convention  of  laymen,  who  issued 
the  following  :  "  The  Testimony  and  Advice  of  a  Number 
of  Laymen,  respecting  Religion  and  the  Teachers  of  it. 
Addressed  to  the  Pastors  of  New  England."  The  "  Testi- 
mony "  is  dated  "Boston,  September  12,  1743."  Speaking 
of  Whitefield,  it  says  : — 

"  He  came  here  in  September,  1740,  and,  with  indefatigable  industry, 
travelled  through  this  province,  preaching,  begging,  and  collecting  from 
town  to  town.  Though  he  was  a  man  of  a  weak  mind,  little  learning, 
and  no  argument,  yet,  by  means  of  a  somewhat  crafty  improvement  of 
the  advantageous  circumstances  and  character  under  which  he  arrived, 
and  by  his  being  somewhat  of  an  orator,  and  assuming  an  over-sanctified 
behaviour,  by  great  diligence,  and  by  preaching  frequently  vuvnoritcr 
and  with  a  vehemence  unusual  to  the  people  of  this  province,  he  giiined. 
upon  their  passions,  and  thereby  wheedled  himself  into  their  affections." 

After  sneering  at  Whitefield  as  "  the  grand  itinerant," 
"  the  reverend  bachelor  of  arts,"  "  the  reverend  youth,"  and 
"  the  reverend  stripling,/'  the  "  Testimony "  finishes  by  ex- 
horting the  "  pastors  of  New  England,"  to  study  the 
Scriptures,  to  acquire  knowledge,  to  preach  the  gospel  in 
its  simplicity,  to  throw  aside  the  use  of  technical  terms, 
which  neither  the}^  nor  their  hearers  understand,  and  not  to 
be  "  apish  imitators  of  foreigners." 

All  these  were  issued  previous  to  Whitefield's  arrival  in 
1 744  ;   the  following  were  published  soon  after  : — 

I.  "A  Letter  from  two  neighbouring  Associations  of 
Ministers  in  the  Country,  to  the  Associated  Ministers  of 
Boston  and  Charlestown,  relating  to  the  admission  of  Mr. 
Whitefield  into  their  pulpits."  The  "  letter "  was  dated 
December  26,  1744,  and  had  the  approbation  of  nineteen 
ministers.  The  following  is  an  extract.  Having  assumed, 
as  an   undisputed  truth,  that  great  and  grievous  disorders 


1744 
Age  29 


132  Tke  Life  of  Whitefield. 

had  prevailed  among  the  churches,  through  the  influence  of 
itinerants,  they  ask  : — 

"  Brethren,  are  you  satisfied  that  Mr.  Whitefield  approves  not  of  these 
disorders?  Is  he  against  separations?  Is  he  an  enemy  to  enthusiasm ? 
Do  you  find  in  him  a  disposition  to  the  most  plain  Christian  duty,  of 
humbly  confessing  and  publicly  retracting  his  wicked  and  slanderous 
suggestions  concerning  the  ministry,  and  concerning  our  colleges,  so 
much  our  glory  ?  Do  you  find  him  inclined  to  heal  the  unhappy  divisions 
occasioned  by  his  former  visit  ?  Have  you  not,  by  opening  your  pulpit 
doors  to  this  gentleman,  encouraged  the  weaker  sort  of  people  to  expect 
the  like  of  their  ministers?"  etc.,  etc. 

2.  The  next  publication  must  be  prefaced.  The  Rev. 
Edward  Wigglesworth,  D.D,,  was  a  man  of  distinguished 
talents,  and,  for  the  last  two  and  twenty  years,  had  been 
professor  of  divinity  in  Harvard  College.  The  Rev.  Edward 
Holyoke  was  president  of  the  same  college,  and,  as  a  scholar 
and  a  preacher,  had  gained  a  high  reputation.  During  his 
former  visit  to  America,  Whitefield  had  preached  before  the 
professors  and  students  of  Harvard  College  with  great  power 
and  acceptance  ;  but,  in  his  journal,  subsequently  published, 
there  was  the  following  paragraph  : — 

"  The  ministers  and  people  of  Connecticut  seem  to  be  more  simple  and 
serious  than  those  who  live  near  Boston,  especially  in  those  parts  where 
I  went.  But  I  think  the  ministers  preaching  almost  universally  by  notes^ 
is  a  certain  mark  they  have  in  a  great  measure  lost  the  old  spirit  of 
preaching.  For,  though  all  are  not  to  be  condemned  who  use  notes,  yet 
it  is  a  sad  symptom  of  the  decay  of  vital  religion,  when  reading  sermons 
becomes  fashionable  where  extempore  preaching  did  once  almost  uni- 
versally prevail.  When  the  spirit  of  prayer  began  to  be  lost,  then  forms 
of  prayer  were  invented  ;  and  I  believe  the  same  observation  will  hold 
good  as  to  preaching.  As  for  the  universities,  I  believe  it  may  be  said 
their  light  is  now  become  darkness — darkness  that  may  be  felt — and  is 
complained  of  by  the  most  godly  ministers.  I  pray  God  these  fountains 
may  be  purified,  and  send  forth  pure  streams  to  water  the  city  of  our  God. 
The  Church  of  England  is  at  a  very  low  ebb  ;  and,  as  far  as  I  can  find, 
had  people  kept  their  primitive  purity,  it  Avould  scarce  have  got  a  footing 
in  New  England.  I  have  many  evidences  to  prove  that  most  of  the 
churches  have  been  first  set  up  by  immoral  men,  and  such  as  would  not 
submit  to  the  discipline  of  their  congregations,  or  were  corrupt  in  the 
faith.  But  I  will  say  no  more  about  the  poor  Church  of  England.  Most 
of  her  sons,  whether  ministers  or  people,  I  fear,  hate  to  be  reformed." 

This  evoked  "  A  Testimony  from  the  President  and 
Professors,    Tutors,    and     Hebrew     Instructor    of     Harvard 


Hostile  Publications.  133 

College,  against  the  Rev.  Mr.  George  Whitefield  and  his 
Conduct."  The  "Testimony"  is  dated  "December  28, 
1744."  The  faculty  of  Harvard  College  say,  "We  look 
upon  Mr.  Whitefield's  going  about  in  an  itinerant  way,  es- 
pecially as  he  has  so  much  of  an  enthusiastical  turn  of  mind, 
as  being  utterly  inconsistent  with  the  peace  and  order,  if  not 
the  very  being,  of  the  Churches  of  Christ."  Whitefield  was 
charged  with  "  enthusiasm,"  and  with  being  "  an  uncharitable, 
censorious,  and  slanderous  man."  The  faculty  refer  to  his 
"  reproachful  reflections  "  on  their  college,  and  denounce  his 
"  rashness  and  his  arrogance  ;  his  rashness,"  say  they,  "  in 
publishing  such  a  disadvantageous  character  of  us,  because 
somebody  had  so  informed  him  ;  and  his  arrogance,  that 
such  a  young  man  as  he  should  take  upon  him  to  tell  what 
books  we  should  allow  our  pupils  to  read."  They  pronounce 
Whitefield's  assertion  that  "  the  light  of  the  universities  had 
become  darkness,"  a  "  most  wicked  and  libellous  falsehood  ; " 
and,  in  reference  to  his  statement  that  many  of  the  ministers 
of  the  country  were  unconverted,  they  say  he  is  "guilty  of 
gross  breaches  of  the  ninth  commandment  of  the  moral  law." 
They  bear  "  testimony "  against  him  as  "  a  deluder  of  the 
people,"  in  the  affair  of  contributions  for  the  Orphan  House  ; 
for  he  had  led  the  people  to  believe  that  the  orphans  would 
be  under  his  own  immediate  instruction,  and  yet  "  he  had 
scarce  been  at  the  Orphan  House  for  these  four  years." 
And,  in  conclusion,  they  condemn  his  extempore  preaching, 
and  his  itinerating,  as  "  by  no  means  proper." 

Whitefield  replied  to  the  "  Testimony,"  in  a  letter,  dated 
"Boston,  January  23,  1745."  He  answers  the  accusation 
of  the  college  faculty,  that  "  he  conducted  himself  by  dreams;  " 
and  "  usually  governed  himself  by  sudden  impulses  and  im- 
pressions on  his  mind."  As  to  his  having  slandered  Harvard 
College,  he  says,  he  meant  no  more  than  President  Holyoke 
did,  when,  speaking  of  the  degeneracy  of  the  times,  in  his 
sermon  at  the  annual  convention  of  ministers,  May  28,  1741, 
he  remarked  :  "  Alas !  how  is  the  gold  become  dim,  and  the 
most  fine  gold  changed  !  We  have  lost  our  first  love  ;  and, 
though  religion  is  still  in  fashion  with  us,  it  is  evident  that 
the  power  of  it  is  greatly  decayed."  He  further  replies  to 
the  charges  that  he  was  "  a  deluder  of  the  people,"  and  had 


134  1^^^^  Life  of  Whitefield. 

I74S     "  extorted  money  "  from  them  for  his  Orphan  House.      He 
j\^cre3D  explains   in   what   sense   he  was  an  "  extempore   preacher;" 
denies    the   charge    that    he    was    an    "  Antinomian  ; "    and 
justifies  his  itinerancy.      He  concludes  thus  : — 

"  I  am  come  to  New  England  with  no  intention  to  meddle  with,  much 
less  to  destroy,  the  order  of  the  New  England  churches  ;  or  to  turn  out 
the  generality  of  their  ministers,  and  re-settle  them  with  ministers  from 
England,  Scotland,  and   Ireland,  as  hath  been  hinted  in  a  late  letter 
written  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Clap,  rector  of  Yale  College.     Such  a  thought 
never  entered  my  heart.     I  have  no  intention  of  setting  up  a  party  for 
myself,  or  to  stir  up   people  against  their  pastors.     Had  not  illness  pre- 
vented, I  had  some  weeks  ago  departed  from  these  coasts.     But,  as  it  is 
not  a  season  of  the  year  for  me  to  undertake  a  very  long  journey,  and  as 
I  have  reason  to  think  the  great  God  daily  blesses  my  poor  labours,  I 
think  it  my  duty  to  comply  with  the  invitations  that  are  sent  to  me,  and, 
as   I  am  enabled,  to  preach  the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ.     This 
indeed,  I  delight  in.     It  is  my  meat  and  my  drink.     I  esteem  it  more 
than  my  necessary  food.     This,  I  think,  I  may  do,  as  a  minister  of  the 
King  of  kings,  and  a  subject  of  his  present  majesty  King  George,  upon 
whose  royal  head  I  pray  God  the  crown  may  long  flourish.     And,  as  I 
have  a  right  to  preach,  so,  I  humbly  apprehend,  the  people  have  a  right 
to  hear.     If  the  pulpits  should  be  shut,  blessed  be  God  !  the  fields  are 
■     open .     I   can  go  without  the  camp,  bearing  the  Redeemer's  sacred  re- 
proach.    I  am  used  to  this,  and  glory  in  it.     At  the  same  time,  I  ask 
public  pardon  for  any  rash  word  I  have  dropped,  or  anything  I  have 
written  or  done  amiss.     This  leads  me  also  to  ask  forgiveness,  gentlemen, 
if  I  have  done  you  or  your  society,  in  my  Journal,  any  wrong.     Be  pleased 
to  accept  unfeigned  thanks  for  all  tokens  of  respect  you  shewed  me  when 
here  last.     And,  if  you  have  injured  me  in  the  "  Testimony  "  you  have 
published  against  me  and  my  conduct  (as  I  think  you  have),  it  is  already 
forgiven,  without  asking,  by,  gentlemen,  your  affectionate,  humble  ser- 
vant, 

"  George  Whitefield." 

The  whole  of  Whitefield's  letter  is  in  his  best  style  of 
writing.  For  him,  it  is  terse  and  pointed  ;  and,  of  course,  it 
is  respectful  and  Christian.  Certainly  it  contains  one  retort, 
which,  though  perfectly  fair,  must  have  been  especially 
stinging.  The  faculty  of  Harvard  College  published  theii 
"  Testimony  "  to  prove  that  Whitefield  was  "  an  enthusiast,  a 
censorious,  uncharitable  person,  and  a  deluder  of  the  people  ; " 
and  here  Whitefield  quietly  reminds  tliem  that,  on  May  28, 
1 74 1,  Mr.  Holyoke,  tlieir  president,  preached  a  sermon, 
which   was   afterwards    published,   in    which    the    following 


Hostile  Publications.  135 


paragraph  occurs,  respecting  himself  and  his  friend  Gilbert    '745 
Tennent : — 


Age  30 


"  Those  two  pious  and  valuable  men  of  Cod,  who  have  been  lately 
labouring  more  abundantly  among  us,  have  been  greatly  instrumental  in 
the  hands  of  God,  in  reviving  His  blessed  work  ;  and  many,  no  doubt, 
have  been  savingly  converted  from  the  error  of  their  ways,  many  more 
have  been  convicted,  and  all  have  been  in  some  measure  roused  from 
their  lethargy." 

Whitefield's  reply  to  the  "  Testimony"  of  Harvard 
College  was  complete  ;  but  Harvard  College,  unfortunately, 
was  not  silenced.  .  Hence  the  publication  of  the  following 
unworthy  production  : — 

3.  "A  Letter  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  George  Whitefield,  by  way 
of  Reply  to  his  Answer  to  the  College  Testimony  against 
him  and  his  Conduct.  By  Edward  Wiggles  worth,  D.D,, 
Professor  of  Divinity  in  said  College.  To  which  is  added 
the  Reverend  President's  Answer  to  the  things  charged 
upon  him,  by  the  said  Mr.  Whitefield,  as  Inconsistencies. 
Boston,  New  England,  1745."  (4to.  (>%  pp.)  The  president's 
Answer  is  dated  "February  20,  1745,"  and  Dr.  Wiggles- 
worth's  Letter,  "April  22,  1745."  The  former  contains 
nothing  that  need  be  noticed  ;  but  the  letter,  written  "  in 
the  name,  and  at  the  desire  of  the  Reverend  President  and 
others  of  Harvard  College,"  must  not  be  passed  in  silence. 

Dr.  Wigglesworth  reiterates  the  charge  of  enthusiasm  ;  he 
censures  Whitefield  for  censuring  Tillotson  ;  and  is  angry 
because  Whitefield  had  said,  Harvard  College,  "  in  piety  and 
true  godliness,"  was  not  much  superior  to  the  English 
Universities.  He  accuses  Whitefield  of  uttering  and  writing 
"  pernicious  reflections  upon  the  Ministers  of  the  Churches 
of  New  England,"  and  says,  "  What  you  have  done,  and 
others  who  have  followed  your  example,  has  had  an  effect 
more  extensive  and  pernicious  than  any  man  could  have 
imagined  six  years  ago.  Who  could  have  believed,  that,  in 
such  a  country  as  this,  such  a  spirit  of  jealousy  and  evil- 
surmising  could  have  been  raised,  by  the  influence  and 
example  of  a  young  stranger  ?  Perhaps  there  is  not  now  a 
single  town  in  this  province,  and,  probably,  not  in  Connecti- 
cut, in  which  there  are  not  numbers  of  people  whose  minds 
are  under  strong    prejudices  against   their  ministers  ;    such 


136  The  Life  of  Whitejield. 

^745     prejudices    as  almost   cut  off  all  hope  of  their  profiting  by 
Age  30  their  sacred  ministrations." 

Wigglesvvorth  next  attacks  Whitefield  respecting  his 
Orphan  House  management  and  accounts ;  censures  him 
for  leaving  the  children  ;  and  tells  him  that  his  superin- 
tendents, Habersham  and  Barber,  are  "  gentlemen  of  no 
name  or  character  in  these  parts  of  New  England,  nor  so 
much  as  known  by  name  among  multitudes  of  his  con- 
tributors." Itinerant  preaching  and  its  results  are  con- 
demned ;  and  then  the  divinity  professor  says  :  "  You  have 
in  all  parts  of  England  and  Wales,  as  far  as  your  interest 
reached,  formed  your  followers  into  bands  and  associa- 
tions, after  the  Moravian  manner  ;  and  have  set  over  them 
exhorters,  superintendents,  and  visitors ;  and  are  yourself 
Grand  Moderator  over  all,  when  in  England,  and  your  dear 
brother  Harris  in  your  absence.  So  we  may  very  reason- 
ably conclude,  that,  whenever  you  think  the  good  people  of 
this  country  enough  under  your  influence  to  bear  it,  you 
will  throw  off  the  mask  here  too,  and  endeavour  to  reduce 
us  to  the  same  model." 

Dr.  Wigglesworth  benignly  concludes,  by  saying,  "  As 
you  have  been  permitted  to  fall  into  repeated,  deliberate, 
most  public,  comprehensive,  and  pernicious  violations  of  the 
holy  laws  of  God,  I  cannot  persuade  myself  that  any  good 
could  come  of  private  conferences,  but  think  you  ought  to 
give  satisfaction  in  as  public  a  manner  as  you  have  given 
offence.'' 

Whitefield  lived  long  enough  to  requite  this  offensive 
imperiousness.  Twenty-nine  years  afterwards,  when  the 
library  of  Harvard  College  was  destroyed  by  fire,  and  while 
Wigglesworth  was  still  divinity  professor,  Whitefield,  for- 
getful of  the  past,  did  his  utmost  in  begging  books  for  the 
new  library  ;  and,  four  years  later  still,  while  Holyoke  was 
yet  president,  had  the  noble  revenge  of  being  thanked,  in 
the  following  minute,  entered  in  the  college  records  : — 

"At  a  meeting  of  the  President  and  Fellows  of  Harvard  College, 
August  22,  1768,  the  Rev.  G.  Whitefield  having,  in  addition  to  his  former 
kindness  to  Harvard  College,  lately  presented  to  the  library  a  new  edition 
of  his  Journals,  and  having  also  procured  large  benefactions  from  several 
benevolent  and  respectable  gentlemen,  it  was  voted  that  the  thanks  of  this 


Hostile  Publications.  137 

corporation  be  given  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Whitefield,  for  these  instances  of 
candour  and  generosity."  * 

Unfortunately  the  list  of  controversial  pamphlets  is  not 
exhausted.  To  those  already  noticed,  the  following  must 
be  added  : — 

4.  "A  Letter  from  the  Rev.  Nathaniel  Henchman,  Pastor 
of  the  First  Church  in  Lynn,  to  the  Rev.  Stephen  Chase,  of 
Lynn  End,  giving  his  reasons  for  declining  to  admit  the 
Rev.  George  Whitefield  into  his  pulpit."  Mr.  Henchman's 
letter  is  dated  "January  3,  1745."  The  reverend  writer 
was  too  angry  to  be  polite.  He  speaks  of  "strolling  itine- 
rants, and  swarms  of  mean  animals  called  exhorters."  He 
resents  Whitefield's  "  slanderous  treatment  of  our  colleges," 
and  "  the  insufferable  pride  and  vanity  of  the  man."  "  Who," 
he  asks,  "  ever  equalled  him  in  vain-glorious  boasting  t " 
and  adds  :  "  In  one  country,  he  is  a  true  son  of  the  Church 
of  England  ;  in  a  second,  a  staunch  Presbyterian  ;  and  in  a 
third,  a  strong  Congregationalist."  He  suspects  Whitefield 
of  coming  to  America  "  to  make  a  purse  for  himself,  by 
begging,  with  great  solemnity,  for  his  poor  little  ones  at  the 
Orphan  House  in  Georgia, — the  most  ill-projected  scheme 
since  darkness  was  on  the  face  of  the  deep,  to  found  an 
Orphan  House  in  an  infant  and  expiring  colony,  and  in  the 
heart  of  the  enemy's  country,  though  it  answered  well  his 
mendicant  intention."  Henchman  also  accuses  Whitefield 
of  a  design  "  to  raze  the  foundation  of  our  churches,  and 
change  the  religion  of  New  England." 

5.  "The  Sentiments  and  Resolution  of  an  Association  of 
Ministers,  convened  at  Weymouth,  January  15,  1745,  con- 
cerning the  Rev.  Mr.  George  Whitefield."  In  addition  to 
accusations  already  mentioned,  the  "Association"  find  fault 
with  Whitefield,  because,  though  he  had  condemned  persons 
who  "  cried  out  in  the  public  assemblies,"  yet,  when 
preaching  in  country  towns,  if  such  an  irxident  occurred, 
he  would  at  once  raise  his  voice  as  if  he  were  trying  to 
vie  with  the  people  in  screaming  ;  the  result  of  which  was, 
the  cries  waxed  louder  and  louder,  till  the  whole  assembly 
was  thrown  into  confusion.     The  Association  were  "  surprised 

'  GiUies'  "  Life  of  Whitefield." 


138  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

*745  and  grieved,"  that  he,  a  priest  of  the  Church  of  England, 
Age  30  should  administer  the  Lord's  supper  in  Congregational 
churches.  They  condemned  his  practice  of  singing  hymns 
in  the  public  roads,  when  riding  from  town  to  town,  and 
lamented,  that,  in  almost  every  town  where  he  had  preached, 
there  had  been  more  or  less  alienation  between  the  minister 
and  people.  They  came  to  the  "  resolution,"  that,  they 
would  not  "  directly  or  indirectly  encourage  Mr.  Whitefield 
to  preach,  either  publicly  or  privately,  in  their  respective 
parishes."      This  was  signed  by  fifteen  ministers. 

6.  Another  pamphlet  contained  "  The  Testimony  of  an 
Association  of  Ministers,  convened  at  Marlborough,  January 
22nd,  1745  ;"  and  also  the  Testimony  of  another  "Asso- 
ciation of  Ministers  in  the  county  of  Bristol."  The  two 
Testimonies  unitedly  were  signed  by  nineteen  ministers, 
who  came  to  the  general  conclusion,  that  "  the  devil 
himself,  with  all  his  cunning,  could  not  take  a  more  direct 
step  to  overthrow  the  churches  of  New  England,  hurt 
religion,  and  destroy  the  souls  of  men,  than  Whitefield  had 
taken." 

7.  "  The  Declaration  of  the  Faculty  of  Yale  College," 
dated  "  P^bruary  25,  1745."  The  "  Faculty  "  endorse  ''  The 
Testimony  "  of  their  brethren  of  Harvard  College.  They 
also  especially  insist  upon  two  things:  i.  "That  White- 
field  and  other  itinerants  had  laid  a  scheme  to  turn  the 
generality  of  ministers  out  of  their  places,  and  to  introduce 
a  new  set,  attached  to  Whitefield  ;  because  Whitefield  had 
stated,  that,  the  generality  of  ministers  were  unconverted,  and 
that  all  unconverted  ministers  were  half  beasts  and  half  devils, 
and  could  no  more  be  the  means  of  any  man's  conversion  than 
a  dead  man  could  beget  living  children,"  2.  That  Whitefield 
had  "  publicly  told  the  people  in  New  England,  that  they 
might  expect,  in  a  little  time,  a  supply  of  ministers  from  his 
Orphan  House  ;  and  that  he  had  told  Edwards,  of  North- 
ampton, that  he  intended  to  bring  over  a  number  of  young 
men  from  England  to  be  ordained  by  the  Tennents." 

8.  This  publication  was  followed  by  "  A  Letter  from  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Clap,  Rector  of  Yale  College,  in  New-Haven,  to 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Edwards,  of  Northampton,  expostulating  with 
him  for  his  injurious  reflections  in  a  late  Letter  to  a  Friend, 


Hostile  Publications.  139 

and  shewing  that  Mr.  Edwards,  in  contradicting  the   Rector, 
plainly  contradicts  himself." 

Mr.  Clap  was  a  strong-minded  man,  and,  in  the  higher 
branches  of  mathematics,  had  no  equal  in  America,  except 
Professor  Winthorpe.  He  constructed  the  first  orrery  made 
In  that  country.  The  pith  of  his  present  pamphlet  was  a 
dispute  between  him  and  Edwards,  as  to  what  Whitefield 
had  said  respecting  his  design  "  to  turn  the  generality  of  the 
ministers  of  New  England  out  of  their  pulpits,  and  to  bring 
ministers  from  England,  Scotland,  and  Ireland,"  to  supply 
their  places.  Besides  displaying  considerable  bitterness 
between  the  two  disputants,  the  publication  of  Rector  Clap 
exhibited  Whitefield  in  an  obnoxious  light. 

9.  "  Mr.  Pickering's  Letter  to  Mr.  Whitefield,  touching  his 
Relation  to  the  Church  of  England,  his  Impulses,  or  Im- 
pressions, and  the  present  unhappy  state  of  things."  The 
letter  of  the  Rev.  Theophilus  Pickering,  minister  at  Ipswich, 
is  dated  "February  12,  1745,"  and  the  writer  objects  to 
Whitefield,  i.  Because  he  is  a  clergyman  of  the  Church  of 
England;  2.  Because  of  his  "dreams  and  impressions;" 
3.  Because  Whitefield's  "travelling  services  will  be  more 
hurtfiil  than  bcfiejicial." 

10.  "A  Letter  to  the  Second  Church  and  Congregation 
in  Scituate  ;  written  by  their  Reverend  Pastor,  shewing  some 
Reasons  why  he  doth  not  invite  the  Rev.  Mr.  George  White- 
field  into  his  Pulpit."  The  Letter  is  signed  "  N.  Eells,"  and 
is  dated  "April  15,  1745."  Mr.  Eells  had  been  the  pastor 
of  the  Church  at  Scituate  forty  years  and  ten  months  ;  and 
his  "Reasons"  were— i.  Whitefield  "did  not  stand  right  in 
the  gospel  of  Christ ;  for,  by  his  episcopal  ordination,  he 
received  no  authority  to  itinerate,  as  he  had  done  for  years 
past  ;  and  the  authority  he  had  received  from  the  bishop 
who  ordained  him,  he  had  forfeited,  and  was  now  suspended 
from  the  ministry  of  the  Church  of  England,  and  from 
communion  at  the  Lord's  table."  2.  "  The  manner  of  his 
itinerancy  was  not  according  to  Scripture,  but  was  rather 
a  blemish,  reproach,  and  scandal  to  the  ministry  ;  for  he  had 
no  authority  from  Christ,  either  mediately  or  imi)iediately ; 
and  he  spent  his  time  in  places  where  the  people  did  not 
want  him."      3.  "  He  had  made  it  manifest  that  he  was  no 


I40  The  Life  of  Whitefidd. 


1745  real  friend  to  the  ministers  and  churches  of  this  land  ;  for  he 
Age  30  had  represented  the  pastors  of  these  churches  to  be  men  of 
no  grace,  without  the  knowledge  of  Christ,  and  so  un- 
qualified for  the  ministry  ;  he  had  preached  in  places  at  the 
invitation  of  factious  persons,  contrary  to  the  mind  of  their 
pious  and  orthodox  pastors ;  he  had  favoured  disorders 
in  the  public  worship  of  God,  such  as  screaming,  etc.  ;  and 
he  had  encouraged  separation  and  separatists  from  our 
churches." 

Such  are  specimens  of  the  publications  against  Whitefield. 
We  have  met  with  three  only  in  his  favour. 

I.  "An  Apology  on  behalf  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Whitefield, 
offering  a  fair  Solution  of  certain  Difficulties,  objected 
against  some  parts  of  his  Public  Conduct,  in  point  of  Moral 
Honesty  and  Uniformity  with  his  own  Subscriptions  and 
Ordination  Vows  :  as  the  said  exceptions  are  set  forth  in 
a  late  Pamphlet,  entitled,  '  A  Letter  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  George 
Whitefield,  publicly  calling  upon  him  to  vindicate  his  Con- 
duct, or  confess  his  Faith,'  signed  L.  K.  By  Thomas  Fox- 
croft,  A.M.,  one  of  the  Pastors  of  the  first  Church  in 
Boston.  Being  several  Letters,  written  for  the  satisfaction 
of  a  Friend,  and  published  by  Desire.  Boston,  1745."  (4to. 
38  pp.) 

For  twenty-eight  years,  Mr.  Foxcroft  had  been  the  min- 
ister of  the  Church  just  mentioned,  and,  strangely  enough, 
Dr.  Chauncy  was  his  colleague.  Mr.  Foxcroft's  first  letter 
is  dated  "December  31,  1744,"  and  his  second  and  third 
were  written  during  the  fortnight  next  ensuing.  He  shews, 
that,  "  Bishops  of  the  Church  of  England  have  power  to 
grant  licenses  of  wider  extent  than  the  narrow  district  of  a 
single  parish,  to  any  ordained  minister  they  think  proper, 
who,  in  virtue  of  such  license,  may  travel  from  place  to 
place  as  they  think  fit."  "  The  sending  forth  of  itinerant 
preachers  was  a  practice  of  the  Church  of  England  at  the 
beginning  of  the  Reformation  ;  and  has  been  remarkably 
revived  of  late  years,  particularly  with  relation  to  foreign 
parts."  "  Mr.  Whitefield  is  not  the  only  episcopal  itinerant 
in  America.  In  the  Abstract  of  the  Proceedings  of  the 
Society  for  Propagating  the  Gospel,  for  1743,  Mr.  Morris  is 
expressly   named    '  Itinerant   Missionary,     in    Connecticut ; 


Whitefield  Def elided.  141 


Mr.  Punderson,  ^Itinerant  ATissiotiary,'  in  New  England;  ^745 
and  Mr.  Lindsay,  '  Itinerant  Alissionaiy,'  in  Pennsylvania  and 
New  Jersey.  It  is  no  violation,  therefore,  of  the  original 
commission  from  the  Bishop,  to  act  beyond  the  limits  of  a 
particular  cure  or  charge,  or  even  in  the  character  of  an 
itinerant.  And,  with  regard  to  special  license,"  continues 
Mr.  Foxcroft,  "  I  question  whether  the  itinerant  mission- 
aries above-mentioned  have  had  this  any  more  than  Mr. 
Whitefield." 

2.  "  An  Inquiry  into  the  Itinerancy  and  the  Conduct  of 
the  Rev.  Mr.  George  Whitefield,  an  Itinerant  Preacher : 
vindicating  the  former  against  the  charge  of  nnlaivfiilness 
and  inexpediency,  and  the  latter  against  some  aspersions, 
which  have  been  frequently  cast  upon  him.  By  William 
Hobby,  A.M.,  Pastor  of  the  first  Church  in  Reading.  Boston, 
1745."    (8vo.  28  pp.) 

Mr.  Hobby  was  a  graduate  of  Harvard  College,  and  was 
a  fluent  and  fervid  preacher.  He  died  in  1765,  aged  fifty- 
seven.  Passing  over  that  part  of  his  pamphlet  which  refers 
to  the  lazvfulness  of  itinerancy,  it  may  be  stated,  that  he 
successfully  replies  to  the  attacks  on  Whitefield*  respecting 
his  Orphan  House  accounts,  his  being  an  enthusiast  and 
ecclesiastical  chameleon,^  and  his  aspersion  of  ministers. 
With  regard  to  the  accusation  that  he  was  a  perjtirer, 
because  he  had  sworn  to  prosecute  his  appeal  against 
Commissary  Garden's  censure,  and  had  not  done  so,  Mr. 
Hobby  says,  "  Whitefield  exerted  himself  to  the  utmost  to 
get  a  hearing  in  the  court  at  home  (which  he  now  proves  by 
an  affidavit,  taken  before  the  Lord  Mayor  of  London  by 
himself  and  his  solicitor),  but  all  in  vain." 

Mr.  Hobby  comes  to  the  following  conclusion  respecting 
Whitefield  :  "  In  most  things  he  is  highly  commendable  ; 
in  more  justifiable  ;  and  in  almost  all  very  excusable.  I 
say  in  almost  all,  for  I  am  willing  to  allow  Mr.  Whitefield 
has  his  foibles  and  imperfections.  He  is  a  man  of  like 
passions  with  others.       What  then — shall   I   condemn   him 

'  "  Some,"  says  Mr.  Hobby,  "  object  to  Mr.  Whitefield,  because  in 
England  he  is  a  Chiuxhmaii,  in  Scotland  a  Kir/cman— here  he  is  a  Dis- 
setiier,  and  there  an  Anabaptist — that  is,  he  has  communion  with  all 
these  churches,  and  therefore  ought  to  have  communion  with  none." 


142  The  Life  of  White  field. 

1745  because  he  is  not  perfect?  Alas!  what  shall  I  then  do 
«  ~  with  myself  and  others  ?  The  sun  itself  has  its  spots  :  shall 
we  therefore  try  to  put  out  the  sun  ?  Vain  attempt !  Or 
shall  I  shut  my  eyes  against  its  light  ?  Ridiculous  and  ab- 
surd !  Neither  would  I  shut  my  eyes  against  Mr.  White- 
field's  excellences,  and  only  open  them  to  behold  his 
weaknesses." 

3.  "  Invitations  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Whitefield  from  the 
Eastern  Consociation  of  the  County  of  Fairfield.,  With  a 
Letter  from  the  Rev.  Mr.  Samuel  Cooke,  ^  of  Stratfield,  in 
Connecticut,  to  a  Minister  in  Boston,  concerning  the  former 
success  of  Mr.  Whitefield's  Ministry  there.  Boston,  1745." 
(8vo.  8  pp.)  There  is  nothing  in  this  publication  that 
deserves  special  notice,  except  that  Mr.  Cooke,  on  behalf  of 
himself  and  nine  other  ministers,  whose  names  and  residences 
are  given,  earnestly  entreats  Whitefield  to  visit  the  churches 
of  the  "  Eastern  Consociation  ;"  and  forwards  to  Whitefield 
a  minute  passed  at  a  meeting  held  in  1 740,  inviting  him  to 
visit  the  same  churches,  but  stipulating  that  he  should  not 
make  "  personal  reflections  to  wound  the  characters  of 
others,  who  have  been  generally  well  accepted  among  Chris- 
tians for  piety  ;"  and  that  he  should  "  not  expect  them  to 
make  collections  for  his  Orphan  House  in  Georgia." 

Such  was  the  literary  storm  through  which  Whitefield 
had  to  pass  when  he  visited  America  in  1 744.  There  is 
much  in  the  publications,  so  briefly  noticed,  which  invites 
remark  ;  but  want  of  space  precludes  comment.  It  is 
certainly  amusing  that  liberty-loving  Connecticut  should 
pass  and  enforce  the  despotic  Act  it  did.  Puritanism  was 
becoming  as  intolerant  as  prelacy.  As  to  Whitefield's 
aspersions  of  New  England  ministers,  the  accusation  was 
scarcely  true.  He  rarely,  if  ever,  mentioned  names  ;  but 
rather  denounced,  in  general  terms,  the  employment  of 
an  unconverted  ministry.  No  doubt,  in  many  instances, 
the  pulpits  of  America  were  occupied  by  sincere,  earnest, 
able,  godly  men  ;  but  it  is  equally  certain,  that,  in  many 
other  instances,  the  ministers  were  culpably  defective.     Even 


'  The  Rev.  Samuel  Cooke  was  ordained  in  1739,  ^"d  died  in   1783, 
aged  seventy-four. 


Summary.  14^^ 

President  Holyoke  seems  to  admit  this  ;  and  Dr.  Chauncy  ^745 
becomes  its  apologist.  It  is  also  true,  that,  during  White-  Age  30 
field's  residence  in  England,  the  American  revival  had  been 
disgraced  by  many  scenes  of  fanatical  confusion,  and  by  a 
bitterness  of  spirit  indulged  by  some  of  its  converts  ;  but 
it  is  difficult  to  see  how  absent  Whitefield  deserved  blame 
for  this.  It  is  absolutely  false,  that  Whitefield  had  been 
suspended  from  the  ministry,  and  excluded  from  the  com- 
munion of  the  Church  of  England.  The  taunts,  likewise,  in 
reference  to  his  Orphan  House  accounts,  Avere  unmerited, 
inasmuch  as  he  had  printed  and  published  a  balance-sheet, 
which  his  enemies  in  New  England  might  have  read  if  they 
had  wished.  The  power  and  the  practice  of  bishops  to  license 
ordained  ministers  to  become  itinerant  preachers  is  a  point 
which  must  be  left  to  Church  lawyers.  There  is,  however, 
one  other  subject  too  important  to  pass  unnoticed.  In 
England  and  in  Wales,  he  and  others  associated  with  him 
had  formed  a  considerable  number  of  Societies,  and  had 
employed  an  earnest  band  of  itinerant  preachers  and  ex- 
horters,  and  had  instituted  quarterly  and  other  associations, 
or  conferences.  In  short,  almost  without  intending  it,  he  had 
formed  a  party,  he  himself  being  its  "  moderator,"  the 
Tabernacle,  Moorfields,  its  head-quarters,  and  the  Christian 
History  its  literary  magazine.^  Whitefield,  however,  re- 
frained from  the  formation  of  a  sect  across  the  Atlantic. 
He  honestly  told  the  faculty  of  Harvard  College,  that  he  had 
"  no  intention  of  setting  up  a  party  for "  himself  ;  and  he 
faithfully  adhered  to  this  declaration.  In  America,  at  least, 
he  was  not  the  founder  of  a  sect.  It  is  true,  that,  in  New 
England  and  elsewhere,  separate  congregations  were  formed 
in  several  places,  by  illiterate,  but  pious,  preachers  ;  but  this 
was  not  done  by  the  authority  and  immediate  help  of 
Whitefield.  These  "  Separatists "  and  "  New  Lights,"  as 
they  were  called,  might  have  been  converted,  or  benefited 
by  Whitefield's  preaching  ;  but  their  organizations  were  their 
own.      In  many  instances,  their  former  pastors  failed  to  feed 

'  In  a  pamphlet,  published  in  1745,  and  entitled, "  The  Question  whether 
it  be  right  to  turn  Methodist  considered,"  the  Methodists  are  divided 
into  four  sections  ;  namely,  "  Moravians,  Inghamites,  VVestlcyites,  and 
Whitefieldiatis.^' 


144  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1745  them  with  the  bread  of  life,  and,  naturally  enough,  they 
Af^so  sought  it  somewhere  else.  Many  of  these  "  separate " 
churches  existed  long  after  Whitefield's  death  ;  and  some 
of  them  warmly  welcomed  Wesley's  preachers.  A  member 
of  the  Irish  conference  was  induced  to  become  the  pastor  of 
one  of  them,  over  which  he  presided  for  nearly  half  a  century. 
It  is  now  known  as  "  The  Benevolent  Congregationalist 
Church,"  and  is  one  of  the  largest  and  most  wealthy 
churches  in   New  England.^ 

We  must  now  return  to  Whitefield's  itinerancy.  He  was 
left  at  Portsmouth,  New  England,  ill  and  disabled.  As  soon 
as  possible,  he  removed  to  Boston.  The  following  is  from 
Prince's  Christian  History,  No.  xciv. : — 

"  Saturday,  November  24,  1744.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Whitefield  was  so  far 
revived,  as  to  be  able  to  set  out  from  Portsmouth  to  Boston,  whither  he 
came,  in  a  very  feeble  state,  the  Monday  evening  after.  Since  then,  he 
has  been  able  to  preach  in  several  of  our  largest  houses  of  public  worship, 
particularly  the  Rev.  Dr.  Colman's,  Dr.  Sewall's,  Mr.  Webb's,  and  Mr. 
Gee's.  At  Dr.  Colman's  request,  and  the  consent  of  the  Church,  on  the 
Lord's-day  after  his  arrival,  he  administered  to  them  the  holy  communion. 
And,  last  Lord's-day,  he  preached  for  Mr.  Cheever,  of  Chelsea,  and 
administered  the  holy  supper  there.  The  next  day,  he  preached  for  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Emerson,  of  Maiden.  Yesterday,  he  set  out  to  preach  at  some 
towns  to  the  northward.  On  his  return,  he  proposes  to  comply  with  the 
earnest  invitation  of  several  ministers,  to  go  and  preach  to  their  congre- 
gations in  the  southern  parts  of  the  province.  He  comes  with  the  same 
extraordinary  spirit  of  meekness,  sweetness,  and  universal  benevolence,  as 
before.  In  opposition  to  the  spirit  oi  bigotry,  he  is  still  for  holding  com- 
munion with  all  Protestant  churches.  In  opposition  to  entliusiasm,  he 
preaches  a  close  adherence  to  the  Scriptures,  the  necessity  of  trying  all 
impressions  by  them,  and  of  rejecting  whatever  is  not  agreeable  to  them,, 
as  delusions.  In  opposition  to  aiitinomianism,  he  preaches  up  all  kinds 
of  relative,  and  religious  duties  ;  and,  in  short,  the  doctrines  of  the  Church 
of  England,  and  of  the  first  fathers  of  this  country.  As  before,  he  first 
applies  himself  to  the  understandings  of  his  hearers,  and  then  to  the 
affections  ;  and  the  more  he  preaches,  the  more  he  convinces  people  ot 
their  mistakes  about  him,  and  increases  their  satisfaction. 

To  this  testimony  must  now  be  added  extracts  from 
Whitefield's  letters. 

"  Boston,  January  18,  1745. 
"  You  see  I  am  now  at  Boston,  whither  I  was  brought  from  Piscataqua* 


'  MetJwdist  MagaTine,  1855,  p.  nil. 
■  A  river,  near  Portsmouth. 


Al  Boston. 


145 


in  a  coach  and  four.  The  joy  with  which  I  was  received  by  the  common  1745 
people,  cannot  be  described  ;  but  many  of  the  ministers, — how  shy  !  how  — 
different  from  what  they  once  were  !  When  last  in  Boston,  Governor  S^  3^ 
Belcher  was  in  the  chair.  He  honoured  me  with  great  honour,  and  the 
clergy  paid  the  nod,  and  obeyed.  In  many,  I  then  perceived,  it  was  quite 
forced  ;  and,  I  think,  when  at  his  table,  I  whispered  to  some  one,  and 
said,  '  If  ever  I  come  again,  many  of  those,  who  now  seem  extremely  civil, 
will  turn  out  my  open  enemies.'  The  event  has  proved,  that,  in  this 
respect,  I  have  been  no  false  prophet.  You  know  where  it  is  written, 
'  There  arose  a  king,  who  knew  not  Joseph.'  Freed,  therefore,  from  their 
former  restraint,  many  have  appeared  in  puris  natiiralibiis.  Some  occa- 
sions of  offence  had  undoubtedly  been  given  whilst  I  was  here,  and 
preached  up  and  down  the  country.  Nothing,  however,  appeared  but  a 
pure,  divine  power,  converting,  and  transforming  people's  hearts,  of  all 
ranks,  without  any  extraordinary  phenomena  attending  it.  Good  Mr. 
Tennent  succeeded  me  ;  numbers  succeeded  him.  Lectures  were  set  up 
in  various  places.  One  minister  called  to  another,  to  help  to  drag  the 
gospel  net  ;  and  one  would  have  imagined  the  millennium  was  coming. 
At  last,  wild-fire  broke  out  and  spread  itself ;  and,  it  must  be  confessed, 
that,  many  good  souls,  both  among  clergy  and  laity,  for  a  while,  mistook 
fancy  for  faith,  and  imagination  for  revelation  ;  and  were  guilty  of  great 
imprudences.  What  these  were,  I  have  not  time  now  to  particularize  ;  I 
can  only  inform  you,  that  all  is  laid  to  me  as  being  the.  pn'mion  mobile, 
though  there  was  not  so  much  as  the  appearance  of  anything  of  this 
nature  when  I  left  New  England  last.  But,  maugre  all,  my  poor  labours 
are  yet  attended  with  the  usual  blessings." 

Whitefield  seems  to  have  spent  about  three  months  in 
Boston  and  its  neighbourhood,  partly  in  preacliing,  and 
partly  in  writing  pamphlets  and  sermons  for  the  press. 

Hence  the  following  : — 

"  Boston,  February  6,  1 745. 
"  I  remember  you  once  told  me,  one  of  the  good  old  Puritans  wTote, 
that  he  went  from  Old  England  \.o  avoid  the  lord  bishops,  and  came  to 
New  England  to  get  under  the  Lord  Brethren.  Well  is  it  at  present  that 
there  are  '  Lord  Brethren;'  for,  finding  some  of  their  pastors,  without 
cause,  shy  of  me,  they  have  passed  votes  of  invitation  for  me  to  preach  in 
the  pulpits  ;  and  some  time  ago  prevailed  upon  me  to  set  up  a  lecture  at 
six  o'clock  in  the  inorning.  Not  expecting  a  very  great  auditory,  I  opened 
a  lecture  in  one  of  the  smallest  meeting-houses,  upon  these  words,  '  And 
they  came  early  in  the  morning  to  hear  him.'  How  was  I  disappointed  ! 
Such  great  numbers  flocked  to  hear,  that  I  was  obliged  to  make  use  of  two 
of  their  largest  places  of  worship,  where,  I  believe,  seldom  less  than  two 
or  three  thousand  hearers  assembled.  I  began  with  the  first  of  Genesis, 
and  have  lectured,  in  order,  till  I  am  almost  come  to  the  story  of  Abraham 
sending  his  servant  to  fetch  a  wife  for  Isaac.  It  is  impossible  to  describe 
the  eagerness  and  punctuality  of  these  early  visitants.  To  see  so  many 
VOL.  II.  10 


Aee 


146  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1745  hundreds,  of  both  sexes,  neatly  dressed,  walking  or  riding  so  early  along 
the  streets  to  get  food  for  their  souls,  has  feasted  my  own  heart.  The 
Pharaohs,  who  used  to  say,  '  Ye  are  idle,  ye  are  idle,'  now  are  struck 
dumb ;  for  lecture,  and  family  prayer,  and  breakfast,  are  over  in  many 
houses  before  the  sun  is  suffered  to  come  into  the  windows  of  others  ;  and 
it  is  become  almost  a  common  proverb,  '  Between  tar-water  and  early 
rising,  the  physicians  will  have  no  business.'  One  morning,  the  crowd 
was  so  great,  that  I  was  obliged  to  go  in  at  the  window.  The  high-sheriff, 
who  was  most  forward  in  persecuting  good  Mr.  Davenport,  accompanied 
me ;  and  when  he  put  his  head  into  the  window  after  me,  the  people  were 
ready  to  cry  out,  '  Is  Saul  also  among  the  prophets  ?' " 

These  were  remarkable  scenes,  on  cold,  dark,  wintry 
mornings,  in  the  city  of  Boston,  where  ministers  had 
joined  in  denouncing  Whitefield,  and  where  the  "  Lord 
Brethrai"  by  their  voting  powers,  had  defeated  the  ministers, 
and  had  opened  to  Whitefield  their  pulpit-doors.  Under 
the  circumstances,  his  success  was  marvellous.  The  fol- 
lowing extract  describes  one  of  his  converts  : — 

Boston,  February  17,  1745. 

"  Good  Mr.  P '  told  me  I  should  be  very  shortly  favoured  with  the 

company  of  a  very  pensive  and  uncommon  person  ; — a  man  of  good  parts, 
ready  wit,  and  lively  imagination,  who,  in  order  to  furnish  matter  for 
preaching  over  a  bottle,  had  made  it  his  business  to  come  and  hear,  and 
then  carry  away  scraps  of  my  sermons  to  serve  as  texts  for  his  tavern 
harangues.  A  few  nights  ago,  he  came,  for  this  purpose,  to  Dr.  Sewall's 
meeting.  Upon  my  coming  in,  he  crowded  after  me  amongst  the  people, 
and,  having  got  sufficient  matter  to  work  upon,  attempted  to  go  out  ;  but, 
being  pent  in  on  every  side,  his  endeavours  were  fruitless.  Obliged  thus 
to  stay,  waiting  for  fresh  matter  for  ridicule,  he  was  pricked  to  the  heart. 

He  came  to  Mr.  P ,  full  of  horror,  confessed  his  crimes,  and  longed  to 

ask  my  pardon,  but  was  afraid  to  see  me.     Mr.  P encouraged  him  to 

venture.  This  morning,  hearing  some  one  knock  at  my  parlour  door,  I 
arose,  and,  upon  opening  the  door,  by  the  paleness,  pensiveness,  and 
horror  of  his  countenance,  guessed  who  he  was.  He  cried,  '  Sir,  can  you 
forgive  me?'  I  smiled,  and  said,  ' Yes,  sir,  very  readily.'  He  replied, 
*  Indeed,  sir,  you  cannot  when  I  tell  you  all.'  I  then  asked  him  to  sit 
down  ;  and,  judging  that  he  had  sufficiently  felt  the  lashes  of  the  law,  I 
preached  to  him  the  gospel." 

'  Probably,  the  Rev.  Thomas  Prince,  co-pastor  with  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Sewall,  of  the  Old  South  Church,  Boston.  He  died  in  1758,  leaving 
behind  him  a  large  collection  of  public  and  private  papers  relating  to  the 
civil  and  religious  history  of  New  England.  During  the  siege  of  Boston, 
the  Old  South  Meeting  House  was  used  for  a  riding  school,  nearly  all  the 
timber  of  the  pews  and  galleries  being  used  for  warming  it,  and  a  large 
portion  of  Prince's  manuscripts,  and  invaluable  pamphlets  employed  in 
kindling  the  fires. 


Paper   Warfare.  147 


The  following  refers  to  the  paper  warfare  at  that  time 
raging,  and  which  has  been  already  noticed : — 

"Boston,  February  19,  1745. 
"  Tempora  )}mta7iinr.  A  confederacy,  a  confederacy !  The  clergy, 
amongst  whom  are  a  few  mistaken,  misinformed  good  old  men,  are  pub- 
lishing halfpenny  testimonials  against  me.  Even  the  president,  professors, 
and  tutors,  of  Harvard  College,  where,  some  few  years  ago,  I  was  received 
with  svich  uncommon  respect,  have  joined  the  confederacy.  The  testi- 
monials have  done  me  real  service.  I  certainly  did  drop  some  unguarded 
expressions  in  the  heat  of  less  experienced  youth  ;  and  was  too  precipitate 
in  hearkening  to,  and  publishing  private  information.  Some  good  friends 
are  publishing  testimonials  in  my  favour.  Thus  you  see  what  a  militant 
state  we  are  in  at  present.  Amidst  all,  the  word  runs,  and  is  glorified. 
Many  are  so  enraged  at  the  treatment  1  meet  with,  that  they  came  to  me 
lately,  assuring  me  that,  if  I  will  consent,  they  will  erect,  in  a  few  weeks' 
time,  the  outside  of  the  largest  place  of  worship  in  America  ;  but,  you 
know,  ceiled  houses  were  never  my  aim.  I,  therefore,  thanked  them  for 
their  kind  offer  ;  but  begged  leave  to  refuse  accepting  it.  How  or  when 
the  present  storm  will  subside  is  uncertain.  I  can  only,  at  present,  beg  the 
continuance  of  your  prayers,  that,  I  may  be  kept  in  good  temper  towards 
those,  who,  I  believe,  really  think  they  do  God's  service  by  opposing  me." 

Whitcfield  was  busy  writing  for  the  press  ;  and,  as  soon 
as  he  had  finished  three  of  his  pamphlets,  he  seems  to  have 
returned  to  Piscataqua.  Why  he  deferred  going  to  his 
Orphan  House,  it  is  impossible  to  determine  ;  but  he  was 
happy,  and  hard  at  work.      Hence  the  following  : — 

"  Piscataqua,  March  6,  1745. 

"  1  have  sent  a  letter  to  Dr.  C .,  with  my  Answer  to  Harvard  College, 

and  my  Answer  to  the  Second  Part  of  the  Observations,  and  also  my 
Remarks  upon  the  Charge  of  the  Bishop  of  Lichfield.  May  Jesus  give 
tliem  His  blessing  !  I  would  have  them  printed  so  as  to  be  sold  cheap. 
You  may  collect,  or  print  them  severally,  as  you  will.  1  cannot  yet  get  time 
to  prepare  my  sermons,  or  the  other  part  of  my  life,  for  the  press.  I  am 
writing  another  New  England  journal,  which  I  will  send,  when  I  leave 
the  country.     When  that  will  be,  I  know  not, 

"  America,  I  am  afraid,  begins  to  be  too  dear  to  me.  The  Lord  smiles 
upon  me  and  mine,  and  makes  us  very  happy  in  Himself,  and  happy  in  one 
another.  Here  is  a  very  large  field  of  action.  My  bodily  strength  is 
recovered  ;  and  my  soul  is  more  than  ever  in  love  with  a  crucified  Jesus." 

On   the  same  day,  Whitefield  wrote  to  John  Cennick,  a. 
follows  : — 

"  Our  Saviour  wonderfully  smiles  on  us  here.  The  Lord  helps  me  to 
preach  with  the  demonstration  of  the  Spirit,  and  with  power.     My  wife 


148  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1745  and  I  go  on  like  two  happy  pilgrims,  leaning  upon  our  Beloved.  O  help 
—  us  to  adore  and  praise  free  grace  !  We  salute  all  the  conference  and 
^^  ^°  trustees,  and  every  particular  choir,  and  the  Societies  in  every  place." 

For  a  season,  Cennick  succeeded  Whitefield  in  the  Taber- 
nacle, Moorfields  ;  and  he  and  others  introduced  into  some 
of  the  Societies  "  choirs,"  or  classes  for  singing  "  psalms  and 
hymns  and  spiritual  songs,"  after  the  manner  of  the  Moravians. 
Indeed,  Cennick  already  was  more  of  a  Moravian  than  a 
Whitefieldian  ;  and,  in  December  1745,  openly  avowed  his 
predilection.  Thomas  Adams,  his  colleague  at  the  Taber- 
nacle, as  openly  opposed  the  sentiments  which  Cennick  had 
advanced.  The  result  was,  Cennick  seceded,  and  joined  the 
Unitas  Fratrum.  A  large  number  of  the  people,  both  in 
London  and  the  provinces,  followed  his  example  ;  and  even 
those  who  remained  behind  wept  at  his  departure,  for  he 
was  greatly  beloved  by  all.  Cennick's  secession  was  a 
severe  shock  to  the  Connexion  ;  but  Whitefield  and  Cennick 
retained  their  friendship  for  each  other,  and  kept  up  an 
affectionate  correspondence  until  Cennick's  death,  in  1755.^" 

Whitefield  had  been  nearly  five  months  in  America,  but 
had  not  visited  his  Orphanage  in  Georgia.  He  had  arranged, 
however,  for  Mr.  Habersham,  the  orphans'  chaplain,  to  visit 
him.      Hence  the  following  to  a  friend,  in  London  : — 

"  PiscATAQUA  (sixty  miles  from  Boston), 

'^  March  12,  1745. 
"  This  comes  by  a  young  gentleman,  who  expects  to  return  to  South 
Carolina  in  August  next.     By  him,  I  send  you  one  of  each  of  the  pam- 
phlets I  have  published  here.    I  would  have  them  sent  to  Scotland  as  soon 
as  may  be.     America  is  pleasanter  and  pleasanter  every  day.     The  door 

'  Primitive  Methodist  Magazine,  1865,  p.  715-16.  , 

'  The  Rev.  Edward  Morgan,  in  his  "Life  and  Times  of  Howell  Harris,' 
gives  several  extracts  from  a  manuscript  volume,  called  "  A  Conference 
Book, — including  a  general  account  of  the  affairs  of  the  Tabernacle, 
before  and  after  the  separation  of  John  Cennick  ;  and  an  account  of  the 
Preachers,  Labourers,  and  Trustees,  in  connexion  with  Mr.  Whitefield, 
from  December  1743  to  1749."  One  of  these  extracts  relates,  that,  an 
association  was  held  in  London,  in  1745,  at  which  Cennick,  Harris, 
Hamond,  Adams,  Pugh,  Godwin,  Heatly,  Thorn,  Simns,  and  Salmon, 
were  present.  Cennick  stated,  that,  he  thought  himself  called  to  join  the 
Moravians.  He  delivered  up  the  care  of  the  Tabernacle  to  Harris.  The 
Societies  in  Wiltshire  were  given  to  Cennick,  because  they  chose  him  as 
heir  leader.  Two  or  three  of  the  preachers  went  with  him.  It  was  agreed 
hat  Harris  should  remain  at  the  Tabernacle  till  the  commencement  of 
746  ;  and  that  he  should  then  be  succt^eded  by  Herbert  Jenkins. 


Cape  Breton  Expedition.  149 

for  preaching  opens  wider  and  wider.     I  am  preparing  my  sermons  for  1745 

the  press,'  and  am  also  writing  another  journal.     You  shall  have  them  the  — 

first  opportunity.     I  wrote  to  you  last  week,  and  sent  about  fifty  letters,  by  ^S*^  3** 
Captain  Darling.     I  expect  Mr.  Habersham  hourly." 

The  editor  of  the  Christian  History  adds  :  "  Mr.  Haber- 
sham arrived  soon  after  the  writing  of  the  above  letter  ;  and 
wrote,  from  the  same  place,  on  March  1 8,  and  stated,  that 
Mr.  Whitefield  had  been  as  far  eastward  as  was  settled  by 
the  English  (which  is  about  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles),  and 
had  preached  with  much  success.  Mr.  Whitefield  was  to  go 
with  him  to  Boston  the  next  day,  to  consult  friends  there 
about  the  affairs  of  the  Orphan  House  in  Georgia,  which  was 
what  Mr.  Habersham  came  there  about." 

Soon  after  this,  Whitefield  was  in  a  new  position.  Up 
to  the  present,  Cape  Breton  had  been  in  the  possession  of 
the  French.  Besides  being  the  key  to  Canada,  the  island 
was  of  great  importance  in  a  mercantile  point  of  view.  The 
soil  was  poor,  but,  in  1743,  fish  was  exported  to  the  amount 
of  a  million  sterling.  In  return  for  this,  the  people  received 
sugar  and  coffee,  rum  and  molasses  ;  part  of  which  they 
used  themselves,  and  the  remainder  of  which  they  conveyed 
to  Canada  and  New  England,  where  they  obtained,  in  ex- 
change, fruits,  vegetables,  bricks,  wood,  and  cattle.  Cape 
Breton,  also,  was  a  formidable  seminary  of  seamen,  the 
French  employing,  in  their  enormous  fishery,  twenty  thousand 
men,  and  at  least  a  thousand  sail  of  from  two  to  four 
hundred  tons  each.  English  ships  were  terribly  exposed  to 
privateers  and  men  of  war  issuing  from  the  island.  Posses- 
sion of  the  place  would  not  only  cut  off  all  communication 
between  France  and  Quebec,  but  the  harbour  would  likewise 
be  a  safer  retreat  for  British  vessels,  than  any  other  harbour 
in  North  America.  In  1745,  a  plan  for  the  invasion  of 
Cape  Breton  was  laid  at  Boston,  and  New  England  bore  the 
expense  of  it.  Colonel  Pepperell,  who  has  been  already 
introduced  to  the  reader's  notice,  was  entrusted  with  the 
command   of    an    army    of    six   thousand    men,    levied    for 

*  These  were  probably  the  following :  "  Twenty-three  Sermons  on 
various  Subjects  :  to  which  are  added  sex'eral  Prayers.  By  George  White- 
field,  A.B.,  late  of  Pembroke  College,  Oxford.  A  new  edition,  revised 
and  corrected  by  the  author.  London  :  printed  by  W.  Strahan.  1745." 
(i2mo.  388  pp.) 


150  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1745  the  expedition  ;  and  these  forces,  convoyed  by  a  squadron 
Age  30  from  Jamaica,  brought  the  first  news  to  Cape  Breton 
of  the  danger  that  threatened  it.  The  invaders  had  to 
encounter  but  six  hundred  regular  troops,  and  eight 
hundred  inhabitants  armed  in  haste.  Still,  the  success 
of  the  undertaking  would  have  been  precarious,  if  the 
soldiers  on  the  island  had  fought  with  their  accustomed 
spirit.  It  so  happened,  however,  that,  for  the  last  six 
months,  they  had,  in  fact,  been  in  open  rebellion.  The 
construction  and  repairs  of  the  fortifications  of  Louisbourg, 
sometimes  called  "  the  Gibraltar  of  America,"  had  always 
been  left  to  the  care  of  the  garrison  ;  but  the  troops  had 
been  so  defrauded  of  the  profit  of  their  labours,  that  they 
had  determined  to  assert  their  rights  ;  and  their  indignation 
had  risen  to  such  a  pitch,  that  they  now  despised  all 
authority.  The  soldiers,  indeed,  made  advances  against 
the  invaders  ;  but,  after  a  siege  of  seven  weeks,  the  Governor 
of  Cape  Breton  was  obliged,  on  the  i^th  of  June,  to  sign  a 
capitulation,  whereby  the  island,  and  its  harbour  of  Louis- 
bourg, became  the  possession  of  his  Britannic  Majesty.  On 
the  news  reaching  London,  the  conquest  was  celebrated  by 
the  firing  of  cannons,  the  illumination  of  the  public  offices, 
the  ringing  of  bells,  the  lighting  of  bonfires,  and  all  the  other 
usual  demonstrations  of  national  thankfulness  and  joy.^ 

These  remarks  will  help  to  explain  the  following  letter : — - 

"  Boston,  Jtdy  29,  1745. 

**  You  will  be  surprised  that  a  messenger  of  the  Prince  of  peace  should 
beat  up  to  arms.  No  doubt,  you  have  judged  me,  as  well  you  may  ;  but 
Providence  seemed  to  force  me  into  it. 

"  The  Cape  Breton  expedition  was  begun  and  finished  before  it  could 
be  scarcely  known  to  you  at  home.  Worthy  Colonel  Pepperell  was  fixed 
upon  to  command.  The  day  before  he  accepted  the  commission,  he  pur- 
posed to  dine  with  me,  to  ask  my  advice.  I  told  him,  I  hoped,  if  he  did 
undertake  it,  he  would  beg  of  the  Lord  God  of  armies  to  give  him  a  single 
eye ;  that  the  means  proposed  to  take  Louisbourg,  in  the  eye  of  human 
reason,  were  no  more  adequate  to  the  end,  than  the  sounding  of  rams* 
horns  to  blow  down  Jericho  ;  but  that,  if  Providence  really  called  him,  he 
would  return  more  than  conqueror.  He  thanked  me  ;  and,  his  lady  having 
given  her  free  consent,  he  commenced  general. 


London  Magazine,  1745. 


Age 


Cape  Breton  Expedition.  151 

"  The  sound  now  was,  '  To  arms  !  to  arms  ! '  New  recruits  were  1745 
eagerly  sought  after,  and  my  worthy  friend  Mr.  Sherburne  was  appointed 
one  of  the  com.missaries.  Being  at  his  house  one  evening,  he  told  me  that 
he  was  preparing  the  flag,  and  that  I  must  give  him  a  motto,  and  that  the 
people  must  know  I  had  given  it.  I  absolutely  refused,  urging  that  it 
would  be  out  of  character.  He  replied,  he  believed  the  expedition  was  of 
God,  and  that  if  I  did  not  encourage  it,  many  of  the  serious  people  would 
not  enlist.  I  still  refused.  He  desired  me  to  consider,  and  to  sleep  upon 
it,  and  to  give  him  my  answer  in  the  morning.  I  retired,  I  prayed,  I  slept ; 
and,  upon  his  renewing  his  request  in  the  morning,  I  told  him  he  might 
take  this  motto,  *  Nil dcsperandum  Christo  duce.' 

"  Upon  this,  great  numbers  enlisted  ;  and,  before  their  embarkation, 
their  officers  desired  me  to  preach  them  a  sermon.  I  preached  from  these 
words  :  '  As  many  as  were  distressed,  as  many  as  were  discontented,  as 
many  as  were  in  debt,  came  to  David,  and  he  became  a  captain  over 
them.'  Officers,  soldiers,  and  others  attended.  I  spiritualized  the  subject, 
and  told  them  how  distressed  sinners  came  to  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of 
David  ;  and,  in  my  application,  exhorted  the  soldiers  to  behave  like  the 
soldiers  of  David,  and  the  officers  to  act  like  David's  worthies  ;  then,  I 
made  no  manner  of  doubt  but  we  should  receive  good  news  from  Cape 
Breton.  After  this,  I  preached  to  the  general  himself,  who  asked  me  if  I 
■would  not  be  one  of  his  chapbins.  I  told  him,  I  should  think  it  an  honour; 
but  believed,  as  I  generally  preached  three  times  a  day,  in  various  places, 
to  large  congregations,  I  could  do  my  king,  my^  country,  and  my  God 
more  service,  by  stirring  up  the  people  to  pray,  and,  thereby,  strengthening 
his  and  his  soldiers'  hands. 

"  Through  Divine  grace,  I  was  enabled  to  persist  in  this  practice  for 
some  weeks  ;  but,  at  last,  news  arrived  that  the  case  was  desperate. 
Letter  upon  letter  came  from  the  officers  to  those  who  planned  the 
expedition,  and  did  not  know  the  strength  of  the  fortress.  I  smiled,  and 
told  my  friends,  that  I  believed  now  we  should  have  Louisbourg  ;  for  all 
having  confessed  their  helplessness,  God  would  now  reveal  His  arm,  and 
make  our  extremity  His  opportunity.  I  was  not  disappointed  of  my  hope; 
for  one  day,  having  taken  a  weeping  leave  of  dear  Boston,  and  being 
about  to  preach  a  few  miles  out  of  town,  news  was  brought  that  Louis- 
bourg was  taken.  Numbers  flocked  with  great  joy  from  all  quarters, 
and  I  immediately  preached  to  them  a  thanksgiving  sermon  from  these 
words,  '  By  this  I  know  that  Thou  favourest  me,  since  Thou  hast  not 
permitted  mine  enemies  to  triumph  over  me.' 

''  Here  ends,  dear  madam,  my  beating  to  arms.  It  is  left  to  you  to 
judge  as  you  please  of  yours,  etc., 

"George  Whitefield." 

To  say  the  least,  this  is  a  curious  episode  in  English 
history, — Whitefield,  the  despised  Methodist  preacher,  as  so- 
ciated  with  one  of  England's  conquests, — a  conquest  so 
important,  that  King  George  II.  raised  Colonel  Pepperell  to 


152  The  Life  oj    Whilejield. 

1745    the  dignity  of  a  baronet  of  Great  Britain  ;   and  London  and 
Age  30  other  places  went  mad  with  joy/ 

It  is  impossible,  through  want  of  materials,  to  trace  the 
course  of  Whitefield  during  the  next  twelve  months.  Dr. 
Gillies  says,  "  As  his  bodily  strength  increased,  he  began  to 
move  farther  southward  ;  and,  after  preaching  eastward  as 
far  as  Casco  Bay  and  North  Yarmouth,  he  went  through 
Connecticut,  Plymouth,  and  Rhode  Island,  preaching  to 
thousands,  generally  twice  a  day."  Whitefield  himself 
writes  : — 

"  Though  there  was  much  smoke,  yet  every  day  I  had  convincing  proot 
that  a  blessed  gospel  fire  had  been  kindled  in  the  hearts  both  of  ministers 
and  people.  At  New  York,  I  found  that  the  seed  sown  had  sprung  up 
abundantly  ;  and  also  at  the  east  end  of  Long  Island.  In  my  way  to 
Philadelphia,  1  had  the  pleasure  of  preaching,  by  an  interpieter,  to  some 
converted  Indians,  and  of  seeing  near  fifty  young  ones  in  a  school  near 
Freehold,  learning  the  Assembly's  catechism.  A  blessed  awakening  had 
been  begun  among  the  Delaware  Indians,  by  the  instrumentality  of  Mr. 
David  Brainerd."     Mr.  William  Tennent  seemed  to  encourage  his  endea- 


'  Whitefield's  influence  at  Boston  was  enormous.  Among  the  anec- 
dotes, extant,  of  his  power  as  a  preacher,  the  following  is  a  specimen. 
When  preaching  in  Boston,  on  one  occasion,  a  violent  storm  of  thunder 
and  lightning  came  on  ;  and,  in  the  midst  of  his  sermon,  the  congregation 
sat  in  almost  breathless  awe.  Whitefield,  observing  the  consternation 
of  the  people,  fell  on  his  knees,  and,  with  characteristic  pathos,  re- 
peated— 

"  Hark,  the  Eternal  rends  the  sky  ! 

A  mighty  voice  before  Him  goes,- 

A  voice  of  music  to  His  friends. 

But  threat'ning  thunder  to  His  foes  : 

'  Come,  children,  to  your  Father's  arms  ; 

Hide  in  the  chambers  of  my  grace, 

Until  the  storm  be  overblown. 

And  my  revenging  fury  cease.'  " 

The  great  preacher  then  rose  up,  and,  addressing  his  awed  auditors, 
exclaimed,  "Let  us  now  devoutly  sing  the  'Old  Hundred.'"  The 
congregation  started  to  their  feet,  and  burst  into  a  song  of  praise  too 
memorable  to  be  forgotten.  (Belcher's  "  Biography  of  Whitefield," 
p.  469.) 

-  Brainerd  was  a  native  of  Connecticut,  and  was  now  about  twenty-eight 
years  of  age.  In  1739,  he  was  admitted  a  member  of  Yale  College  ;  but 
was  expelled  in  1742,  because  he  expressed  his  belief  that  one  of  the  tutors 
had  no  religion,  and  because  he  had  been  guilty  of  attending  a  religious 
meeting  prohibited  by  the  collegiate  authorities.  In  1743,  he  began  his 
Christian  labours  among  the  Indians.  He  lived  in  a  wigwam,  slept  upon 
a  bundle  of  straw,  and  fed  on  boiled  corn,  hasty  pudding,  and  samp.  His 
success  was  great.  He  died  in  the  house  of  Jonathan  Edwards,  October  9, 
1747,  aged  twenty-nine. 


The  Orphan  House.  153 


vours  with  all  his  heart.    I   found  Mr.  Gilbert  Tennent,  in  Philadelphia,      1746 
settled  in  the  place  "  (building)  "  erected  at  the  beginning  of  the  awakening. 
The  gentlemen  offered  me  ^^Soo  per  annum,  only  to  preach  among  them    ■'  S^  3 
six  months  in  the  year,  leaving  me  at  liberty  to  travel  the  other  six  months 
where  I  would." 

The  offer  here  mentioned  was  made  in  the  month  of 
September,  1745.^  Where  and  how  he  spent  the  remainder 
of  the  year  cannot  be  ascertained. 

On  the  1st  of  January,  1746,  he  was  at  Bethesda,  in 
Georgia,  where  he  remained  during  the  next  three  months.^ 
It  is  a  strange  fact,  that  the  most  adverse  rumours  had  been 
circulated  respecting  the  Orphan  House,  and  that,  in  New 
England,  affidavits  had  been  made  that  the  institution  did 
not  exist.^  To  silence  such  calumnies,  Whitefield  and 
Habersham  appeared  before  Henry  Parker  and  William 
Spencer,  bailiffs  of  Savannah,  to  whom  they  submitted  the 
Orphan  House  ledger,  and  swore  that  the  book  contained 
"  a  just  and  true  account  of  all  the  moneys  collected  by  or 
given  to  them,  or  any  other,  for  the  use  and  benefit  of  the 
said  House  ;  and  that  the  disbursements  had  been  faithfully 
applied  to  and  for  the  use  of  the  same."  Whitefield  further 
swore  that  "  he  had  not  converted  or  applied  any  part  thereof 
to  his  own  private  use  and  property,  neither  had  he  charged 
the  said  House  with  any  of  his  travelling,  or  any  other  private 
expenses  whatever." 

Besides  this,  William  Woodroofe,  William  Ewen,  and 
William  Russel,  of  Savannah,  appeared  before  the  same 
bailiffs,  and  swore  that  they  had  "  carefully  and  strictly 
examined  all  and  singular  the  accounts  relating  to  the 
Orphan  House,  contained  in  forty-one  pages,  in  a  book 
entitled  '  Receipts  and  Disbursements  for  the  Orphan  House 
in  Georgia  ;'  and  had  also  carefully  and  strictly  examined 
the  original  bills,  receipts,  and  other  vouchers,  from  the  15  th 
of  December,  1738,  to  the  ist  of  January,  1746  ; "  and  found 
"  that  the  moneys  received  on  account  of  the  said  Orphan 
House  amounted  to  the  sum  of  ^^4,982  12s.  8d.  sterling,  and 
that  it  did  not  appear  that  the  Reverend  Mr.  Whitefield  had 


'  "Life  of  Howell  Harris,"  1791,  p.  176. 

"^  "  Further  Account  of  Cod's  Dealings  with  Rev.  G.  Whitefield,"  1747, 
pp.  29  and  37. 

"  London  Magazine,  1745,  p.  603. 


154  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 


1746  converted  any  part  thereof  to  his  own  private  use  and  property, 
AnT^-i  or  charged  the  said  House  with  any  of  his  travelhng  or  other 
private  expenses  ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  had  contributed  to 
the  said  House  many  valuable  benefactions."  The  three 
auditors  further  swore,  "  that  the  moneys  disbursed  on  account 
of  the  said  House  amounted  to  the  sum  of  ;^5,5  1 1  17s.  9|d. 
sterling,  all  of  which  appeared  to  have  been  faithfully  and 
justly  applied  to  and  for  the  use  and  benefit  of  the  said  House 
only." 

To  the  two  affidavits,  the  substance  of  which  is  here  given, 
the  bailiffs  appended  the  following  : — 

"Sworn  this  i6th  day  of  April,  1746,  before  us  bailiffs  of  Savannah  ;  in 
justification  whereof  we  have  hereunto  fixed  our  hands,  and  the  common 

seal. 

"  Henry  Parker. 
"  William  Spencer." 

Whitefield  acted  wisely  in  thus  submitting  his  accounts  to 
official  auditors.  It  was  the  only  way  to  silence  the  falsehoods 
of  his  enemies.  His  friends,  also,  were  entitled  to  such  an 
audit,  and  to  such  a  magisterial  declaration. 

After  all  his  efforts,  Whitefield  was  still  in  debt  to  the 
amount  of  i^5  29  5s.  lid.  ;  and  he  now,  with  a  confessedly 
honest  front,  appealed  to  his  friends,  in  America  and  England, 
to  defray  the  debt,  and  told  them  that  any  one  wishing  to 
contribute  might  send  their  gifts  "  to  Mr.  Branson,  iron  mer- 
chant, in  Philadelphia  ;  the  Rev.  Mr.  Smith,  in  Charleston  ; 
Mr.  John  Smith,  merchant,  in  Boston  ;  the  Rev.  Mr.  Si-itiift, 
in  Portsmouth,  New  Hampshire  ;  the  Rev.  Mr.  Pemberton,  in 
New  York  ;  Mr.  James  Habersham,^  merchant,  in  Savannah  ; 
Gabriel  Harris,  Esq.,  in  Gloucester  ;  Mr.  James  Smith,  at  St. 
Philip's  Plain,  in  Bristol  ;  Mr.  John  Kennedy,  at  Exon  ;  Mr. 
Jonathan  Houlliere,  in  Queen  Street,  Upper  Moorfields  ;  and 
Mr.  William  Strahan,  printer,  in  Wine  Office  Court,  Fleet 
Street." 

After  all  this,  no  one  could  reasonably  dispute  the  existence 
of  the  Orphan  House,  or  Whitefield's  honesty  ;  but  it  might 
be  asked,  had  the  ^5,511  17s.  9^d.  been  well  expended.^ 
An  answer  to  this  question  will  be  found  in  the  foUowing 


Habersham  had  now  left  the  Orphan  House. 


The  Orphayi  House.  155 

testimony,  given  by  one  of  Whitefield's  enemies, — a  gentleman    ^746 
who  had  made  a  tour  through  most  of  America,  and,  in  his  Age  31 
travels,  visited  the  Orphan  House,  in  1 743.     After  describing  a 
magnificent  vista,  of  nearly  three  miles'  length,  cut  through  the 
pine  groves  between  Wormsloe  and  Bethesda,  the  gentleman 
observes  : — ■ 

"It  gave  me  much  satisfaction  to  have  an  opportunity  to  see  Mr. 
Whitefield's  Orphan  House,  as  the  design  had  made  such  a  noise  in 
Europe,  and  the  very  being  of  it  was  so  much  doubted  everywhere,  that, 
even  no  farther  from  it  than  New  England,  affidavits  were  made  to  the 
contrary. 

"  It  is  a  square  building  of  very  large  dimensions,  the  foundations  of 
which  are  brick,  with  chimneys  of  the  same  ;  the  rest  of  the  superstructure 
is  of  wood.  The  whole  is  laid  out  in  a  neat  and  elegant  manner.  A  kind 
of  piazza  surrounds  it,  which  is  a  very  pleasing  retreat  in  the  summer.  The 
hall  and  all  the  apartments  are  very  commodious,  and  prettily  furnished. 
The  garden,  which  is  very  extensive,  and  well  kept,  is  one  of  the  best  I 
ever  saw  in  America  ;  and  you  may  discover  in  it  plants  and  fruits  of 
almost  every  climate  and  kind.  The  outhouses  are  convenient ;  and  the 
plantation  will  soon  surpass  almost  anything  in  the  country. 

"  We  were  received  by  Mr.  Barber,  a  Dissenting  minister,  in  a  genteel 
and  friendly  manner.  They  were  at  dinner  when  we  arlnved,  the  whole 
family  at  one  table  ;  and  never  was  there  a  more  orderly,  pretty  sight.  If 
I  recollect  aright,  besides  Mr.  Barber,  the  schoolmaster,  and  some  women, 
there  were  near  forty  young  persons  of  both  sexes,  dressed  very  neatly  and 
decently.  After  dinner,  they  retired,  the  boys  to  school,  the  girls  to  their 
spinning  and  knitting.  I  was  told,  their  vacant  hours  were  employed  in 
the  garden,  and  in  plantation  work. 

"  Prepossessed  with  a  bad  opinion  of  the  institution,  I  made  all  the 
enquiries  I  could,  and,  in  short,  became  a  convert  to  the  design,  which 
seems  very  conducive  to  the  good  of  the  infant  colony.  Whatever  opinion 
I  may  have  of  the  absurdity  of  some  of  their  religious  notions,  tenets,  and 
practices,  yet,  so  far  as  they  conduce  to  inculcate  sobriety,  industry,  and 
frugality,  they  deserve  encouragement  from  all  well-wishers  of  the  country. 
I  could  not  here  perceive  anything  of  that  spirit  of  uncharitableness  and 
enthusiastic  bigotry,  for  which  their  leader  is  so  famed,  and  of  which  I 
heard  shocking  instances  all  over  America." 

The  writer  then  proceeds  to  speak  of  the  road  which 
Whitefield  made  from  the  Orphan  House  to  Savannah, — a 
"  road  cut  through  the  woods,  and  which  had  a  hundred 
curiosities  to  delight  the  attentive  traveller."  He  describes 
Savannah  ;  speaks  of  the  air  as  "  pure  and  serene  ;"  and 
concludes  by  deploring  the  ingratitude,  ignorance,  opposition 


156  The  Lije  of  Whitejield. 

»746    to  government,  and  the  "  cursed  spirit  of  dissension  amongst  " 
Age  31  the  people,  which  had  nearly  ruined  the  colony.^ 

So  much  from  an  unfriendly  visitor.  What  says  the 
founder  ?  In  the  "  Further  Account  of  God's  Dealings  " 
with  him,  published  in  1 747,  there  is  a  long  letter,  written 
only  five  days  after  the  date  of  the  affidavits  just  mentioned. 
The  following  is  an  extract  from  it  : — 

"Bethesda,  in  Georgia,  March  i\st,  1746. 

"  My  very  dear  Friend, — It  is  now  some  months  since  I  arrived 
here.  Blessed  be  God  !  Bethesda  has  proved  to  be  a  house  of  mercy  to 
many.  Several  of  our  labourers,  as  well  as  visitors,  have  been  born  of  God 
here,  and  have  given  proofs  of  it,  by  bringing  forth  the  fr  lits  of  the  Spirit. 
Many  boys  have  been  put  out  to  trades  ;  and  many  girls  put  out  to  service. 
One  boy,  whom  I  brought  from  New  England,  is  handsomely  settled  in 
Carolina  ;  and  another,  from  Philadelphia,  is  married,  and  lives  very 
comfortably  at  Savanjiah,  How  so  large  a  family  has  been  supported,  in 
such  a  colony,  without  any  visible  fund,  is  wonderful.  I  am  surprised, 
when  I  look  back,  and  see  how,  for  these  six  years  last  past,  God  has  spread 
a  table  in  the  wilderness  for  so  many  persons. 

"  I  cannot  yet  say,  that  I  have  surmounted  the  first  year's  expense,  which 
indeed  was  very  great ;  but,  by  the  blessing  of  God,  I  doubt  not,  in  a  short 
time,  to  pay  off  my  arrears ;  and  then  the  family  will  be  maintained  at  a 
small  expense. 

"  My  standing  annual  charges  are  now  but  trifling  to  what  they  have 
been  ;  and  my  friends  have  raised  an  annual  subscription  sufficient  for 
discharging  them,  till  the  family  may  be  able  to  provide  for  itself.  This, 
I  hope,  will  be,  in  a  good  measure,  speedily  effected.  We  have  lately 
begun  to  use  the  plough  ;  and  next  year  I  hope  to  have  many  acres  of 
good  oats  and  barley.  We  have  near  twenty  sheep  and  lambs,  fifty  head 
of  cattle,  and  seven  horses.  We  hope  to  kill  a  thousandweight  of  pork 
this  season.  Our  garden,  which  is  very  beautiful,  furnishes  us  with  all 
sorts  of  greens.  We  have  plenty  of  milk,  eggs,  and  poultry  ;  and  make, a 
good  deal  of  butter  weekly.  A  good  quantity  of  wool  and  cotton  has 
been  given  me,  and  we  hope  to  have  sufficient  spun  and  woven  for  the 
next  winter's  clothing.  If  the  vines  hit,  we  may  expect  two  or  three 
hogsheads  of  wine  out  of  the  vineyard. 

"  The  family  now  consists  of  twenty-six  persons.  Two  of  the  orphan 
boys  are  blind  ;  one  is  little  better  than  an  idiot.  But,  notwithstanding, 
they  are  useful  in  the  family ;  the  one  in  the  field,  and  the  other  in  the 
kitchen.  I  have  two  women  to  take  care  of  the  household  work,  and 
three  men  and  two  boys  employed  about  the  plantation  and  cattle.  A 
set  of  Dutch  servants  has  lately  been  sent  to  Georgia ;  the  magistrates 
were  pleased  to  give  me  two  of  them.  I  took  in  a  poor  old  widow,  aged 
nearly  seventy,  whom  nobody  else  cared  to  have.     A  valuable  young 

'  London  Magazine,  1745,  p.  603. 


The  Orphan  House.  157 


man,  from   New   England,  is  my  schoolmaster  ;   and,  in  my  absence,     1746 
performs  duty  in  the  family.     On  Sabbaths,  the  grown  people  attend  on       — 
public  worship  at  Savannah,  or  at  Whitebluff,  a  village  near  Bethesda,    ^S^  3^ 
where  a  Dutch  minister  officiates.     My  dear  friends,  who  have  hitherto 
been  my  assistants,  being  married  and  having  each  one  or  two  children, 
thought  it  best  to  remove,  and  are  now  comfortably  settled — some  at 
Savannah,  and  some  elsewhere. 

"  Many  have  applied  to  me  to  erect  a  public  school,  and  to  take  their 
children  as  boarders  ;  but  I  have  not  yet  determined.  If  there  should  be 
peace,  it  is  certain  that  such  a  school  would  be  exceedingly  useful,  not 
only  for  these  northern  parts  of  the  colony,  but  also  for  the  more  southern 
parts  of  Carolina,  and  for  Parisburgh  and  Frederica,  where  are  many  fine 
youths.  I  have  been  prevailed  on  to  take  one  from  Frederica,  and  another 
from  Purisburg,  and  it  may  be  shall  admit  more.  For  the  present,  con- 
sidering the  situation  of  affairs,'  I  think  it  most  prudent  to  go  on  in 
making  what  improvements  I  can  on  the  plantation,  and  to  bring  a  tutor 
with  me,  from  the  north,  in  the  fall,  to  teach  a  few  youths  the  languages, 
and  enlarge  the  family  when  affairs  are  more  settled.  The  house  is  a 
noble,  commodious  building,  and  everything  is  sweetly  adapted  for  bring- 
ing up  youth.  Here  is  land  to  employ  them  and  exercise  their  bodies, 
and  keep  them  from  idleness  out  of  school  hours.  Here  are  none  of  the 
temptations,  to  debauch  their  tender  minds,  which  are  common  to  more 
populous  countries,  or  in  places  where  children  must  necessarily  be  brought 
up  with  negroes. 

"What  God  intends^to  do  with  the  colony  is  not  for  me  to  enquire; 
but  it  has  hitherto  been  wonderfully  preserved  ;  and  the  Orphan  House, 
ike  the  burning  bush,  has  flourished  unconsumed.  No  doubt  the  govern- 
ment has  its  welfare  much  at  heart ;  and  I  intend  to  carry  on  my  design 
till  I  see  the  colony  sink  or  swim.  The  money  that  has  been  expended 
on  the  Orphan  House,  and  Orphan  House  family,  has  been  of  vast  service 
to  this  part  of  the  country. 

"  I  have  had  a  very  comfortable  winter.  The  people  of  Savannah, 
having  no  minister  till  lately,  gladly  accepted  my  labours  ;  and,  at 
Frederica,  the  gentlemen  and  soldiers  of  General  Oglethorpe's  regiment, 
as  well  as  the  inhabitants  of  the  town,  received  me  very  gladly.  Major 
Horton-  seems  to  behave  well.  He  has  a  fine  growing  plantation.  I  saw 
barley  in  the  car  on  the  ist  of  March.  Georgia  is  very  healthy.  Only  a 
little  child  has  died  out  of  our  family  since  it  removed  to  Bethesda.  If 
the  inhabitants  were  sufficiently  numerous,  I  think  the  colony  is  capable 
of  as  much  improvement  as  any  on  the  continent." 

Such  then  were  the  bold  and  benevolent  schemes  of  the 
indigent  young  clergyman,  who,  for  the  last  eight  years, 
had  been  abused  and  lampooned  by  thousands   of  professing 

'  The  war. 

"  Oglethorpe  was  now  in  England,  and  Major  Horton  was  his  military 
deputy  in  Georgia. 


158  The  Life  of  Whitefield, 

^746    Christians,  of  all  descriptions.     While  they  reviled,  White- 
Age  31     field  worked. 

In  England,  Howell  Harris  faithfully  did  his  utmost,  as 
Whitefield's  locum  tencns.      He  writes  :  — 

"  London,  February  18,  1746. 
"  Since  I  came  here,  the  Lord  has  been  very  kind  to  us.  He  is  returning 
apace  to  the  despised  Tabernacle.  All  disputing  has  quite  ceased,  and 
we  go  on  harmoniously  together.  We  are  now  settling  the  Society  in 
classes  ;  and  re-settling  all  the  scattered  bands.  I  have  been  through 
every  class.  Many  propose  to  join  the  bands  and  Society.  We  have  had 
a  letter  from  Mrs.  Whitefield,  giving  an  account  of  the  progress  of  the 
gospel  in  America.  The  Indians  and  negroes  are  baptized,  twelve  or 
fourteen  in  a  day  ;  and  many  of  them  are  filled  with  the  grace  of  the 
Holy  Spirit."' 

Harris  was  full  of  hope  ;  but  his  hope  was  not  realized. 
Whitefield's  presence  among  the  Calvinistic  Methodists  was 
sorely  needed.  Cennick's  secession  had  been  a  peril  and  a 
disaster.  Both'people  and  preachers  suffered  loss.  James 
Hutton,  with  more  sourness  than  sanctity,  observed  :  "  Of 
all  the  crowds  of  the  Tabernacle  people  that  offered  to  come 
amongst  us"  (the  Moravians),  "  we  have  found  scarce  two  or 
three  that  are  good  for  anything."  "^ 

When  Cennick  seceded  in  1745,  the  Association  at  the 
Tabernacle  "  gave  up"  to  him  and  the  Moravians  the  Societies 
in  Wiltshire  ;  but  some  of  the  Societies  objected  to  this 
arrangement,  and,  since  then,  had  requested  Whitefield's 
preachers  to  revisit  them.  At  the  Association  held  in 
Bristol,  March  7,  1 746,  the  matter  was  discussed  ;  and 
Howell  Harris  wrote  a  letter  "  to  the  Brethren  at  Fetter 
Lane,"  endeavouring  to  promote  a  common  understanding 
with  respect  to  the  fields  of  labour  to  be  occupied  by  the 
two  Societies,  and  with  respect  to  transferring  members  from 
one  Society  to  the  other.  James  Hutton's  answer  to  the 
Association,  written  on  behalf  of  "  the  Brethren  in  Fetter 
Lane,"  was  as  arrogant  and  scolding  as  Harris's  letter  was 
meek  and  loving.  The  imperious  printer  and  publisher 
wrote  : — 

"  We  cannot  at  all  consent  to  any  one  going  into  Wiltshire  that  belongs 


'  "  Life  of  Howell  Harris,"  1791,  p.  175. 
^  Hutton's  Memoirs,  p.  189. 


Bickerings,  159 

to  your  Association.     Your  business  would  chiefly  be  to  confound  poor     1746 
souls,  by   preaching    strange    doctrine,   and   spreading   scandalous   lies.    . 
Should  any  of  you  go  thither,  after  receiving  this,  you  will  act  contrary  to   *  "^ 
all  honesty.     It  is  for  the  sake  of  Mr.  Howell  Harris  that  we  answer  you 
at  all.     For  him  we  have  regard  ;  but  with  the  rest  of  you  we  cannot 
have  any  kind  of  fellowship  at  all.     You   are   vainly  puffed   up, — the 
enemies  of  Christ,  and  of  His  blood  and  atonement,  which  some  of  you 
blaspheme.     To  say  that  we  believed  you  to  be  felloiv-labotcrers  in  the 
vineyard  of  Christ,  would  be  dissimulation  in  us.     We  look  upon  you  as 
the  destroyers  of  that  vineyard  ;  and  we  are  much  grieved  to   see  Mr. 
Whitefield's  labours  and  blessings  so  spoiled  and  ruined  by  such  evil- 
labourers.     We  are,  however,  sincerely,  your  well-wishers, 

"The  Brethren  in  Fetter  Lane."' 

Was  there  any  reason  for  the  use  of  this  strong  and 
offensive  language  }  It  is  to  be  feared  there  was.  Howell 
Harris,  in  his  autobiography,  written  in  1749,  remarks: — 

"About  the  year  1746,  I  saw  a  spirit  creeping  into  the  work  different 
from  that  which  had  been  before  ;  namely,  the  spirit  of  levity,  pride, 
foolish  jesting,  unwatchfulness,  and  carnal  rejoicing.  This  took  place 
immediately  after  extensive  frames  and  transports,  which  many  seemed 
to  enjoy  at  the  hearing  of  the  word,  and  singing,  etc. ;  but  the  real  and 
serious  spirit  that  began  the  work  was  at  length  almost  extinguished. 
The  spirit  of  awakening  sinners  in  the  ministry  was  also,  in  a  great 
measure,  lost  ;  together  with  its  real  and  solid  fruits  in  the  hearts  of 
men.  I  beheld  a  tendency  in  the  ministry  to  please  men,  and  to  appear 
wise  and  popular  in  the  world  ;  and  the  spirits  of  many  of  my  nearest 
friends  grew  great  and  proud,  and  would  not  take  the  word  of  reproof  or 
exhortation."  ^ 

The  work,  however,  was  still  prosecuted.  At  an  Asso- 
ciation, held  in  London,  June  18,  1746,  it  was  determined 
to  retain  the  "  room  "  at  Lambeth  ;  and  an  offer  of  "  the 
playhouse,  in  the  Haymarket,  Westminster,"  was  prayerfully 
considered.  It  was  also  resolved  that,  "  henceforth,  the 
tickets  should  be  delivered  to  every  band  and  class  by 
their  visitors  ;  who,  after  consulting  the  minister,  should  take 
care  of  the  money"  collected.  The  preachers,  likewise,  were 
stationed  ;  some  to  Deptford  and  Lambeth  ;  some  to  Essex, 
Wilt,  hire,  and  Gloucestershire;  one  to  Portsmouth,  and 
another  to  Bristol  ;  and  others  to  Chinnor,  Tewkesbury, 
Hereford,  Ludlow,  Shrewsbury,  and  Wales. 

James  Hutton's  Memoirs,  p.  191. 
Life  of  Howell  Harris,"  1791,  p.  63. 


Age  31 


160  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1746  At  another  Association,  held  in  Bristol,  January  22,  1747, 
Wesley  and  four  of  his  assistants  were  present.  It  was 
enquired  :  "  I.  How  we  may  remove  any  hindrances  of 
brotherly  love  which  have  occurred  ?  2.  How  we  may 
prevent  any  arising  hereafter  ?  "  It  was  agreed  that  Wesley's 
and  Whitefield's  preachers  should  "  endeavour  to  strengthen 
each  other's  hands,  and  prevent  separations  in  the  several 
Societies."  Harris,  also,  was  requested  to  go  to  Plymouth 
and  the  west,  "  to  heal  the  breach  there  made,  and  to  insist 
on  a  spirit  of  love  and  its  fruits  among  the  people." 

On  July  I,  1747,  at  the  Association,  held  in  London,  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Bateman,  rector  of  St.  Bartholomew,  was  present. 
Preaching  arrangements  were  made  for  London,  .Portsmouth, 
Olney,  Chatham,  Bristol,  Birmingham,  Gloucestershire,  Wilt- 
shire, Staffordshire,  Salop,  Essex,  and  Wales.  It  was  also 
determined  that  Syms,  Whitefield's  agent,  at  Hoxton,  should 
give  up  "  his  office  of  keeping  the  books  and  accounts  into 
the  hands  of  Harris."  ^ 

In  public  labours,  Llarris  was  indefatigable,  and  generally 
joyous.      On  October  13,  1746,  he  writes: — - 

"  Since  I  came  home,  I  have  discoursed  in  three  counties  ;  and  the 
spirit  of  praise  and  thanksgiving  has  been  so  poured  down  upon  us,  in 
several  places,  that  we  could  not  cease  praising,  rejoicing,  and  crying, 
'Hallelujah!'"-^ 

Again,  on  October  16,  1747  : — 

"  Things  in  Wales  have  a  lovely  aspect.  Fresh  doors  are  opening  ; 
many  are  awakened  and  added  to  us  ;  and  a  spirit  of  love,  discipline,  and 
subordination  runs  through  the  whole.  We  have  settled  Friday,  November 
6,  as  a  day  of  prayer  and  humiliation,  for  our  own,  the  churches',  and  the 
nation's  sins  ;  and  if  the  Society  in  London  joins  us,  we  shall  be  glad. 
In  two  days,  I  begin  a  round  through  North  Wales,  where,  if  my  work 
be  done,  I  expect  to  be  sent  home,  or,  at  least,  imprisoned.  For  ten  days, 
my  life  will  be  in  continual  danger."* 

Again,  February  4,  1748  : — 

"  This  day,  our  Welsh  Association  broke  up.  Scores  have  been  added 
since  our  last  Association.  Fresh  doors  have  been  opened,  and  several 
new  Societies  settled.  At  Builth,  last  Sunday,  the  new  house  we  have 
built  there  was  crowded,  and  a  great  number  stood  without.     I  am  now 

'  "Life  and  Times  of  Howell  Harris,"  pp.  in— 114. 
*  Christian  History,  1747,  p.  9. 
»  Ibid.,  p.  99. 


Whitefield'' s  Preachers.  l6l 

going  on  my  rounds  to  Pembrokeshire,  Carmarthenshire,  Glamorganshire,     174') 
and  Monmouthshire ;  and  have  to-night  begun  collecting  for  the  Orphan 
House  ;  but,  as  we  have  built  a  house  in  Bullth,  and  are  building  two      ^   '' 
houses  in  Carmarthenshire,  and  as  last  year  we  raised  ^40  towards  the 
law  suit,  I  cannot  expect  such  encouragement  as  I  should  otherwise  have 
had." 

Whitefield's  other  assistants  were  labouring  with  equal 
bravery  and  success.  Thomas  Adams  tells  of  preaching  in 
a  barn  at  Gosport ;  and  of  a  soldier  gathering  a  society  at 
a  place  seven  miles  from  Portsmouth/  Another  preacher 
writes  :  "  We  cannot  get  a  peaceable  meeting  at  Gosport. 
The  rude  men  of  the  King's  Dock,  Portsmouth,  come  into 
the  barn,  and  make  great  disturbances,  sometimes  pelting  us 
with  eggs,  and,  at  other  times,  with  dirt  and  stones."  ^ 

James  Relly writes:  "June,  1747.  I  examine  the  whole 
Society  in  Bristol  once  a  week,  the  brethren  on  Sunday 
evening,  and  the  sisters  on  Wednesday  evening ;  and  our 
Saviour  has  blessed  it  to  the  quickening  of  many.  There 
seems  also  to  be  a  good  prospect  at  Rath."  ^  Again,  "  Decem- 
ber 21,  1747.  I  formed  twenty  or  more  into  a  Society  at 
Birmingham  ;  and,  on  examining  them,  was  quite  satisfied 
of  the  spirit  of  grace  working  in  all  their  hearts.  Yesterday, 
many  assembled  to  hear  the  word  at  Tewkesbury,  but  we 
were  assaulted  by  such  a  furious  mob,  that  all  was  turned 
into  confusion.  They  flapped  the  tables,  stamped  on  the 
floor,  pushed  the  people,  swore,  cursed,  laughed,  pricked  with 
pins,  threw  handfuls  of  snuff,  and  brickbats,  and  dirt.  I 
discoursed  about  an  hour  ;  but  the  noise  still  increasing,  I 
left  off."  4 

Herbert  Jenkins  relates,  "August  9,  1747,"  that  he  had 
been,  "  almost  a  month  at  Edinburgh,  continually  exercised 
in  preaching,  and  visiting  Societies  with  vast  pleasure  and 
delight."  '" 

John  Edwards  says  :  "July  21,  1747.  Yesterday,  I  met 
the  young  children  at  Shrewsbury;  and  discoursed,  sung,  and 
prayed  with  them  about  two  hours.  The  Saviour  of  little 
children  was  there  :   the  Lamb  smiling  upon  His  lambs."  ^ 

These  extracts  might  easily  be  multiplied  ;  but  one  more 

'  Christian  History^  1747,  P-  ^6.  *  Ibid.,  p.  142. 

^  Ibid.,  p.  174.  *  Ibid.,  p.  78. 

^  Ibid.,  p.  54.  *  Ibid.,  p.  60. 

VOL.  II.  I  I 


1 62  The  Life  of   Whitefield, 

^1^^     must  suffice.      It  refers  to  a  disgraceful  scene  at  the  Taber- 
Age  31   nacle  in  Plymouth,  on  Sunday,  November  29,  1747. 

"  At  five  o'clock  in  the  evening,  when  we  were  met  together  to  worship 
the  Lord  God  of  our  fathers,  being  in  number  about  a  thousand,  after  I 
had  sung  and  prayed,  and  gone  over  the  first  head  of  my  discourse,  a 
strong  party  of  sailors,  belonging  to  the  Windsor  man  of  war,  came  in 
amongst  us.  They  entered,  and  continued,  with  their  hats  on.  Four  of 
them  came  up  and  stood  just  under  the  pulpit,  and  betrayed,  by  their  looks 
and  sneers,  that  they  had  a  mind  to  put  me  out  of  countenance  ;  but  I  went 
on  preaching  the  word  of  truth  with  boldness.  In  about  fifteen  minutes, 
those  near  the  door  began  to  stamp,  and  to  swear  most  bitterly.  Some 
of  our  friends  very  mildly  entreated  them,  either  to  be  still,  or  else  to  go 
out  peaceably;  but,  so  far  from  taking  their  advice,  they  laid  the  weight 
of  their  heavy  bludgeons,  with  unspeakable  fury,  upon  the  poor  people's 
heads.  The  cries  and  groans  of  the  poor  women  and'chiliren  were 
fearful.  There  was  but  one  door,  and  that  was  guarded  by  a  company 
of  resolute  persons,  who  swore  that  the  first  who  attempted  to  escape 
should  have  his  brains  blown  out  by  a  pistol.  The  sailors  then  beat  down 
the  candlesticks,  and  blew  out  the  candles,  to  darken  the  place  ;  but  one 
of  our  friends  had  presence  of  mind  to  push  up  one  of  the  chandeliers? 
suspended  by  a  pully,  so  that  we  had  a  little  light  preserved.  The  fury 
of  our  foes  increased.  Many  of  the  people  were  knocked  down,  and  had 
their  heads  broken.  The  windows  were  dashed  to  pieces  ;  and  the 
benches  taken  up  as  weapons  of  warfare.  I  entreated  our  friends  to 
march  from  every  corner  of  the  place,  and  arrest  some  of  the  rioters. 
This  was  done,  and  three  of  them  being  secured,  the  rest  fled  as  fast  as 
they  could.   We  concluded  the  Sabbath  with  prayers  and  thanksgivings." ' 

In  these  jottings,  the  reader  has  glimpses  of  the  sunshine 
and  shadows  of  the  Calvinistic  Methodists  in  England  and 
Wales,  during  Whitefield's  absence  in  America.  It  is  now- 
time  to  turn  again  to  their  youthful  moderator  across  the 
Atlantic. 

For  five  months,  from  March  to  August  in  1746,  hardly 
anything  is  known  of  Whitefield's  wanderings.  He  seems, 
however,  to  have  visited  New  York,  and  to  have  found 
favour  among  the  people.  The  following  is  an  extract  from 
the  Neiv  York  Post-Boy,  of  April,  1 746  : — 

"  Mr.  Whitefield's  excellent  parts,  fine  elocution,  and  masterly  address  ; 
his  admirable  talent  of  opening  the  Su;iptures,  and  enforcing  the  most 
v.eighty  subjects  upon  the  conscience  ;  his  polite  and  serious  behaviour  ; 
his  unaffected  and  superior  piety;  his  prudence,  humility,  and  catholic 
spirit,  are  things  which  must  silence  and  disarm  prejudice  itself    By  these 

'  Christian  History,  1747,  p.  156. 


Whitefield^ s  Loyalty.  163 

qualifications  of  the  orator,  the  divine,  and  the  Christian,  he  has  not  only     1746 
fixed  himself  deeper  in  the  affections  of  his  former  friends,  but  greatly 
increased  the  number  wherever  he  has  preached  ;  and  has  made  his  way      ^^ 
into  the  hearts  of  several,  who,  till  this  visit,  had  said  all  the  severe 
things  against  him  that  enmity  itself  seemed  capable  of."' 

Soon  after  this,  on  his  way  to  Philadelphia,  Whitefield 
wrote  to  Howell  Harris,  as  follows  ; — 

^^  Mayi,  1746. 
"  My  very  dear,  dear  Brother  Harris, — I  am  glad  to  hear  the 
Welsh  Brethren  continue  steady;  and  that,  amongst  our  English  friends^ 
Antinomianism  seems  only  to  be  speculative.  This  is  a  great  evil,  but 
not  so  great  as  when  it  affects  the  practice,  and  leads  the  people  of  God 
unwarily  into  licentiousness.  The  late  outward  troubles,  I  hope,  will  do 
good,  and  put  a  stop  to  the  many  disputes,  and  various  sects,  which 
always  spring  up  when  the  Lord  suffers  false  principles  to  abound.  I 
expect  to  hear  that  Jesus  has  made  thee  immoveable  like  a  wall  of  brass, 
as  bold  as  a  lion,  but  as  meek  as  a  lamb.  Blessed  be  His  name  !  He 
continues  to  be  very  kind  to  us.  The  Orphan  House  is  in  a  promising 
way.  My  temporal  affairs  begin  to  be  settled  ;  and  I  am  blessed  to  many 
souls.  Jesus  causes  many  of  my  professed  and  embittered  enemies  to  be 
at  peace  with  me.  I  know  you  will  help  me  to  praise  Him,  and  beg  Him 
to  continue  to  stand  by  a  poor  unworthy  creature,  who  simply  desires  to 
spend  and  be  spent  for  the  good  of  precious  and  immortal  souls.  You 
will  remember  me  to  your  dear  wife,  and  all  our  Welsh  brethren,  in  the 
most  endearing  manner.  We  frequently  pray  for  them,  and  do  not 
despair  of  seeing  them  once  more.  My  dear  wife  loves  them  exceedingly, 
and  often  warms  her  heart  by  reflecting  on  past  times. 

"  Ever,  ever  thine  in  Jesus, 

"George  Whitefield."* 

After  this,  nothing  more  is  known  of  Whitefield  until  the 
month  of  August  next  ensuing.  On  the  i  6th  of  April,  at 
the  battle  of  Culloden,  the  Jacobites  were  utterly  defeated, 
and  the  cause  of  the  Pretender  entirely  ruined.  When  the 
news  reached  Pennsylvania,  Whitefield's  loyalty  gushed 
forth  in  a  sermon,  which  was  immediately  printed,  with  the 
title,  "  Britain's  Mercies,  and  Britain's  Duty.  Represented 
in  a  Sermon  preached  at  Philadelphia,  on  Sunday,  August 
24,  1 746  ;  and  occasioned  by  the  Suppression  of  the  late 
unnatural    Rebellion.     By  George   Whitefield,   A.B.,   late   of 


'  Belcher's  *'  Biography  of  Whitefield,"  p.  286. 
*  Christian  History,  1747,  p.  11. 


164  The  Life  of  Whit ef eld. 


1746     Pembroke  College,  Oxon.      Printed  at  Philadelphia,  1746/'^ 
Age  31   The  sermon  was  almost  altogether  political,   and    need    not 
be  further  noticed.      It  was  a  sufficient   answer,  however,  to 
those  who  doubted  Whitefield's  loyalty. 

Two  days  after  preaching  his  thanksgiving  sermon,  White- 
field  wrote  to  his  mother,  as  follows  : — 

"  God  is  exceeding  good  to  me  and  mine.  We  have  all  things  pertain- 
ing to  life  and  godliness.  Many  offers  are  made  me  ;  but  the  Lord  Jesus 
keeps  me  from  catching  at  the  golden  bait.  Favour  is  given  to  me  in  the 
sight  of  the  rich  and  great,  and  the  door  for  my  usefulness  opens  wider 
and  wider.  I  love  to  range  in  the  American  woods,  and  sometimes  think 
I  shall  never  return  to  England.  I  was  never  better  in  health.  My  dear 
wife  would  send  you  a  few  lines,  but  she  is  weak  by  reason  of  a  mis- 
carriage four  days  ago." 

Immediately  after  this,  Whitefield  went  to  Maryland, 
where  he  spent,  at  least,  a  month  in  preaching  to  large 
congregations,  in  seven  different  counties.  Excepting  its 
slavery,  Maryland  had  great  attractions.  Its  soil  was  rich, 
and  its  hospitality  unique.  The  young  traveller,  who  visited 
Whitefield's  Orphan  House  in  1743,  writes  concerning  the 
province  : — 

"  Mush,'-  milk,  and  molasses,  homine,^  wild  fowl,  and  fish,  are  the  prin- 
cipal diet  of  the  meaner  inhabitants,  whilst  the  water  presented  to  you,  by 
one  of  the  barefooted  family,  in  a  copious  calabash,*  with  an  innocent 
strain  of  good  breeding  and  heartiness, — the  cake  baking  upon  the  hearth, 
and  the  cleanliness  of  everything  around  you, — -put  you  in  mind  of  the 
golden  age,  the  times  of  ancient  frugality  and  purity.  All  over  the  colony, 
there  are  full  tables  and  open  doors;  and  the  kind  salute,  and  generous 
detention  remind  one  of  the  roast-beef  ages  of  our  forefathers.  Their 
breakfast-tables  have  generally  the  cold  remains  of  the  former  day,  hashed 
or  fricasseed,  together  with  coffee,  tea,  chocolate,  venison,  pastry,  punch, 
rum,  and  cider.     The  dinner  consists  of  good  beef,  veal,  mutton,  venison, 

'  In  the  same  year,  a  second  edition  was  printed  in  Boston  (8vo  22  pp.), 
and  a  third  in  London  (8vo,  24  pp.). 

It  may  be  added,  that,  about  the  same  time,  a  volume  of  sennons  was 
printed  at  Philadelphia,  and  entitled  "  Five  Sermons,  on  the  following 
subjects,  namely:  i.  Christ  the  Believer's  Husband.  2.  The  Gospel 
Supper.  3.  Blind  Bartimeus.  4.  Walking  with  God.  5.  The  Resurrec- 
tion of  Lazarus.  By  George  Whitefield.  With  a  Preface  by  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Gilbert  Tennent."  Tennent's  Preface,  of  twelve  pages,  is  dated, 
"  Philadelphia,  May  30,  1746  ;"  and  is  laudatory,  but  honest  and  earnest- 

''■  Pounded  rice,  or  Indian  corn. 

^  Indian  corn  ground  with  the  husks,  and  fried. 

*  The  shell  of  a  fruit  so  called. 


Whitefitld  in  Maryland.  165 


turkeys  and  geese,  wild  and  tame,  fowls  boiled  and  roasted,  pies,  and  1746 
puddings.     Suppers  are  the  same  as  dinners,  with  small  additions,  and       ~ 

a  good  hearty  cup  to  precede  a  bed  of  down.     This  is  the  constant  life  S^  3>^ 
the  planters  lead,  and  to  this  fare  every  comer  is  welcome." 

More  than  one  half  of  the  population  of  Maryland  were 
slaves,  and  to  these  oppressed  and  cruelly  treated  fellow- 
creatures  the  planters  owed  their  riches  and  their  luxuries. 
Details  of  Whitefield's  labours  in  the  colony  do  not  exist. 
He  simply  states  :  "  Everywhere  almost,  the  door  is  opened 
for  preaching  ,  great  numbers  flock  to  hear  ;  and  the  power 
of  an  ascended  Saviour  attends  the  word.  I  have  preached 
with  abundant  success."  ^ 

And,  again,  in  a  letter  to  Wesley,  dated,  "  Queen  Ann's 
County,  Maryland,  October  14,  1746,"  full  of  buoyancy,  he 
writes  : — 

"  If  you  ask,  how  it  is  with  me  ?  I  answer,  *  Happy  in  Jesus,  the  Lord 
my  righteousness.'  If  you  ask,  what  I  am  doing .?  I  answer,  '  Ranging 
and  hunting  in  the  American  woods  after  poor  sinners.'  If  you  ask,  with 
what  success  ?  I  would  answer,  '  My  labours  were  never  more  acceptable ; 
and  the  door,  for  fifteen  hundred  miles  together,  is  quite  open  for  preach- 
ing the  everlasting  gospel'  Congregations  are  large,  and  the  work  is 
going  on,  just  as  it  began  and  went  on  in  England. 

"Notwithstanding  the  declining  state  of  Georgia,  the  Orphan  House  is 
in  a  better  situation  than  ever  ;  and,  in  a  year  or  two,  I  trust,  it  will  sup- 
port itself.  I  am  going  there  to  spend  some  part  of  the  winter,  and  to 
begin  a  foundation  for  literature."  ^ 

Soon  after  this,  Whitefield  sent  off  his  wife  and  a  young 
lady  through  "  the  woods,"  to  Georgia  ;  and,  on  November  8, 
he  himself  started  for  Virginia. 

The  first  settlers  in  Virginia  were  almost  all  members  of 
the  Church  of  England.  Episcopacy  was  established  by 
law.3  A  small  number  of  Presbyterians  from  Scotland,  and 
a  smaller  number  of  Dissenters  from  England,  were  scattered 
through  the  colony;  but  until  about  the  time  of  Whitefield's 

'  Whitefield's  Works,  vol.  ii,,  pp.  83,  84. 

'-  Armiiiian  Magazine,  1778,  p.  418. 

*  In  1 61 8,  a  law  was  passed  in  Virginia,  which  enacted,  that,  "  Every 
person  should  go  to  the  Established  Church  on  Sundays  and  holidays, 
or  lie  neck  and  heels  that  night,  and  be  a  slave  to  the  colony  the  following 
week  !  For  the  second  offence,  he  was  to  be  a  slave  for  a  month  ;  and, 
for  the  third,  a  year  and  a  day ! "'  (History  of  Virginia.  By  Rev.  William 
Stith,  President  of  William  and  Mary  College,  Virginia,  1747.    8vo.) 


1 66  The  Life  of  Whitefoeld. 

^746    first  visit,   in   1740,  there  was  no  ecclesiastical  organization 

Age  31   different  from  the  Established  Church  of  the  mother-country. 

The   state  of  religion  in  the  province  was  deplorable.      The 

Rev.  Samuel    Davies/  so  justly  famed   for  his  sermons   and 

pulpit  oratory,  wrote,  in  175  I  : — 

"  Religion,  in  most  parts  of  the  colony  of  Virginia,  has  been,  and  still 
is,  in  a  very  low  state:  a  surprising  negligence  in  attending  public  wor- 
ship, and  an  equally  surprising  unconcernedness  in  those  that  attend  ; 
vices  of  various  kinds  triumphant,  and  even  a  form  of  godliness  not 
common." 

Such  a  state  of  things  was  the  natural  result  of  an 
unfaithful  ministry.  Shortly  before  the  year  1740,  Samuel 
Morris  began  to  read,  to  his  neighbours,  Luther  on  the 
Galatians,  and  several  pieces  of  honest  Bunyan,  but  the 
effects  produced  were  not  great.  In  1743,  a  young  Scotch- 
man brought  to  Virginia  a  volume  of  Whitefield's  sermons, 
which  Morris  read  to  his  cottage  congregations  on  week- 
days, as  well  as  Sundays.      He  writes  : — 

"  The  concern  of  some  of  the  people  now  was  so  passionate  and  violent, 
that  they  could  not  avoid  crying  out  and  weeping  bitterly.  My  dwelling- 
house  became  too  small  to  contain  the  congregation,  and  we  determined 
to  build  a  meeting-house,  merely  for  reading ;  for  having  never  been  used 
to  extempore  prayer,  none  of  us  durst  attempt  it.  When  the  report  was 
spread  abroad,  I  was  invited  to  read  the  sermons  at  several  distant 
places  ;  and,  by  this  means,  the  concern  ^vas  propagated.  About  this 
time,  our  absenting  ourselves  from  the  Established  Church,  contrary  to 
the  laws  of  the  province,  was  taken  notice  of,  and  the  court  called  upon 
us  to  assign  our  reasons,  and  to  declare  to  what  denomination  we  belonged. 
As  we  knew  but  little  of  any  denomination  of  Dissenters,  except  Quakers, 
we  were  at  a  loss  what  name  to  assume.  At  length,  recollecting  that 
Luther  was  a  noted  Reformer,  and  that  his  books  had  been  of  special 
service  to  us,  we  called  ourselves  Lutherans."^ 

The  result  of  this  movement  was  the  introduction  of 
Presbyterianism.      Morris  and   his   converts  were  visited    in 

'  Mr.  Davies  was  born  in  November,  1724.  In  his  twenty-third  year, 
he  was  sent,  by  the  Presbytery  of  Newcastle,  Pennsylvania,  to  Hanover, 
Virginia.  He  encountered  many  obstacles,  from  the  prejudice,  bigotry, 
profaneness,  and  immorality  of  the  people  ;  but  his  earnest  and  able 
ministry  triumphed  over  opposition,  and  produced  great  results.  In  1753, 
by  the  request  of  the  trustees  of  New  Jersey  College,  he  accompanied 
Gilbert  Tennent  to  Great  Britain.  He  died  f'cbruary  4,  1761,  at  the 
early  age  of  thirty-six.  His  sermons,  in  three  volumes,  used  to  be  ex- 
ceedingly popular. 

"  Gillies'  "  Historical  Collections,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  331. 


Whitefield  i?i    Virginia.  167 

succession  by  the  Rev.  Messrs.  Robinson,  Blair,  Roan,  ^^ 
Tennent,  Finley,i  and  other  ministers,  until,  in  the  year  Age  32 
1747,  Mr.  Davies  became  their  settled  pastor.  These  were 
the  people  Whitefield  visited  in  November,  i  746  ;  but,  un- 
like himself,  he  has  left  no  record  of  what  he  saw  and  did. 
All  that  is  known  is  contained  in  the  following  sentence, 
written  by  Morris,  the  lay-revivalist  :  "  Mr.  Whitefield  came 
and  preached  four  or  five  days,  which  was  the  happy 
means  of  giving  us  further  encouragement,  and  of  engaging 
others  to  the  Lord,  especially  among  the  Church  people, 
who  received  the  gospel  more  readily  from  him  than  from 
ministers  of  the  Presbyterian  denomination."  ^ 

From  Virginia,  Whitefield  wended  his  way  to  Georgia, 
where,  having  received  an  account  of  the  backsliding  and 
disturbances  in  London  and  elsewhere,  which  have  been 
already  mentioned,  he  wrote  as  follows,  to  Howell  Harris: — • 

"Hanover,  Virginia,  November  16,  1746. 
"  About  a  week  ago,  I  had  the  pleasure  of  receiving  a  long  letter  from 
you.  I  was  glad  to  find,  that,  the  Tabernacle  was  given  up  to  your  care. 
Whether  its  breaches  are  yet  repaired,  or  whether  it  be  entirely  fallen 
down,  I  know  not.  I  suppose,  when  I  come  to  England,  I  shall  have  all 
to  begin  again."  ^ 

In  another  letter,  written  at  Bethesda,  December  14th, 
he  says : — 

"  The  account  you  gave  me  made  me  mourn.  You  and  all  who  attended 
on  my  preaching,  and  had  opportunities  to  converse  with  me  privately, 
know  how  many  hints  I  gave  of  what  has  happened.     It  might  be  fore- 

'  The  Rev.  Samuel  Finley,  D.D.,  was  an  exceedingly  devout  and  able 
man.  Ordained  in  1740,  the  first  years  of  his  ministry  were  spent  in 
itinerating  with  Whitefield,  Gilbert  Tennent,  and  others,  and  in  pro- 
moting the  remarkable  revival  of  that  period.  For  preaching  to  a  Pres- 
byterian congregation  in  New  Haven,  he  was  arrested  by  the  civil 
authority,  and  carried  out  of  the  colony  as  a  vagrant.  In  1744,  he  became 
minister  at  Nottingham,  Maryland,  where  he  also  opened  an  academy. 
On  the  death  of  the  Rev.  Samuel  Davies,  he  became  his  successor  as 
president  of  Princetown  College,  in  New  Jersey.  In  his  last  illness,  on 
being  asked  how  he  felt,  he  answered,  "  I  am  full  of  triumph  ;  I  triumph 
through  Christ."  Being  asked  again  what  he  saw  in  eternity  that  made 
him  wish  to  die,  he  exclaimed,  "  I  see  the  eternal  goodness  of  God  ;  I  see 
the  fulness  of  the  Mediator  ;  I  see  the  love  of  Jesus.  Oh  to  be  dissolved, 
and  to  be  with  Him  !"  Dr.  Finley  died  in  1766,  at  the  age  of  fifty,  and 
was  buried  by  the  side  of  his  friend  Gilbert  Tennent. 

'^  Gillies'  "  Historical  Collections,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  333. 

'  Christian  History,  1747,  p.  26. 


I68  The  Life  of  Whitefield, 


1746     seen  ;  and,  consequently,  it  did  not  so  much  surprise  me  when  I  found  it 
,  had  come  to  pass.     But  I  trust  the  storm  is  now  blown  over,  and  that 

the  little  flock  will  enjoy  a  calm.  Oh  that  your  eyes  may  be  looking 
towards  the  blessed  Jesus  !  From  Him  alone  can  come  your  salvation. 
He  will  be  better  to  you  than  a  thousand  Whitefields.  I  am  afraid  you 
are  too  desirous  of  having  me  with  you.  Indeed,  I  long  to  see  you  all  ; 
but,  for  some  time,  America  seems  to  be  my  place  of  action.  The  harvest 
is  great  in  many  places,  and  the  labourers  are  very  few." ' 

In  another  letter  to  Howell  Harris,  dated  "  Bethesda, 
December,  1 746,"  he  writes  : — 

"  Blessed  be  God  for  the  good  effected  by  your  ministry  at  the  Taber- 
nacle ;  of  which  I  have  been  informed  by  letters  from  Herbert  Jenkins 
and  Thomas  Adams.  The  good  Countess  of  Huntingdon  has  been  there 
frequently,  and  has  been  much  pleased,  I  am  told.  She  shines  brighter 
and  brighter  every  day  ;  and  will  yet,  I  trust,  be  spared  for  a  nursing 
mother  to  our  Israel.^  This  revives  me  after  the  miserable  divisions  that 
have  taken  place  among  my  English  friends.  I  trust  the  storm  is  now 
blown  over.  Her  ladyship's  example  and  conduct,  in  this  trj-ing  affair, 
will  be  productive  of  much  good.  My  poor  prayers  will  be  daily  offered 
up  to  the  God  of  all  grace  to  keep  her  steadfast  in  the  faith,  and  to  make 
her  a  burning  and  shining  light  in  our  British  Israel."* 

It  is  a  curious  fact  that,  though  the  Countess  of  Hunting- 
don became  acquainted  with  Whitefield  as  early  as  the  year 
1739,  ^"d  took  a  deep  interest  in  his  ordination,^  there  is 
no  evidence  of  her  becoming  a  frequent  attendant  at  his 
Tabernacle,  except  in  the  winter  of  i  742,  until  nearly  eight 
years  afterwards.  Just  at  the  time  when  the  Society  there, 
and,  indeed,  when  the  Societies  in  general,  with  which 
Whitefield  was  connected,  Avere  in  danger  of  being  broken  up, 
her  ladyship  allied  herself  with  him,  and,  to  the  end  of  life, 
became  his  chief  assistant.  There  is  no  proof  of  her  being 
invited  to  this  position.  It  would  be  uncharitable  to  suppose 
she  was  prompted  by  ambition.  The  incident  was  one  of 
those  providential  ir.terpositions,  which  so  strikingly  marked 
Met'iodism's  early  history. 

Whitefield  remained  at  Bethesda  till  towards  the  end  of 
Ja  uary,  1747;  and  then,  leaving  his  wife  with  the   orphans, 

'   Christian  History.  1 747,  p.  29. 

*  Two  months  bci'i  re  iliii  letter  was  written,  the  Countess  of  Hunting- 
don, at  the  age  of  thirty-nine,  became  a  widow.  Her  husband,  the  Earl 
of  Huntingdon,  died  on  October  13th,  1746. 

*  "  Life  and  Tmies  of  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  i.,  p.  88. 
^  See  p.  158,  vol.  i. 


Buying  Slaves.  169 

he  again  set  out  on  a  preaching  tour.      He  wrote  to  Herbert     '747 
Jenkins  as  follows  : —  Age  32 

"  Charleston,  yamiary  23,  1747. 
"  I  lately  came  from  Bethesda,  where  I  found  my  family  well — happy 
in  Jesus,  and  happy  in  one  another.  Our  Lord  bowed  the  heavens  several 
times,  and  came  down  among  us,  in  the  power  of  His  eternal  Spirit.  In 
the  beginning  of  March,  I  purpose  to  set  out  northward.  I  am  sorry  to 
hear  the  leaven  of  Antinomianism  is  not  yet  purged,  and  that  animosi- 
ties are  not  yet  ceased  among  you.  I  can  say  nothing  at  this  distance  ; 
but  I  pray  that  the  God  of  peace  may  direct  and  rule  all  your  hearts." ' 

The  Orphan  House  was  still  a  cause  of  great  anxiety. 
Whitefield  had  there  a  family  of  twenty-six  children.  He 
had  also  opened  a  sort  of  boarding  school,  or,  to  use  his 
own  language,  had  begun  "  a  foundation  for  literature." 
He  was,  likewise,  more  than  ^^500  in  debt.  To  provide  for 
such  necessities,  he  now  tdok  one  of  the  strangest  steps  in 
his  chequered  life.  The  people  at  Charleston  gave  him 
;^300,  which  he  expended  in  buying  land  and  negroes  !  and 
thus  the  great  preacher  became  a  slave-owner  and  a  planter  ! 
He  shall  tell  his  own  story. 

"  Charleston,  March  15,  1747. 

"  Blessed  be  God  !  I  hope  I  can  say,  that,  Bethesda  was  never  in 
better  order  than  it  is  now.  On  my  arrival  there,  this  winter,  I  opened  a 
Latin  school,  and  have  now  several  children  of  promising  abilities  who 
have  begun  to  learn.  One  little  orphan,  who  a  year  ago  could  not  read 
his  letters,  has  made  considerable  proficiency  in  his  accidence.  The 
blessed  Spirit  has  been  striving  with  several  of  the  children,  and  I  hope, 
ere  long,  to  see  some  ministers  sent  forth  from  Georgia. 

"  The  constitution  of  that  colony  is  very  bad,  and  it  is  impossible  for 
the  inhabitants  to  subsist  without  the  use  of  slaves.  But  God  has  put  it 
into  the  hearts  of  my  South  Carolina  friends,  to  contribute  liberally  towards 
purchasing,  in  this  province,  a  plantation  and  slaves,  which  I  purpose  to 
devote  to  the  support  -of  Bethesda.  Blessed  be  God  !  the  purchase  is 
made.  Last  week,  I  bought,  at  a  very  cheap  rate,  a  plantation  of  six 
hundred  and  forty  acres  of  excellent  land,  with  a  good  house,  barn,  and 
out-houses,  and  sixty  acres-  of  ground  ready  cleared,  fenced,  and  fit  for 
rice,  corn,  and  everything  that  will  be  necessary  for  provisions.  One 
negro  has  been  given  me.  Some  more  I  purpose  to  purchase  this  week. 
An  overseer  is  put  upon  the  plantation,  and,  I  trust,  a  sufficient  quantity 
of  provisions  will  be  raised  this  year.  The  family  at  Bethesda  consists 
of  twenty-six.  When  my  arrears  are  discharged,  I  intend  to  increase  the 
■number.     I  hope  that  God  will  st'.U  stir  up  the  friends  of  Zion  to  help 

'  Christian  History,  ^747,  P-  30. 


lyo  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1747     me,  not  only  to  discharge  the  arrears,  but  also  to  bring  the  plantation, 
—       lately  purchased,  to  such  perfection,  that,  if  I  should  die  shortly,  Bethesda 
Age  32   ^^^  y^j.  ^g  provided  for. 

"  As  you  have  been  such  a  benefactor,  I  thought  it  proper  to  give  you 
this  particular  account. 

"  George  Whitefield."  ' 

In  all  respects,  this  is  a  hateful  letter.  No  doubt,  it  is 
injurious  to  Whitefield's  character  and  fame  ;  but  it  could 
not  be  honestly  withheld.  Some  people,  perhaps,  may  be 
able  to  invent  excuses  for  Whitefield's  odious  act  ;  but  I  am 
not  disposed  to  help  them.  His  motives  might  be  good, 
but  the  transaction  itself  was  bad.  Let  it  pass,  as  one  of 
the  blots  of  a  distinguished  life. 

A  week  after  the  letter  was  written,  Whitefield  and  his 
wife  set  out  for  Maryland,  and  occupied  about  five  weeks  in 
reaching  Bohemia.      Here  he  sp^nt  a  month,  and  wrote  : — 

"  Glad  would  I  be  to  come  and  offer  myself  once  more  to  do  New 
England  service  ;  but  I  am  afraid  many  of  the  ministers  and  the  heads 
of  the  people  would  not  bear  it.  However,  were  this  my  only  reason,  it 
would  soon  be  answered  ;  but  here  are  thousands  in  these  southern  parts 
who  scarce  ever  heard  of  redeeming  grace.  Is  it  not  my  duty,  as  an 
itinerant,  to  go  where  the  gospel  has  not  been  named  1  Those  who  think 
I  want  to  make  a  party,  or  to  disturb  churches,  do  not  know  me.  1  am 
willing  to  hunt  in  the  woods  after  sinners  ;  and  could  be  content  that  the 
name  of  George  Whitefield  shall  die,  if  thereby  the  name  of  my  dear 
Redeemer  could  be  exalted." 

Here,  as   elsewhere,   his    labours   were    incessant.      Under 
the  date  of  "  May  21,  1747,"  he  writes  : — • 

"  I  have  now  been  upon  the  stretch,  preaching  constantly,  for  almost 
three  weeks.  My  body  is  often  extremely  weak,  but  the  joy  of  the  Lord 
is  my  strength ;  and,  by  the  help  of  God,  I  intend  going  on  till  I  drop. 
These  southern  colonies  lie  in  darkness,  and  yet,  as  far  as  I  find,  are  as 
wiUing  to  receive  the  gospel  as  others.  I  have  been  a  three  hundred 
mile  circuit  in  Maryland  ;  and  everywhere  the  people  have  a  hearing 
ear,  and,  I  trust,  some  have  an  obedient  heart." 

From  Maryland,  Whitefield  proceeded  to  Pennsylvania. 
"  We  travelled,"  says  he,  "  very  pleasantly  through  th3 
woods  ;  and  purpose  returning  to  South  Carolina  and 
Georgia  in  the  fall.  We  lead  a  moving  life  ;  but  I  trust  we 
move  heavenward." 


'  Christian  His  lory,  1747,  p.  34. 


Loss  of  Health.  lyi 

On   arriving  at   Philadelphia,  Whitefield  was   in   a  fever;     '747 
and   no    wonder,  considering   his    outdoor   preachings    amid    A^32 
the  burning  sunshine   of  South  America.      The   following  is 
from  a  letter  to  Howell  Harris  : — 

"  Philadelphia,  May  30,  1747. 

"My  dearest  Brother,— Had  I  strength  equal  to  my  will,  you 
should  now  receive  from  me  a  very  long  letter  ;  but,  at  present,  I  have 
such  a  fever  upon  me  that  I  can  scarce  send  you  a  few  lines. 

"  You  are  very  dear  to  me, — all  of  you  are  very  dear  to  me.  I  thank 
you  ten  thousand  times  for  all  expressions  of  your  tender  love,  and  yoirr 
steadiness  in  the  truths  and  cause  of  Christ.  Sometimes  I  hope  your 
prayers  will  draw  me  to  England  more  speedily  than  I  imagine.  But 
what  shall  I  say  ?  Here  are  thousands  and  thousands,  in  these  parts  of 
America,,  who,  as  to  spiritual  things,  know  not  their  right  hand  from  their 
left  ;  and  yet  are  ready  to  hear  the  gospel  from  my  mouth.  Within  these 
four  weeks,  I  have  been  a  circuit  of  four  hundred  miles,  and  everywhere 
found  the  fields  white  already  unto  harvest.  No  one  goes  out  scarcely 
but  myself 

"  I  trust  the  power  of  religion  will  be  kept  up  in  England  and  Wales. 
Though  my  coming  may  be  delayed,  I  hope,  when  I  am  sent,  it  will  be 
with  a  greater  blessing.  I  am  daily  finishing  my  outward  affairs,  and 
shall  think  my  call  to  England  clearer,  when  I  have  provided  for  the 
support  of  the  Orphan  House. 

"  My  dear  man,  I  could  write  all  night,  but  I  am  so  giddy  by  hard 
riding,  and  preaching  daily  in  the  heat,  that  I  must  defer  being  more 
particular  till  another  opportunity.  I  hop^  my  dear  wife  will  supply  my 
deficiencies.  Remember  me  in  the  tenderest  manner  to  all.  Bid  them 
pray  me  to  England.  Have  you  seen  my  last  volume  of  five  sermons? 
I  hope  the  gates  of  hell  will  never  prevail  against  the  Tabernacle.  Amen 
and  amen  !  "  ' 

The  next  is  an  extract  from  Mrs.  Whitefield's  letter,  also 
addressed  to  Harris,  and  written  at  the  same  date  :— 

"  Philadelphia,  May  30,  1747. 

"  My  VERY  DEAR  FATHER  AND  FRIEND, — What  shall  I  say  to  him  I  so 
much  love  and  honour  ?  My  dear  friends,  in  England,  at  the  Tabernacle, 
and  in  Wales,  can  never  be  forgotten  by  me. 

"  The  Lord  has  done  great  things  for  and  by  my  dear  master.  Since 
last  October,  great  numbers  of  precious  souls  have  been  brought  from 
darkness  to  light,  in  the  six  provinces.  Last  night,  my  dear  came  here 
■from  a  four  hundred  miles  journey,  during  which  he  preached  about  thirty 
times.     We  left  Charleston  on  March  21st,  and  came  to  Bohemia,  in 


Christian  History^  1747,  p.  117. 


172  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

Maryland,  on  April  27th.     He  preached  all  the  way,  which  has  very  much 
fatigued  him,  and  now  he  has  a  great  fever  upon  him. 
"  Yours  in  the  best  of  bonds, 

"  Elizabeth  Whitefield. 

"P. S. — Since  writing  the  above,  the  Lord  has  enabled  my  very  dear 
master  to  preach,  in  the  new  building^-  a  most  moving  discourse  upon 
growing  in  grace.  I  thought  it  would  have  been  impossible  for  his  strength 
to  have  held  out."  ^ 

A  few  days  afterwards,  Whitefield  wrote  as  follows  : — 

"  Philadelphia,  June  4,  1747. 
"  At  present,  my  whole  frame  of  nature  seems  to  be  shocked.  I  have 
had  several  returns  of  my  convulsions,  and  have  almost  a  continual 
burning  fever.  To  oblige  my  friends,  and  with  great  regret,  I  have  omitted 
preaching  one  night,  and  purpose  to  do  so  once  more,  that  they  may  not 
charge  me  with  murdering  myself ;  but  I  hope  yet  to  die  in  the  pulpit,  or 
soon  after  I  come  out  of  it.  Dying  is  exceeding  pleasant  to  me  ;  for 
though  my  body  is  so  weak,  the  Lord  causes  my  soul  to  rejoice  exceed- 
ingly. Letters  from  England  have  refreshed  me.  All  of  them  call  me 
home  loudly.  Congregations  here  are  as  large  as  ever.  Next  Monday- 
week,  I  purpose  to  set  out  for  New  York." 

Whitefield's  journey  to  New  York  had  to   be   postponed. 
Hence  the  following  : — 

"  Philadelphia,  7//«6'  23,  1747. 
"  I  have  been  several  times  on  the  verge  of  eternity.  To-morrow,  God 
willing,  I  set  out  for  New  York,  to  see  if  I  can  gain  strength.  At  present, 
I  am  so  weak,  that  I  cannot  preach.  It  is  hard  work  to  be  silent  ;  but  I 
must  be  tried  every  way.  Friends  are  exceeding  kind  ;  but  the  best  of 
all  is,  the  Friend  of  sinners  looks  in  upon  me,  and  comforts  my  heart." 

On    reaching    New    York,   Whitefield    wrote    to    Howell 
Harris  : — 

"  New  York,  June  27,  1747. 
"  My  very  dear,  dear  Brother, — It  is  with  much  pleasure  I  now 
sit  down  to  answer  your  kind  and  welcome  letters.  They  have  had  such 
I  an  effect  upon  me,  that,  God  willing,  I  am  determined  to  embark  for 
England,  or  Scotland,  early  next  spring.  Till  Christmas,  I  am  already 
under  indissoluble  engagements.  I  am  making  a  strong  effort  to  get  free 
from  my  outward  embarrassments  ;  and  hope,  before  the  year  is  ended,  to 
stock  my  new  plantation  in  South  Carolina,  as  a  visible  fund  for  the 
Orphan  House. 

"  For  some  weeks  past,  I  have  been  exceedingly  indisposed.     God  has 

'  The  large  building  erected  in  1740.     See  page  2>lli  vol.  i. 
Christian  History,  1747,  p.  119. 


Loss  of  Health.  173 

been  pleased  to  bring  me  to  the  very  brink  of  the  grave,  by  convulsions,     j-.- 

gravel,  nervous  colic,  and  a  violent  fever  ;  but  as  afflictions  abounded,       

consolations  much  more  abounded,  and  my  soul  longed  to  take  its  flight  Age  32 
to  Jesus.  I  have  not  preached  for  a  week  past ;  but  since  my  leaving 
Philadelphia,  three  days  ago,  I  seem  to  have  gathered  strength,  and  hope 
once  more,  to-morrow,  to  proclaim  amongst  poor  sinners  the  unsearch- 
able riches  of  Christ.  From  hence,  I  purpose  to  go  to  Boston,  and  return 
by  land,  so  as  to  reach  Charleston  in  November. 

"  You  will  return  my  most  humble  and  dutiful  resptv":ts  to  good  Lady 
Huntingdon,  the  Marquis,  and  Mrs.  Edwin.'  If  possible,  I  will  write  to 
them.  I  leave  my  affairs  to  you,  and  depend  on  you,  under  God,  to 
transact  them  all.  The  trouble  is  great,  but  Jesus  will  reward  thee.  Near 
£:\.o  yearly  were  subscribed  in  England  to  the  Orphan  House  ;  but  I  have 
received,  I  think,  not  above  ^S."'^ 

With  the  .slightest  improvement  in  his  health,  Whitefield 
resumed  preaching.  The  following  was  addressed  to  Thomas 
Adams,  one  of  his  preachers  in  England  : — 

"  New  York,  y^uly  4,  1747. 

"  My  very  dear  Brother  Adams, — Your  kind  letter  has  affected  me 
much.  It  and  the  other  letters  have  constrained  me  to  set  my  face  to- 
wards England.  I  hope  to  discharge  what  is  due  in  America,  for  the 
Orphan  House,  this  year.  I  am  of  your  mind  respecting  the  \york  in 
England  ;  and,  therefore,  am  willing  so  to  settle  my  a^irs,  that,  when  I 
come,  I  may  stay  with  you  for  a  long  season. 

"  At  present,  I  am  very  weakly,  and  scarce  able  to  preach  above  once 
or  twice  a  week  ;  but  if  our  Saviour  has  further  work  forme  to  do,  He  can 
make  me  young  and  lusty  as  the  eagle.  If  not,  I  shall  go  to  Him  whom 
my  soul  loveth,  and  whom  I  long  to  see."  ^ 

In  another  letter,  of  the  same  date,  Whitefield  wrote  : — 

"  I  have  recovered  a  little  strength,  and  find  my  appetite  restored.  I 
have  been  here  eight  days  ;  and,  to-morrow,  intend  posting  away  to 
Boston  ;  and  then  I  shall  take  a  long,  if  not  a  final,  farewell  of  all  my 
northward  friends.  I  have  preached  twice  with  great  freedom.  People 
flock  rather  more  than  ever,  and  the  Lord  vouchsafes  us  solemn  meetings. 
I  have  left  my  dear  yoke-fellow  at  Philadelphia,  and  expect  to  meet  her 
again,  in  New  York,  in  six  weeks.  In  these  three  northward  provinces,  I 
trust  something  considerable  will  be  done  towards  paying  off  the  Orphan- 

•  The  wife  of  John  Edwin,  Esq.,  M.P.,  the  grandson  of  Sir  Humphrey 
Ed\yin,  Lord  Mayor  of  London.  The  only  daughter  and  heir  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Edwin  became  a  Methodist,  was  a  particular  friend  of  the  eccentric 
Lady  Townshend,  and  inarried  Charles  Dalrympie,  Esq.  ("  Life  and 
Times  of  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  i.,  p.  87.) 

-   Christian  History,  \']\T,  p.  121. 

^  lbd.,p.  83. 


174  The  Life  of  WhUefield. 

1747     house  arrears.     When  that  is  effected,   I  care  not  how  soon  I  sing  my 

.  Nunc  dimittisr 

Age  32 

Another  letter,  written  at  New  York,  must  be  added.  It 
was  addressed  to  John  Cennick,  who  had  seceded  from 
Whitefield's  connexion,  and  joined  the  Moravians  : — 

"  New  York,  July  5,  1747. 

"  My  dear  John, — Though  sick  and  weak  in  body,  the  love  I  owe 
thee,  for  Jesus'  sake,  constrains  me  to  answer  thy  last  kind  letter,  dated 
February  5.     The  other,  mentioned  therein,  never  came  to  hand. 

"  I  am  sorry  to  hear  there  are  yet  disputings  amongst  us  about  brick 
walls.  After  our  contests  of  that  kind  about  seven  years  ago,'  I  hoped 
such  a  scene  would  never  appear  again  ;  but  I  find  fresh  offences  must 
come,  to  discover  to  us  fresh  corruptions,  to  try  our  faith,  to  teach  us  to 
cease  from  man,  and  to  lean  more  upon  God. 

"It  has  been  thy  meat  and  drink  to  preach  the  unsearchable  riches  of 
Christ.  Mayest  thou  continue  in  this  plan  !  I  wish  thee  much  success, 
and  shall  always  pray  that  the  work  of  the  Lord  may  prosper  in  thy  hands. 
Whether  thou  hast  changed  thy  principles  with  thy  situation,  I  know  not. 
I  would  only  caution  thee  against  taking  anything  for  gospel  upon  the 
mere  authority  of  man.  Go  where  thou  wilt,  though  thou  shouldest  be  in 
the  purest  society  under  heaven,  thou  wilt  find  that  the  best  of  men  are 
but  men  at  best,  and  wilt  meet  with  stumbling-blocks  enough,  to  teach 
thee  the  necessity  of  a  continual  dependence  on  the  Lord  Jesus,  who  alone 
is  infallible,  and  will  not  give  that  glory  to  another. 

"  My  dear  man,  thou  wilt  excuse  me,  as  my  heart,  at  present,  is  affected 
with  the  divisions  that  subsist  between  the  servants  and  churches  of  Jesus 
Christ.  May  Jesus  heal  them,  and  hasten  the  blessed  time,  when  we  shall 
all  see  eye  to  eye,  and  there  shall  be  no  disputings  about  houses,  doctrine, 
or  discipline,  in  all  God's  holy  mountain  !" 

On  July  20,  Whitefield  arrived  at   Boston,  and  next  day 
wrote  to  Herbert  Jenkins  : —  ^ 

"  I  hear  the  glorious  Emmanuel  has  prospered  the  work  of  your  hands 
at  Plymouth,  and  elsewhere.  May  He  bless  and  prosper  you,  and  the 
rest  of  my  dear  brethren,  yet  more  and  more  !  I  hope  you  will  live  in 
unity,  and  let  Satan  get  no  advantage  over  you.  ^Divide  and  destroy^  is 
the  devil's  motto.  '  Force  united,'  is  the  Christian's.  Oh  that  when  I 
come  to  see  you,  I  may  see  you  walking  in  love  ! "  ^ 


'  The  disputes  respecting  Kingswood  School. 

"^  Three  months  after  this,  Herbert  Jenkins  was  preaching  in  Scotland 
with  such  success,  that,  "  at  Glasgow,  he  was  complimented  with  the 
freedom  of  the  city,  and  was  entertained  by  the  magistrates,  and  likewise 
by  the  Presbytery."     {Scots'  Magazine,  1747,  p.  403.) 

3  Christian  History,  1747,  p.  128. 


Again  liineratifig.  175 

On  August  9th,  he  wrote  as  follows  to  Howell  Harris  : —    ^747 

"  I  have  been  in  New  England  nearly  three  weeks.     The  Lord  is  with   ^^  ^^ 
me.     Congregations  are  as  great  as  ever.     I  could  gladly  stay  in  New 
England,  but  I  must  return  to  the  southern  provinces.     Though  faint,  I 
am  still  pursuing,  and,  in  the  strength  of  Jesus,  hope  to  die  fighting.'" 

Whitefield's  labours  in  the  north  were  not  confined  to 
Boston.  The  following  is  taken  from  the  Nezu  England 
Gazette : — 

"  Mr.  Whitefield  came,  on  Tuesday  evening,  July  21,  to  the  seat  of  his 
friend,  Isaac  Royal,  Esq.,  at  Charlestown  ;  where,  on  the  next  day,  several 
gentlemen  of  note  from  Boston  paid  him  a  friendly  visit.  On  Thursday, 
the  23rd,  he  set  out  for  Portsmouth,  where  he  arrived  on  Friday,  and,  that 
evening,  preached  there,  to  a  crowded  audience,  with  as  great  acceptance 
as  ever.  Thence,  he  was  invited  to  dine  with  Sir  William  Pepperell  and 
his  lady  at  Kittery,  who  entertained  him  with  their  usual  great  politeness 
and  generosity.  Thence,  he  went  and  preached  at  York  ;  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Moody  and  his  people  received  him  with  the  most  hearty  welcome. 
Thence,  he  returned  to  Portsmouth,  where  he  preached  again,  all  the 
people  treating  him  with  gentleman-like  civility.  On  July  29,  he  preached 
at  Newbury,  and  would  have  come  on  to  Boston,  but  was  so  earnestly 
sohcited  to  go  back  and  preach  at  Exeter  and  Durham,  that  he  could  not 
resist  the  importunity." 

Returning  southwards,  Whitefield  reached  New  York  on 
August  27,  where  he  wrote  half  a  dozen  letters,  from  which 
the  following  sentences  are  culled  : — 

"  We  were  detained  three  or  four  days  upon  the  water  ;  but  it  was  over- 
ruled for  good.  I  recovered  my  appetite,  and  eat  like  a  sailor.  My  health 
is.  considerably  recruited.  My  obligations  to  my  glorious  Jesus  are  in- 
creased by  my  late  excursion  to  Charlestown,  Portsmouth,  Boston,  and 
other  places  in  New  England.  I  am  of  the  same  mind  as  when  at  Boston, 
— resolved  to  preach  and  work  for  Jesus,  till  I  can  preach  and  work  no 
more.  He  is  a  good  Master,  and  is  worthy  of  all  our  time,  and  of  every- 
thing that  we  possess.  Is  not  one  heart  too  little  for  Him  ?  And,  yet, 
He  requires  no  more.  Amazing  love  !  I  am  lost  when  I  think  of  it.  I 
can  only  say,  '  Lord,  I  adore  and  worship  ! ' " 

'  On  August  31,  Whitefield  set  out  for  Philadelphia.  At 
the  risk  of  being  tedious,  further  extracts  from  his  letters 
must  be  given.  To  Howell  Harris,  he  addressed  the  follow- 
ing: — 

Christian  History^  ^747,  P-  i-^- 


176  The  Life  of  White  field. 

"  Philadelphia,  September  11,  1747. 
"  My  very  dear,  dear  Brother, — I  have  good  news  from  Georgia, 
and  from  my  new  plantation  in  South  Carohna.  Many  negroes  are 
brought  under  conviction.  We  saw  great  things  in  New  England, 
The  flocking,  and  the  power  that  attended  the  word,  were  like  what 
we  witnessed  seven  years  ago.  Weak  as  I  was,  I  travelled  eleven 
hundred  miles,  and  preached  daily.  I  am  now  going  to  Georgia,  to 
settle  all  my  affairs,  and  get  ready  to  embark  for  England.  My  dear 
yoke-fellow  is  gone  forwards.  1  find  no  inclination  to  settle.  I  am  deter- 
mined to  die  fighting.  I  am  here  travelling  through  a  wilderness,  but,  I 
trust,  leaning  on  my  Beloved.  Jesus  is  my  rock,  my  stay,  my  God,  my 
all.  Various  are  the  scenes  I  pass  through  ;  and  various  are  the  comforcs 
and  supports  with  which  I  meet.  Sometimes,  the  Lord  feeds  me  as  it 
were  by  the  ravens  ;  and  He  daily  teaches  me  that  man's  extremity  is  His 
opportunity,  to  help  and  succour." ' 

On  the  same  day,  Whitefield  wrote  letters  to  John  and 
Charles  Wesley.      To  the  former,  he  says  : — 

"  Dear  and  Reverend  Sir, — Not  long  ago,  I  received  your  kind 
letter,  dated  in  February  last.  Your  others,  I  believe,  came  to  hand,  and 
I  hope  ere  now  you  have  received  my  answer.  My  heart  is  really  for  an 
outward,  as  well  as  inward  union.  Nothing  shall  be  wanting  on  my  part 
to  bring  it  nbout  ;  but  I  cannot  see  how  it  can  be  effected,  till  we  all  think 
and  speak  the  same  things.  I  rejoice  to  hear,  that  you  and  your  brother 
are  more  moderate  with  respect  to  sinless  perfection.  As  for  universal 
redemption,  if  we  omit  on  each  side  the  talking  for  or  against  reprobation, 
which  we  may  do  fairly,  and  agree,  as  we  already  do,  in  giving  a  universal 
offer  to  all  poor  sinners  that  will  come  and  taste  the  water  of  life,  I  think 
v/e  may  manage  very  well.  But  it  is  difficult  to  manage  such  matters  at 
a  distance.     Some  time  next  year,  I  hope  to  see  you  face  to  face." 

So  much  concerning  the  amalgamation  of  their  respective 
Societies.  In  reference  to  the  battle  of  Culloden,  and 
Whitefield's  Thanksgiving  Sermon,  on  "  Britain's  Mercies 
and  Britain's  Duty,"  he  proceeds  to  say  : — 

"  I  rejoice  to  find  that  the  Rebellion  has  been  over-ruled  for  the  awaken- 
ing of  many  souls.  Our  Lord  generally  builds  His  temple  in  troublesome 
times.  I  cannot,  upon  the  maturest  deliberation,  charge  myself  with  a 
design  to  flatter  in  my  sermon  upon  that  occasion.-  You  know  my  attach- 
ment to  the  present  Establishment.  Out  of  the  fulness  of  my  heart,  my 
pen  wrote.'' 

'  Christian  Histojy,  1747,  p.  146  ;  and  Whitefield's  Works,  vol.  ii. 
p.  126. 

2  Whether  designedly  or  not,  Whitefield,  in  his  political  sermon,  pro- 
nounced eulogies  on  George  the  Second  and  his  Government,  which  they 
hardlv  merited. 


Rev.   Samuel  Moody.  177 

Passing    to    his     Orphan-house    affairs,    Whitefield     con-     174" 


tinues  : — 

"  I  have  news  of  the  awakening  of  several  negroes  at  my  new  planta- 
tion, lately  purchased  in  South  Carolina.  I  hope  ere  long  to  be  delivered 
from  my  outward  embarrassments.  I  long  to  owe  no  man  anything  but 
love.  This  is  a  debt,  reverend  sir,  I  shall  never  be  able  to  discharge  to 
you,  or  your  brother.  Jesus  will  pay  you  all.  I  love  and  honour  you  very 
much,  and  rejoice  in  your  success  as  much  as  in  my  own.  O  for  heaven  ! 
where  we  shall  mistake,  judge,  and  grieve  one  another  no  more.  Lately, 
I  thought  myself  sailing  into  the  blessed  harbour  ;  but  it  seems  I  must 
put  out  to  sea  again.  Forgive,  reverend  sir,  the  prolixity  of  this.  Love 
indites.  I  salute  you  for  my  dear  fellow-pilgrim,  who  is  gone  forwards. 
Continue  to  pray  for  us,  and  assure  yourself  that  you  are  always  remem- 
bered by, 

"  Reverend  and  very  dear  sir,  yours,  etc., 

"George  Whitefield." 

Whitefield's  letter  to  Charles  Wesley  was  equally  affec- 
tionate.     He  writes  : — 

"Philadelphia,  September  ir,  1747. 
"Very  dear  Sir, — Both  your  letters  and  your  prayers,  I  trust,  have 
reached  me.  May  mine  reach  you  also,  and  then  it  will  not  be  long  ere 
wc  shall  be  one  fold  under  one  Shepherd.  However,  if  this  be  not  on 
earth,  it  will  certainly  be  in  heaven.  Thither,  I  trust,  we  are  hastening 
apace.  Blessed  be  God  !  that  your  spiritual  children  are  increasing. 
May  they  increase  more  and  more  !  Jesus  can  maintain  them  all.  He 
wills  that  His  house  should  be  full.  Some  have  written  me  things  to  your 
disadvantage.  I  do  not  beUeve  them.  Love  thinks  no  evil  of  a  friend. 
Such  are  you  to  me.  I  love  you  most  dearly.  You  will  see  my  letter  to 
your  dear  brother.  That  you  may  be  guided  into  all  truth,  turn  thousands 
and  tens  of  thousands  more  unto  righteousness,  and  shine  as  stars  for  ever 
and  ever,  is  the  hearty  prayer  of, 

"  Very  dear  sir,  yours  most  affectionately, 

"  George  Whitefield." 

In  the  foregoing  extract  from  the  Neiv  England  Gazette^ 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Moody  is  mentioned.  Samuel  Moody  was  a 
memorable  man.  Having  graduated  in  Harvard  College, 
he  was  ordained  in  1700,  and,  for  forty-seven  years,  had 
been  minister  of  York.  He  was  eccentric,  but  eminent  for 
piety  and  usefulness.  In  his  younger  years,  he  himself  had 
been  an  itinerant,  and  had  often  preached  beyond  the  limits 
of  his  own  parish.  Wherever  he  went,  he  was  welcomed. 
Kven  the  irreligious  were  impressed  with  the  sanctity  of  his 
character,  and  were  inspired  with  awe.      He  refused  to  have 

VOL.  n.  12 


Age 


1 78  The  Life  of  Whifefield. 


1747  a  fixed  salary,  as  was  usual,  and  elected  to  depend  entirely 
Age  xz  on  the  free  contributions  of  the  people.  He  was  frequently 
in  straits,  and  almost  dinnerless  ;  but  always  felt  confident 
that,  in  his  extremity,  a  meal  would  be  furnished  by  the 
providence  of  God.  One  day,  he  had  no  provisions  and  no 
money,  but  insisted  upon  having  the  cloth  laid,  saying  to  his 
wife,  "  The  Lord  will  provide."  No  sooner  were  the  words 
uttered,  than  there  was  a  rap  at  the  door,  and  a  person  pre- 
sented him  with  a  dinner.  He  was  now  in  the  seventy-first 
year  of  his  age  ;  and,  within  four  months  after  the  date  of 
Whitefield's  visit,  peacefully  expired.  The  following  touch- 
ing letter  was  addressed  to  this  venerable  man  only  eight 
weeks  before  his  death  : — 

"  Bohemia,  Maryland,  September  17,  1747. 

"  Honoured  Sir, — Will  you  permit  a  young  soldier  of  Jesus  Christ  to 
write  to  an  experienced  veteran,  before  he  goes  hence  and  is  no  more 
seen  1  I  am  sorry  that  my  visit  to  York  was  short,  yet  glad  that  our  Lord 
gave  me  to  see  you  once  more  ready  to  sing  your  '  Nunc  dimittis,'  with 
steadiness  and  composure,  if  not  with  joy  unspeakable.  Happy,  thrice 
happy,  reverend  sir  !  You  have  gone  through  that  wilderness,  which,  if 
hoary  hairs  should  be  my  lot,  awaits  me,  your  younger  son  and  servant. 
Well  !  this  is  my  comfort  :  I  have  the  same  Beloved  to  lean  upon,  as  you 
have  had.  The  way,  though  narrow,  is  not  long  ;  the  gate,  though  strait, 
opens  into  life  eternal.  O  that  I  might  pass  through  it  when  young  !  But, 
Father,  not  my  will,  but  Thine  be  done  I 

"  Honoured  sir,  be  pleased  to  pray  for  me.  I  remember  you  and  your 
dear  flock.  May  He,  who  kissed  away  the  soul  of  His  beloved  Moses, 
appoint  a  Joshua  to  succeed  you,  when  He  bids  you  come  up  to  the  mount 
and  die  !  I  hope  my  cordial  respects  will  find  acceptance  with  your  dear 
yoke-fellow  ;  and  I  beg  leave  to  subscribe  myself,  honoured  sir,  your  most 
affectionate,  though  unworthy,  younger  son  and  willing  servant  in  Him 
who  liveth  for  ever, 

"  George  Whitefield." 

Little  more  remains  to  be  recorded  respecting  the  year 
1747.  After  spending  a  few  days  in  Maryland,  Whitefield 
passed  into  Virginia,  where  he  "  preached  once,  and  would 
have  preached  oftener,  but  the  small-pox  was  spreading." 
He  then  "  posted  "  to  Bath-Town,  North  Carolina.  Writing 
to  a  friend,  he  says  : — 

"  I  am  hunting  after  poor  lost  sinners  in  these  ungospelized  wilds. 
People  are  willing  to  hear,  and  I  am  willing  to  preach.  My  body  is  weak, 
and  a  little  riding  fatigues  me.  I  long  to  be  dissolved,  and  to  be  with 
Jesus,  but  cannot  die.    I  would  have  you  still  pray  forme  as  a  dying  rmn  \ 


Vtsii  to  Bcnnuau:,. 


but  O  pray  that  I  may  not  go  off  as  a  siiufT.     I  would  fain  die  blazing,  not     1748 
with  human  glory,  but,  with  the  love  of  Jesus." 


After  riding  "  on  horseback  through  the  woods  a  hundred 
and  sixty  miles,"  and  preaching  as  he  went,  Whitefield,  on 
October  18,  arrived  at  Wilmington,  Cape  Fear.  He  then 
proceeded  to  Charleston  ;  and,  on  October  26,  set  out  for 
Georgia.^  He  closed  the  year,  however,  at  Charleston. 
Hence  the  following,  addressed  to  John  Edwards,  one  of  his 
preachers  : — 

"Charleston,  December  ^Z^  1747. 
"  My  very  dear  Brother  Edwards,— I  have  but  just  time  to  inform 
you  that  I  wait  for  answers,  to  my  last  letters,  from  dear  brother  Harris 
and  you,  in  order  to  be  determined  about  my  coming  to  England.  My 
affairs  here  are  brought  under  foot.  If  friends  at  home  exert  themselves, 
I  may  be  freed  from  all  outward  embarrassments.  The  Lord  is  yet  with 
me.  All  is  well  at  Bethesda,  and  at  my  new  plantation.  My  dear  yoke- 
fellow is  at  the  Orphan  House.  We  are  always  praying  for  you  all.  The 
Lord  be  with  you  !  That  we  may  keep  an  eternal  new  year  in  the  New 
Jerusalem,  is  the  hearty  prayer  of,  my  very  dear  man, 
"  Ever  yours,  whilst 

"George  Whitefield."^ 

Early  in  the  year  1748,  Whitefield,  instead  of  embarking 
for  England,  set  sail  for  Bermudas.  The  following  letters,  to 
Howell  Harris,  will  explain  the  reason  : — 

"  Charleston,  February  28,  1748. 

"  By  this  time,  I  hoped  to  have  been  on  my  way  to  England  ;  but, 
having  received  no  answers  to  the  letters  I  sent  you  from  New  York  and 
elsewhere,  and  in  consequence  of  other  concurring  providences,  I  have 
been  induced  to  believe  it  my  duty  to  go  to  Bermudas.  My  dear  yoke- 
fellow will  stay  behind,  in  these  parts  ;  and  I  purpose  to  return  to  her 
early  in  the  fall.  Meanwhile,  I  expect  to  hear  from  you  ;  and,  if  my  way 
seems  clear,  I  do  not  despair  of  seeing  you  before  Christmas  next.  Think 
not  hard  of  me,  my  dear  man,  for  thus  deferring  to  come  to  you. 

"  I  hope  I  have  now  got  very  near  a  sufficiency  for  the  future  support  of 
Bethesda.  If  my  friends  in  England  will  help  me,  I  hope  my  arrears  will 
be  paid,  and  my  heart  be  freed  from  a  load  which  has  lain  on  me  for 
years.  If  not,  the  Friend  of  all  will  help  me.  On  Him,  my  eyes  wait  ; 
and,  in  obedience  to  Him,  I  go  once  more  upon  the  mighty  waters.  My 
dear  wife  will  have  a  trial  in  my  being  absent  so  long. 

"  Yours  most  affectionately  and  eternally  in  Christ  Jesus, 

"  George  Whitefield."* 

'  Whitefield's  Works,  vol.  ii.,  p.  141. 
-  Christian  His  lory,  1747,  p.  178. 
^  Ibid.^  p.  209. 


Age  33 


l8o  The  Life  of  Whitefleid. 

1748  *'  On  board  the  'Ann,'  (  Captain  Tucker,)  baimdfram 

—  "  Charleston  to  Bermudas,  March  6,  1748, 

Age  33  « jy^Y  VERY  DEAR,  DEAR  BROTHER, — Just  as  I  was  coming  on  board, 
yours,  dated  October  16,  was  put  into  my  hands.  I  have  read  it,  and 
now  believe  I  shall  see  you  sooner  than  I  expected.  I  have  a  great  mind 
to  come  to  you  from  New  England.  But  what  will  Sarah  say?  I  have 
left  her  behind  me  in  the  tent  ;  and,  should  I  bring  her  to  England,  my 
two  families,  in  America,  must  be  left  without  a  head.  Should  I  go 
without  her,  I  fear,  the  trial  will  be  too  hard  for  her  ;  but,  if  the  Lord 
calls,  I  can  put  both  her  and  myself  into  His  all-bountiful  hands. 

"  I  am  now  going,  on  a  fresh  embassage,  to  Bermudas,  after  having  had 
a  profitable  winter  in  these  southern  parts.  Congregations  in  Charleston 
have  been  greater  than  ever  ;  and  Jesus  has  helped  me  to  deliver  my 
soul.  Had  I  ten  thousand  lives,  He  should  have  them  all.  Excuse  this 
scribble  ;  I  am  just  come  on  board. 

*'  George  Whitefield."  ' 

As  every  one  knows,  the  Bermudas  are  a  cluster  of  small 
islands,  in  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  nearly  four  hundred  in  number, 
but,  for  the  greater  part,  diminutive  and  barren.  They  were 
discovered  by  Juan  Bermudas,  a  Spaniard,  about  the  year 
1522  ;  but  were  not  inhabited  till  1609,  when  Sir  George 
Somers  was  cast  away  upon  them,  and  established  a  small 
settlement.  The  length  of  the  colony  is  less  than  thirty 
miles,  and  the  population,  even  at  the  present  day,  is  not 
more  than  ten  thousand,  one  half  of  whom  are  black  and 
coloured  persons.  The  soil  of  the  inhabited  islands  (about 
five  in  number)  is  exceedingly  fertile  ;  vegetation  is  rapid  ; 
spring  may  be  said  to  be  perpetual  ;  and  fields  and  forests 
are  clad  with  unfading  verdure.  In  these  clustered  islets, 
Whitefield  landed  on  March  i  5  ;  and  here  he  spent  eleven 
weeks,  generally  preaching  once,  and  often  twice,  a  day. 
In  England,  it  was  reported  that  he  was  dead.  The 
Gentleniaii  s  Magazine,  for  the  month  of  May,  in  its  "  List 
of  Deaths,"  had  the  following  : — ■ 

"  April. — Rev.  Mr.  Whitefield,  the  famous  itinerant  preacher,  and 
founder  of  the  Methodists  in  Georgia." 

Fortunately,  the  rumour  had  afterwards  to  be  corrected. 

Whitefield  met  with  the  greatest  courtesy  and  kindness  in 
Bermudas.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Holiday,  clergyman  of  Spanish- 
Point,   received   him   in   the   most    affectionate   manner,   and 

'  Chrisiiati  History,^.  2i\ 


Visit  to  Bermudas.  i8r 


begged  him  to  become  his  guest.  The  governor  and  the  ^748 
council  invited  him  to  dine  with  them.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Paul,  \^ -j^ 
an  aged  Presbyterian  minister,  offered  him  his  pulpit.  Colonels 
Butterfield,  Corbusiers,  and  Gilbert,  Captain  Dorrel,  and 
Judge  Bascombe,  gave  him  hospitable  entertainments.  He 
preached  in  the  churches,  in  the  Presbyterian  meeting-house, 
in  mansions,  in  cottages,  and  in  the  open  air.  Colonel 
Gilbert  lent  him  his  horse  during  his  stay;  and  the  gentle- 
men of  the  islands  subscribed  more  than  ^loo  sterling  for 
his  Orphan  House.  Some  of  the  negroes  were  offended 
at  him,  because  he  reproved  "  their  cursing,  thieving,  and 
lying,"  and  said,  "  their  hearts  were  as  black  as  their  faces  ; " 
but,  as  a  rule,  they  flocked  to  hear  him,  and  were  powerfully 
affected  by  his  discourses. 

Gillies  gives  extracts  from  the  Journal  which  Whitefield 
wrote  in  Bermudas, — extracts  filling  fifteen  printed  pages  ; 
but  the  substance  of  the  whole  is  contained  in  the  following 
letter,  addressed  to  a  minister  at  Boston  : — 

"Bermudas,  May  17,  1748. 

"  Rev.  and  dear  Sir, — Nine  weeks  ago,  I  arrived  here  from  Charles- 
ton. We  had  a  safe  and  pleasant  passage.  We  were  nine  days  on 
board  ;  and  I  do  not  remember  hearing  one  single  oath,  from  land  to 
land. 

"  Mr.  Holiday,  a  clergyman  of  the  Church  of  England,  received  me 
with  open  heart  and  arms.  The  first  Lord's-day,  after  my  arrival,  I  read 
prayers  and  preached  in  two  of  his  parish  churches  ;  and  the  longer  I 
stayed,  the  more  kindly  he  behaved  to  me.  The  two  other  Church  clergy 
chose  to  keep  at  a  distance  ;  but  Mr.  Paul,  an  aged  Presbyterian  minister, 
was  very  free  to  let  me  have  the  use  of  his  meeting-house,  and,  as  it  was 
pretty  large  and  in  a  central  part  of  the  island,  I  preached  in  it  for  eight 
Lord's-days  successively. 

"  His  excellency,  the  governor,  was  pleased  to  come  and  hear  me,  when 
I  preached  in  town,  with  most  of  the  council  and  the  principal  gentlemen 
in  the  island.  He  treated  me  with  great  respect,  and  invited  me  more 
than  once  to  dine  with  him.  I  have  preached  nearly  seventy  times  ;  on 
the  week-days  chiefly  in  private  houses,  but  sometimes  in  the  open  air,  to 
larger  assemblies,  they  tell  me,  than  were  ever  seen  upon  the  island  before. 
The  word  has  frequently  been  attended  with  Divine  power,  and  many- 
have  been  brought  under  convictions.  I  have  spent  nine  happy  weeks 
among  them,  and  was  never  so  little  opposed,  during  so  long  a  stay  in  any 
place.  In  a  few  days,  I  hope  to  embark,  in  the  brig  Belsy,  (Captain 
Eastern.)  for  England."' 

'  Christian  History^  p.  225. 


1 82  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 


'748         Respecting  his  farewell  sermon,  Whitefield  wrote  : — 

-"ge  33  ti  After  the  service,  many  came  weeping"  bitterly  around  me.  Abimdance 
of  prayers  were  put  up  for  my  safe  passage  to  England,  and  sjjcedy  return 
to  Bermudas.  Thanks  be  to  the  Lord  for  sending  me  hither !  I  have 
been  received  in  a  manner  I  dared  not  expect,  and  have  met  with  httle, 
very  little,  opposition.  The  inhabitants  seem  to  be  plain  and  open- 
hearted.  They  have  also  been  open-handed  ;  for  they  have  loaded  me 
with  provisions  for  my  voyage,  and,  by  a  private  voluntary  contribution, 
have  raised  me  upwards  of  ;i^ioo  sterling.  This  will  pay  a  little  of 
Bethesda's  debt,  and  enable  me  to  make  such  a  remittance  to  my  dear 
yoke-fellow,  as  may  keep  her  from  being  embarrassed  in  my  absence."' 

This  was  Whitefield's  only  visit  to  Bermudas.  He  wrote  : 
"  An  entrance  is  now  made  into  the  islands.  The  Lord, 
who  has  begun,  can  and  will  carry  on  His  own  work."  It 
was  long  before  Whitefield's  hope  was  realized.  Fifty-one 
years  afterwards,  Wesley's  Methodist  Conference  sent  to  the 
islands  the  Rev.  John  Stephenson.  The  white  population 
hated  the  missionary,  because  he  was  the  friend  of  the  en- 
slaved blacks  ;  and,  before  long,  he  was  apprehended,  tried, 
condemned,  and  sentenced  to  six  months'  imprisonment, 
besides  having  to  pay  a  fine  of  ^50,  and  all  the  expenses  of 
his  trial.  At  the  end  of  his  imprisonment,  Mr.  Stephenson 
was  expelled  the  colony,  and  the  Methodist  mission  was 
abandoned.  Eight  years  afterwards,  it  was  resumed  by  the 
Rev.  Joshua  Marsden  ;  in  due  time,  it  had  the  honour  of 
giving  to  Methodism  the  well-known  Rev.  Edward  Frazer  ; 
and,  in  this  year,  i  876,  it  has  three  missionaries,  and  between 
four  and  five  hundred  church  members. 

On  the  2nd  of  June,  Whitefield  embarked  for  England, 
the  wife  of  the  governor  of  Bermudas  being  one  of  his  fellow 
passengers.  When  approaching  the  end  of  his  voyage,  he 
wrote,  as  follows,  to  a  friend: — 

"  On  board  the  '  Betsy,'  June  24,  1748. 

"Rev.  and  very  dear  Sir, — Though  we  are  about  two  hundred 
leagues  from  land,  yet,  lest  hurry  of  business  should  prevent  me  when  we 
get  ashore,  I  think  proper  to  write  you  a  few  lines  whilst  I  am  on  board. 

"  We  sailed  from  Bermudas  twenty-one  days  ago,  and  have  lived,  as  to 
the  conveniences  of  eating  and  drinking,  like  people  from  the  continent, 
rather  than  from  one  of  the  islands  ;  so  bountiful  were  our  friends,  whom 

'  Gillies'  "  Memoirs  of  Whitefield." 


Age  33 


Voyage  Home.  183 

we  left  behind  us.  Hitherto,  we  have  met  with  no  storms  or  contrary  1748 
winds.  The  first  day  we  came  out,  we  were  chased  ;  and,  yesterday,  a 
large  French  vessel  shot  thrice  at  us,  and  bore  down  upon  us.  We  gave 
up  all  for  lost ;  and  I  was  dressing  to  receive  our  expected  visitors  ;  when 
our  captain  cried,  '  The  danger  is  over ; '  and  the  Frenchman  turned 
about  and  left  us.  He  was  quite  near,  and  we  were  almost  defenceless. 
Now  we  are  so  near  the  Channel,  we  expect  such  alarms  daily. 

"  The  captain  is  exceedingly  civil,  and  I  have  my  passage  free  ;  but  all 
I  have  been  able  to  do,  in  respect  to  rehgious  duties,  is  to  read  the  Church 
prayers  once  every  evening,  and  twice  on  Sundays.  I  have  not  preached 
yet.  This  may  spare  my  lungs,  but  it  grieves  my  heart.  I  long  to  be 
ashore,  if  it  were  for  no  other  reason. 

"  Besides,  I  can  do  little  in  respect  to  writing.  You  may  guess  how  it 
is,  when  I  tell  you  we  have  four  gentlewomen  in  the  cabin.  However,  they 
have  been  very  civil,  and  I  believe  my  being  on  board  has  been  service- 
able. I  have  finished  my  abridgment  of  Mr.  Law's  '  Serious  Call,'  which 
I  have  endeavoured  to  gospelizc.  Yesterday,  I  made  an  end  of  revising  all 
my  Journals.     I  purpose  to  have  a  new  edition  before  I  see  America. 

"  Alas,  alas  !  In  how  many  things  have  I  judged  and  acted  wrong  !  I 
have  been  too  rash  and  hasty  in  giving  characters,  both  of  places  and 
persons.  Being  fond  of  Scripture  language,  I  have  often  used  a  style  too 
apostolical  ;  and,  at  the  same  time,  I  have  been  too  bitter  in  my  zeal. 
Wild-fire  has  been  mixed  with  it  :  and  I  frequently  wrote  and  spoke  in 
my  own  spirit,  when  I  thought  I  was  writing  and  speaking  by  the  assist- 
ance of  the  Spirit  of  God.  I  have,  likewise,  too  much  made  impressions 
my  rule  of  acting  ;  and  have  published  too  soon,  and  too  explicitly,  what 
had  been  better  told  after  my  death.  By  these  things,  I  have  hurt  the 
blessed  cause  I  would  defend,  and  have  stirred  up  needless  opposition. 
This  has  much  humbled  me,  since  I  have  been  on  board,  and  has  made 
nie  think  of  a  saying  of  Mr.  Henry's,  '  Joseph  had  more  honesty  than  he 
\\?L.di  policy,  or  he  would  never  have  told  his  dreams.' 

"  At  the  same  time,  I  cannot  but  bless  and  praise  that  good  and  gracious 
God,  who  filled  me  with  so  much  of  His  holy  fire,  and  carried  me,  a  poor 
weak  youth,  through  such  a  torrent  both  of  popularity  and  contempt,  and 
set  so  many  seals  to  my  unworthy  ministrations.  I  bless  Him  for  ripening 
my  judgment  a  little  more,  and  for  giving  me  to  see  and  confess,  and,  I 
liope,  in  some  degree,  to  correct  and  amend,  some  of  my  mistakes.  If  I 
have  time  before  we  land,  I  think  to  write  a  short  account  of  what  has 
happened  for  these  seven  years  last  past ;  and,  when  I  get  on  shore, 
I  purpose  to  revise  and  correct  the  first  part  of  my  Life." 

All  must  admire  this  ingenuous  confession.  Never  was 
the  Latin  proverb  better  illustrated  than  in  the  case  of  White- 
field  :  "  Fas  est  ab  hoste  doceri."  In  both  mild  and  savage 
language,  Whitefield  had  often  been  accused  of  such  faults 
and  errors  ;  and  now,  when  he  has  time  to  think,  he  honestly 
confesses  them. 


l84  The  Life  of  Whifefield. 


^748         Whitefield   landed   at  Deal   on   June   30th,   and   six   days 
/ge  33  afterwards  arrived  in  London.^       One  of  his  first  acts,  when 
he  stepped   ashore,   was  to  write   the   following  heart;/   and 
loving  letter  "  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  John  or  Charles  Wesley." 

Deal,  July,  1748. 
"Will  you  not  be  glad  to  hear  that  the  God  of  the  seas  and  of  the  dry 
land  has  brought  me  to  my  native  country  once  more?  I  came  last  from 
the  Bermudas,  where  the  Friend  ot  sinners  was  pleased  to  own  my  poor 
labours  abundantly.  I  hope,  I  come  in  the  spirit  of  love,  desiring  to  study 
and  pursue  those  things  which  make  for  peace.  This  is  the  language  of 
my  heart : — 

'  O  let  us  find  the  ancient  way, 

Our  wondering  foes  to  move  ; 

And  force  the  heathen  world  to  say, 

See  how  these  Christians  love.' 

"I  purpose  to  be  in  London  in  a  few  days.  Meanwhile,  I  salute  you 
and  all  the  followers  of  the  blessed  Lamb  of  God  most  heartily.  Be 
pleased  to  pray  for,  and  give  thanks  in  behalf  of,  reverend  and  diar 
brother,  yours  most  affectionately  in  Christ, 

"  George  Whitefield." 

Apart  from  his  first  visit  to  America,  Whitefield  had  now 
spent  about  four  years  and  a  half  in  itinerant  preaching 
throughout  England's  transatlantic  colonies.  Except  the 
religious  movement,  which  began  at  Northampton  in  1734, 
and  declined  in  1736,  the  time  spent  in  Whitefield's  second 
and  third  visits  to  America  covered  the  entire  period  of 
what  has  been  termed  "  the  great  awakening."  What  were 
the  results  of  that  remarkable  work  of  God  .''  In  reference 
to  the  churches  of  New  England  only,  it  has  been  care- 
fully estimated  that  from  thirty  to  forty  thousand  persons 
were  permanently  added  to  their  membership.  With  these 
also  must  be  joined  a  large  number  who,  after  a  time,  "  fell 
away;"  and  likewise  the  multitudes  who  were  "melted" 
and  made  to  weep  by  Whitefield's  eloquence,  but  were  not 
converted.  I'urther,  it  must  be  kept  in  mind,  that,  up  to  this 
period,  the  practice  of  admitting  to  the  communion  all 
persons,  though  unconverted,  who  were  neither  heretical  nor 
scandalous,  was  general  in  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and 
prevailed   extensively  among  the    Congregational    churches  ; 

'  Gentleman's  Magazine,  1748,  p.  329. 


The  Revival  in  America.  185 

the  result  being,  that  a  large  proportion  of  the  members  of  '748 
these  churches,  though  orthodox  and  moral,  were  unre-  A^e  33 
generated.  Multitudes  of  these  were  now,  for  the  first  time, 
made  the  subjects  of  a  saving  change.  Indeed,  in  some 
cases,  the  revival  seems  to  have  been  almost  wholly  within 
the  Church,  and  to  have  resulted  in  the  conversion  of  nearly- 
all  the  members.  These,  at  the  best,  had  been  dead  weights 
to  their  respective  communities  ;  but  now  they  became 
active  and  valuable  workers. 

Again  :  it  is  useless  to  deny  that  there  were  a  large  num- 
ber of  unconverted  ministers,  especially  in  New  England. 
Young  men,  without  even  the  appearance  of  piety,  were 
received  into  the  colleges  to  prepare  for  the  ministry.  Gra- 
duates, if  found  to  possess  competent  knowledge,  were 
ordained  as  a  matter  of  course,  quite  irrespective  of  their 
being  born  again.  The  result  was,  that  in  New  England  and 
in  all  the  colonies,  an  unconverted  ministry,  to  a  lamentable 
extent,  was  the  bane  of  the  churches.  "  The  great  awaken- 
ing," however,  reached  not  only  the  pews,  but  the  pulpits 
and  the  colleges  of  the  Christian  community.  In  the  vicinity 
of  Boston  only,  there  were  not  fewer  than  twenty  ministers 
who  acknowledged  Whitefield  as  the  means  of  their  con- 
version ;  and  in  other  parts  of  the  country,  there  were 
proportionate  numbers.  This  was  an  incalculable  gain.  The 
great  curse  of  the  Church  was  turned  into  an  equally  great 
blessing.  Yea,  more  than  this,  the  revival  fully  and  finally 
killed  the  doctrine  that  an  unconverted  ministry  might  be 
tolerated  ;  and,  henceforth,  parents  felt  that  they  were  not 
doing  a  worthy  deed  by  consecrating  their  unregenerated 
sons  to  the  office  of  the  Christian  ministry,  and  sending  them 
to  colleges  to  be  prepared  for  it.'^ 

Other  immediate  results  of  "  the  great  awakening  "  might 
be  mentioned,  but  these  are  sufficient  to  evoke  the  grateful 
exclamation,  "  What  hath  God  wrought!" 

'  See  Tracy's  "  Great  Awakening,"  pp.  388 — 433. 


THREE    YEARS  IN  GREAT  BRITAIN  AND 
IRELAND. 

July  i,   1748,  to  August  29,   1751. 

TWO  days   after  his   arrival   in  London,  Whitefield  wrote 
to  his  much-loved  friend,  the  gentle  James  Hervey,  who 
was  now  completing  his  "  Meditations  ": — 

"  I  am  very  pleased  that  you  appear  in  print,  and  that  such  encourage- 
ment is  given  to  you  to  print  again.  My  bodily  health  is  much  impaired; 
but,  through  Divine  assistance,  I  will  go  on  working  for  Jesus,  till  I  can 
work  no  more." 

And  again,  eight  days  later  : — 

"  Blessed  be  God,  for  causing  you  to  write  so  as  to  suit  the  taste  of  the 
polite  world  !  O  that  they  may  be  won  over  to  admire  Him  who  is  alto- 
gether lovely  !  But  what  shall  I  say  to  your  kind  intended  present  .'*  It 
is  like  my  dear  old  friend.  My  health  somewhat  improves.  Oh,  when 
shall  we  get  within  the  veil  ?  Thanks  be  to  God  !  it  cannot  be  long. 
We  are  both  sickly.  Lord,  give  us  patience  to  wait  till  our  blessed  change 
comes  !  Our  Lord  makes  it  exceedingly  pleasant  to  me  to  preach  His 
unsearchable  riches.  Multitudes  flock  to  hear  ;  and  many  seem  to  be 
quickened.'' 

The  welcome  given  to  Whitefield  in  the  metropolis  was 
marvellous.  It  is  true  that  the  only  church  in  which  he  was 
allowed  to  preach  was  that  of  the  Rev.  Richard  Thomas 
Bateman,  who,  only  five  years  before,  had  been  one  of 
Whitefield's  enemies  ;  but  there  was  the  wooden  tabernacle, 
and,  above  all,  his  grand  old  open-air  cathedral  adjoining  it. 
On  Tuesday,  July  12,  he  wrote  : — 

"I  have  preached  twice  in  St.  Bartholomew's  Church,  and  helped  to 
administer  the  sacrament  once.  I  believe,  on  Sunday  last,  we  had  a 
thousand  communicants.     Moorfields  are  as  white  as  ever  unto  harvest. 


The   Cahhiistic  Methodists.  187 

and  multitudes  flock  to  hear  the  word.     The  old  spirit  of  love  and  power 
seems  to  be  revived  amongst  us." 

In  another  letter,  written  eight  days  later,  he  says  : — 

"  It  is  too  much  for  one  man  to  be  received  as  I  have  been  by  thou- 
xinds.  The  thoughts  of  it  lay  me  low,  but  I  cannot  get  low  enough.  I 
•vould  willingly  sink  into  nothing  before  the  blessed  Jesus,  my  All  in  all." 

Whitefield,  however,  was  not  exempt  from  anxieties.  His 
Bethesda  debt  was  still  a  burden.      Besides  this,  he  wrote: — 

•'  Satan  has  been  sifting  all  our  poor  Societies.  This  is  no  more  than 
I  expected.  Antinomianism  has  made  havoc  here  ;  but,  I  trust,  the 
worst  is  over.  Our  scattered  troops  begin  to  unite  again,  and  the  shout 
of  a  king  is  amongst  us." 

There  can  be  no  question,  that  Whitefield's  presence  was 
greatly  needed  by  the  Societies,  of  which  he  was  moderator. 
Howell  Harris  was  one  of  the  most  devoted  and  laborious 
preachers  that  ever  lived  ;  but  his  influence  was  not  equal 
to  that  of  Whitefield.  In  a  letter,  dated  March  3,  1748,  he 
speaks  of  having  travelled  about  a  thousand  miles,  in  the 
depth  of  winter,  since  he  left  London  on  December  20th, 
and  of  having  preached  two,  three,  or  four  times  every  day.^ 
Still  the  people  were  clamorous  to  have  Whitefield  back. 

The  Countess  of  Huntingdon,  also,  had  lately  been  as- 
sociated with  the  Societies  with  which  Whitefield  was  con- 
nected ;  and,  within  the  last  two  months,  had  been  present 
at  a  series  of  memorable  services  in  Wales.  In  the  month 
of  May,  her  ladyship  and  her  daughters,  accompanied  by 
Lady  Anne  and  Lady  Frances  Hastings,  were  met,  in  Bristol, 
by  Howell  Harris,  and  the  Revs.  Griffith  Jones,  Daniel  Row- 
lands, and  Howell  Davies,  three  Methodist  clergymen  of  the 
Church  of  England  ;  and,  as  a  sort  of  evangelistic  cavalcade, 
the  whole  set  out  for  the  neighbouring  principality.  For 
fifteen  days  successively,  two  of  the  ministers,  who  ac- 
companied the  Countess,  preached  in  the  Welsh  towns 
and  villages,  through  which  they  passed.  On  their  arrival 
at  Trevecca,  they  were  joined  by  five  other  clergymen, 
also  by  several  pious  and  laborious  Dissenting  ministers, 
and    a    number    of  Whitefield's    preachers.      Here    they  had 


Christian  Hisioiy,  p.  192. 


1 88  The  Life  of  Whitefeld. 


^748  preaching  four  or  five  times  every  day,  immense  crowds 
Age  33  flocking  together  from  all  the  adjacent  country.  The  scenes 
witnessed  by  the  Countess  and  the  ladies  attending  her, 
were,  to  them,  new  and  startling.  Numbers  of  the  people, 
convinced  of  their  guilt  and  misery,  gave  utterance  to  loud 
and  bitter  cries  ;  whilst  others,  filled  with  "joy  unspeakable," 
magnified  the  Lord,  and  rejoiced  in  God  their  Saviour.  No 
wonder,  that,  after  this,  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon  deeply 
sympathised  with  these  earnest  clergymen  and  powerful 
preachers. 

"  On  a  review,"  she  writes,  "  of  all  I  have  seen  and  heard,  during  the 
last  few  weeks,  I  am  constrained  to  exclaim,  '  Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul  ; 
and  all  that  is  within  me,  bless  His  holy  name  !'  The  sermons  were,  in 
general,  lively  and  awakening,  containing  the  most  solemn  and  awful 
truths,  such  as  the  utter  ruin  of  man  by  the  fall,  and  his  redemption  and 
recovery  by  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  energetic  declaration  of  which 
produced  great  and  visible  effects  in  many.  I  enquired  the  meaning  of 
the  outcry  which  sometimes  spread  through  the  congregation  ;  and,  when 
informed  that  it  arose  from  a  deep  conviction  of  sin,  working  powerfully 
on  the  awakened  conscience,  I  could  not  but  acknowledge,  '  This  is  the 
Lord's  doing,  and  it  is  marvellous  in  our  eyes.'  Many,  on  these  solemn 
occasions,  there  is  reason  to  believe,  were  brought  out  of  nature's  deepest 
darkness  into  the  marvellous  light  of  the  all-glorious  gospel  of  Christ. 
My  earnest  prayer  to  God  for  them  is,  that  they  may  continue  in  His 
grace  and  love.'" 

Accompanied  by  Howell  Harris  and  Howell  Davies,  the 
Countess  of  Huntingdon  arrived  in  London  on  the  15  th  of 
June,"  exactly  three  weeks  before  Whitefield's  arrival  there. 
Her  ladyship,  through  Howell  Harris,  invited  Whitefield 
to  her  house  at  Chelsea,  where  he,  at  once,  began  to  preach 
to  crowded  and  fashionable  congregations.^  This,  to  White- 
field,  was  the  beginning  of  a  new  career.  Henceforth, 
Hervey  by  his  writings,  and  Whitefield  b}^  his  preaching, 
began  to  mould  the  character  of  not  a  few  of  the  highest 
nobility  in  the  land. 

Howell  Harris  was  a  glorious  evangelist ;  but,  somehow,  he 
hardly  succeeded  in  keeping  Whitefield's  preachers  in  proper 
order.  The  Countess  of  Huntingdon  was  a  remarkable 
woman  ;    but  she  could  scarcely  preside,  as  a  female   prelate, 

'  "  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  i.,  p.  86. 

«  Ibid. 

'  Ibid.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  375  ;  and  "  Life  and  Times  of  Howell  Harris,"  p.  117. 


The  Calvinistic  Methodists.  189 

in  the  "Associations,"  or  conferences  of  the  Calvinistic  Metho- 
dists. Five  years  ago,  the  preachers  had  elected  Whitefield 
to  be  their  moderator  at  all  times  when  he  was  resident  in 
England,  and  had  decided  that,  in  his  absence,  Howell  Harris 
should  be  his  substitute.  For  nearly  four  years  past,  White- 
field  had  been  in  America,  and  Harris  had  done  his  best,  in 
governing  as  well  as  preaching.  Affairs,  however,  had  got 
into  confusion  ;  and,  hence,  a  fortnight  after  Whitefield's 
arrival  in  London,  he  resumed  his  place  as  moderator.  The 
following  is  taken  from  the  "  Life  and  Times  of  Howell 
Harris,"  and  is  an  abridgment  of  the  minutes  entered  in 
the  "  Conference  Book,"  already  mentioned  : — 

"Association  held  in  London,  July  20,  1748.  Present,  Whitefield, 
(moderator),  Bateman,  Harris,  and  others.  Whitefield,  after  prayer  and 
singing,  opened  his  mind  on  several  points."  •  He  told  the  exhorters  and 
preachers  present,  that,  "  he  had  seen  so  much  confusion  occasioned  by 
young  men  going  out  rashly  beyond  their  line,  that,  he  was  resolved  not 
to  labour  with  any  who  did  not  shew  a  teachable  mind  and  a  willingness 
to  submit."  He  admonished  them  "  to  use  all  means  for  improving  their 
talents  and  abilities."  And  added,  that,  "  though  he  hated  to  affect  head- 
ship, yet  he  must  see  every  one  acquainted  with  his  own  place,  and  that 
they  must  consider  themselves  as  candidates  on  appnabation."  The 
result  of  this  faithful  dealing  was,  "  the  Brethren  viewed  him  as  a  father  ; 
and  declared  their  wiUingness  to  use  all  possible  means  for  their  personal 
improvement." 

Thus  began  Whitefield's  ecclesiastical  administration  on 
his  return  from  America.  Like  a  wise  man,  he,  first  of  all, 
tried  to  put  the  preachers  right.  Without  this,  it  would 
have  been  useless  to  attempt  to  amend  the  people. 

The  effort  was  a  temporary  one.  Having  spent  nearly  a 
month  in  London,  Whitefield  set  out  to  attend  a  quarterly 
'*  Association,"  at  Waterford,  in  Wales.  A  month  later,  he 
wrote  a  surprising  letter  to  his  friend  Wesley. 

"London,  SepL'tnber  \,  1748. 
"  Rev.  and  dear  Sir, — My  not  meeting  you  in  London  has  been 
a  disappointment  to  me.  What  have  you  thought  about  a  union  }  I 
am  afraid  an  external  one  is  impracticable.  I  find,  by  your  sermons, 
that  we  differ  in  principles  more  than  I  thought ;  and  I  believe  we  are 
upon  two  different  plans.  My  attachment  to  America  will  not  permit  me 
to  abide  very  long  in  England ;  consequently,  I  should  weave  but  a  Pene- 
lope's web,  if  I  formed  Societies  ;  and,  if  I  should  form  them,  I  have  not 
proper  assistants  to  take  care  of  them.     I  intend,  therefore,  to  go  about 


I  go  The  Life  of  Whitefield, 

preaching  the  gospel  to  every  creature.     You,  I  suppose,  are  for  settling 
Societies  everywhere  ;  but  more  of  this  when  we  meet." 

This,  on  the  part  of  Whitefield,  was  not  an  inconsiderate 
utterance.  The  present  was  really  a  turning-point  in  his 
eventful  life.  Strictly  speaking,  with  perhaps  a  few  excep- 
tions, he  had  not  ^'formed"  Societies,  as  Wesley  had  ;  but, 
for  five  years  past,  he  had  been  the  "  moderator"  of  all  the 
Societies  founded  by  Howell  Harris,  and  by  the  preachers, 
who,  in  the  title-page  of  the  Christian  History,  were 
constantly  designated  Whitefield's  "  fellow-labourers  and 
assistants."  Many  of  Wesley's  Societies  were  "formed,"  not 
by  Wesley  himself,  but  by  his  "assistants;"  and  the  same 
must  be  said  respecting  Whitefield  and  the  Societies  of  which 
he  was  president.  If  Whitefield  had  not  actually  "  settled  " 
Societies,  he  had  consented  to  this  being  done  by  his  "fellow- 
labourers  and  assistants  ;"  and,  by  accepting  the  office  of 
moderator,  he  had  encouraged  the  proceeding.  Now,  how- 
ever, he  declared  his  intention  to  take  a  new  position  ;  and, 
by  degrees,  his  intention  was  carried  out.  At  an  Association, 
held  in  London,  April  27,  1749,  at  which  Whitefield,  Harris, 
and  others  were  present,  it  was  agreed,  that  "  Harris  should 
take  the  oversight  of  the  Tabernacle  in  London,  and  of  the 
other  English  Societies  and  preachers  ;  and  that  Whitefield 
should  do  all  he  could  to  strcrgthen  the  hands  of  Harris 
and  others,  consistent  with  his  going  out  to  preach  the 
gospel  at  home  and  abroad."  ^  By  this  resolution,  the  office 
of  moderator  was  practically  transferred  from  Whitefield  to 
Harris.  Whitefield  was  no  longer  the  head  of  the  Calvinistic 
Methodists,  but  his  friend  Harris,  who  first  founded  them. 

For  the  present,  Whitefield  did  not  abandon  them.  He 
simply  ceased  to  be  their  chief  officer.  During  the  first 
week  of  September,  1 749,  he  spent  not  fewer  than  five  days 
in  conference  with  them,  at  the  Tabernacle,  London  ;  when, 
besides  settling  the  "  rounds"  of  the  preachers,  it  was  deter- 
mined, not  only  "  to  preach  the  Lord  Jesus  in  a  catholic 
spirit  to  all  the  churches,"  but  "  to  continue  in  communion  " 
with  the  Church  of  Eng-land.""* 


'  "  Life  and  Times  of  Howell  Harris,"  p.  115. 
«  Ibid. 


The  Calohmiic  Methodists.  191 


Harris,  however,  in  his  new  office,  was  far  from  being  ^748 
happy.  "  In  Wales,"  he  writes,  "  great  jars  and  disputes  Age  33 
arose  amongst  us."  ^  He  became  dissatisfied  with  some  of 
the  preachers  and  with  many  of  the  people  ;  and,  at  an 
Association  held  at  IJlanidloes  in  175  i,  there  was  a  rupture, 
and  Harris  seceded  from  them.  In  the  year  following, 
Harris  founded  his  remarkable  and  well-known  settlement 
at  Trevecca  ;  and  here,  in  comparative  seclusion,  he  continued 
to  reside  until  his  death,  in  1773.  For  twenty  years,  he 
had  a  small  community  of  his  own  ;  but,  though  separated 
from  the  Calvinistic  Methodists,  whom  he  had  founded,  he 
was  not  an  opponent  and  an  enemy.  His  heart  was  too 
warm  and  large  to  be  vindictive.  To  the  last,  he  was  a 
sincere  friend  of  Whitefield,  and  of  his  old  companions  in 
toil,  tribulation,  and  success. 

The  incidents  just  enumerated  deserve  attention.  It  is 
impossible  to  conceive  what  would  have  been  the  result,  if 
Whitefield  and  Harris  had  continued  active  chiefs  of  the 
Calvinistic  Methodists  ;  as  it  is  equally  impossible  to  con- 
ceive the  probable  consequences  of  Whitefield  entering  into  an 
open  union  with  Wesley  ;  and  of  the  Societies,  "  assistants, 
and  fellow-labourers "  of  the  two  being  amalgamated  into 
one  common  body.  Speculations  on  such  matters  would  be 
fruitless.  The  plain  facts  are  these  :  within  two  months 
after  his  return  from  America,  in  1 748,  Whitefield  determined 
to  put  an  end  to  his  official  relationship  to  the  Calvinistic 
Methodists  ;  this  determination  was  gradually  carried  out  ; 
and,  during  the  last  twenty  years  of  his  life,  he  occupied  a 
new  position,  which  must  now  be  noticed. 

The  question  naturally  occurs.  Why  this  change  of  situa- 
tion .-'  Was  it  because  of  the  wild-fire  of  some  of  the 
preachers,  and  the  consequent  confusion  of  some  of  the 
Societies,  \\\\\\  which  Whitefield  was  officially  connected  .'' 
This  is  improbable  ;  for,  whatever  might  be  Whitefield's 
failings,  shirking  difficulties  was  not  one  of  them.  The  only 
way  to  solve  the  propounded  problem  is  to  remember  the 
close  relationship  which  was  now,  unexpectedly,  created 
between  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon  and  the  great  preacher. 

'  "  Life  and  Times  of  Howell  Harris,  1791,"  p.  63. 


192  Tlie  Life  of  WJiitcficId. 


The  Countess  had  rjccntly  been  an  eye-witness  of  some  of 
the  Societies  in  Wales,  and  had  been  filled  with  ingratitude 
and  praise  for  what  she  had  seen  and  heard  ;  but,  now 
she  seems  to  have  entertained  the  idea,  that  both  she 
and  Whitefield  might  be  more  usefully  employed,  than  by 
directly  associating  themselves  with  the  Calvinistic  Metho- 
dists, and  by  using  their  time,  talents,  and  influence  in  the 
multiplication  of  such  Societies.  Instead  of  creating  new 
sects  out  of  the  Church  of  England,  was  it  not  possible  to 
reform  and  amend  the  Church  of  England  itself  ?  And 
was  not  the  raising  up  of  evangelical  and  converted  minis- 
ters the  most  likely  way  to  bring  about  such  a  reforma- 
tion ?  Put  the  pulpits  right,  and  the  pews  would  certainly 
improve. 

Though  direct  evidence  may  be  wanting,  there  can  be 
little  doubt,  that,  this  was  the  grand  scheme  now  revolving 
in  the  mind  of  the  illustrious  Countess  ;  and  that  this 
scheme,  in  less  or  greater  detail,  was  revealed  to  Whitefield, 
and  led  to  his  separation  from  the  Calvinistic  Metho- 
dists. At  all  events,  as  will  be  seen  hereafter,  this  was 
one  of  the  chief  objects  to  which  Whitefield  and  her 
ladyship  devoted  their  time  and  energies.  Whitefield  tried 
to  raise  up  converted  clergymen  ;  and  the  Countess  pro- 
cured them  ordination,  and  built  them  chapels.  The  idea 
was  grand, — perhaps  inspired, — and  the  working  it  out  was 
unquestionably  the  principal  means  of  effecting  the  marvellous 
change  which  has  taken  place,  since  then,  in  the  Established 
Church.  Wesley  created  a  great  Church  outside  the  Church 
of  England.  Whitefield  and  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon 
were  pre-eminently  employed  in  improving  the  Church  of 
England  itself.  Where  was  evangelistic  effort  previous  to 
the  days  of  Wesley .-'  And  where  were  the  converted  clergy- 
men of  the  Established  Church  previous  to  the  year  1748  1 
A  few — a  very  few — might  be  mentioned  ;  but  even  these 
were  nicknamed  Methodists.  No  one  can  estimate  the 
service  rendered  to  the  cause  of  Christ,  outside  the  Church, 
by  Wesley  and  his  "  assistants  ;  "  and  it  is  also  equally  im 
possible  to  estimate  the  service  rendered  to  the  Church  by 
the  despised  Whitefield  and  his  female  prelate,  the  grand, 
stately,  strong-minded,  godly,  and  self-sacrificing  Countess  of 


Whitejield  and  the   Counfcss  0/  IJuuiiiigdoii.      193 

Huntingdon.       All    this   will   be    amply   illustrated    by    the     ^74"- 
further  details  of  Whitcfield's  histor}-.  A''e~' 

To  return.  The  following  fragments,  taken  from  letters 
written  to  Lady  Huntingdon,  during  the  month  of  August, 
1748,  will  serve  to  shew  the  friendship  that  now  existed 
between  her  ladyship  and  the  great  preacher  : — • 

"August  21.  I  received  your  ladyship's  letter  late  last  night.  I  am 
quite  wilhng  to  comply  with  your  invitation.  As  I  am  to  preach  at  St. 
Bartholomew's  on  Wednesday  evening,  I  will  wait  upon  your  ladyship  the 
next  morning,  and  spend  the  whole  day  at  Chelsea.  Blessed  be  God,  that 
the  rich  and  great  begin  to  have  a  hearing  ear.  Surely  your  ladyship  and  . 
Madam  Edwin  are  only  the  firstfruits.  A  word  in  the  lesson,  when  I  was 
last  at  your  ladyship's,  struck  me, — '  Paul  preached  privately  to  those  who 
were  of  reputation.'  This  must  be  the  way,  I  presume,  of  dealing  with  the 
nobility  who  yet  know  not  the  Lord.  O  that  I  may  be  enabled  so  to  preach 
as  to  win  their  souls  to  the  blessed  Jesus  ! 

"August  22.  As  there  seems  to  be  a  door  opening  for  the  nobility  to 
hear  the  gospel,  I  will  preach  at  your  ladyships  on  Tuesday.  Meanwhile, 
I  will  wait  upon  or  send  to  the  Count,  the  Danish  Ambassador's  brother, 
who  favours  me  with  his  company  to  dine  on  Monday.  As  I  am  to  preach 
four  times  to-morrow,  I  thought  it  my  duty  to  send  these  few  lines  to  your 
ladyship  to-night." 

riie  Countess  made  him  her  domestic  chaplain, — the  only 
ecclesiastical  preferment,  except  the  living  at  Savannah,  he 
ever  had  ;  and,  in  acknowledgment  of  the  honour,  he  wrote 
to  her  as  follows  ; — 

"  London,  September  i,  1748. 

"  Honoured  Madam, — Although  it  is  time  for  me  to  be  setting  out  " 
(for  Scotland),  "  I  dare  not  leave  town  without  dropping  a  few  lines,  grate- 
fully to  acknowledge  the  many  favours  I  have  received  from  your  ladyship, 
especially  the  honour  you  have  done  me  in  making  me  one  of  your  lady- 
ship's chaplains.  A  sense  of  it  humbles  me,  and  makes  me  pray  more 
intensely  for  grace  to  walk  worthy  of  that  God  who  has  called  me  to  His 
kingdom  and  glory.  As  your  ladyship  has  been  pleased  to  confer  this 
honour  upon  me,  I  shall  think  it  my  duty  to  send  you  weekly  accounts  of 
what  the  Lord  Jesus  is  pleased  to  do  for  me  and  by  me. 

"  Glorj'  be  to  His  great  name,  the  prospect  is  promising.  My  Lord 
Bath '  received  me  yesterday  morning  very  cordially,  and  would  give  me 

'  William  Pulteney,  Earl  of  Bath,  a  statesman  of  great  ability,  who  was 
born  in  1682,  and  died  in  1764.  For  some  years,  he  regularly  attended 
Tottenham  Court  Road  chapel.  In  a  letter  to  the  Countess,  written  in  1 749, 
he  says  :  "  Mocked  and  reviled  as  Mr.  Whiteneld  is  by  all  ranks  of  society, 
still  I  contend  that  the  day  will  come  when  England  will  be  just,  and  own 

VOL.  II.  13 


194  Ihe  Life  0/   l]'Jii:eJicld. 

1748  five  guineas  for  the  orphans.  God's  peculiar  providence  has  placed  your 
ladyship  at  Chelsea.     Upon  the  road,  I  propose  writing  you  my  thoughts 

*  ^^  of  what  scheme  seems  to  be  most  practicable,  in  order  to  carry  on  the 
work  of  God,  both  here  and  in  America." 

To  a  friend,  on  the  same  day,  Whitefield  wrote  : — 

"London,  September  i,  1748. 

"  I  have  been  a  mile  or  two  upon  the  road  to  Scotland,  but  turned  back 
because  my  chaise  was  not  registered. 

"  My  hands  have  been  full  of  work,  and  I  have  been  among  great  com- 
pany. A  privy  counsellor  of  the  King  of  Denmark,  and  others,  with  one 
of  the  Prince  of  Wales's  favourites,  dined  and  drank  tea  with  me  on 
Monday.  On  Tuesday,  I  preached  twice  at  Lady  Huntingdon's,  to  several 
of  the  nobility.  In  the  morning,  the  Earl  of  Chesterfield'  was  present. 
In  the  evening,  Lord  Bolingbroke.^  All  behaved  quite  well,  and  were  in 
some  degree  affected.  Lord  Chesterfield  thanked  me,  and  said,  '  Sir,  I 
will  not  tell  you  what  I  shall  tell  others,  how  I  approve  of  you,'  or  words 
to  this  purpose.  He  conversed  with  me  freely  afterwards.  Lord  Boling- 
broke  was  much  moved,  and  desired  I  would  come  and  see  him  next 


his  greatness  as  a  reformer,  and  his  goodness  as  a  minister  of  the  Most 
High  God.  1  earnestly  beg  your  ladyship's  intercession  on  my  behalf; 
that,  amidst  the  bustle,  the  cares  and  anxieties  of  public  life,  I  may  have 
my  mind  roused  only  by  the  great  concerns  of  an  eternal  world,  and  fixed 
OP.  those  scenes  of  immortality  to  which  we  are  all  quickly  hastening." 
("  Life  and  Times  of  Countess  of  Huntingdon.") 

'  The  celebrated  nobleman,  of  whom  Dr.  Johnson  once  remarked,  that, 
he  was  "a  wit  among  lords,  and  a  lord  among  wits."  Born  in  1694,  and 
died  in  1773.  ^t  the  time  referred  to  in  Whitefield's  letter,  his  lordship 
had  recently  resigned  the  office  of  Chief  Secretary  of  State  ;  and,  in  a 
letter  to  Lady  Huntingdon,  written  nine  months  afterwards,  he  said, 
"  Mr.  Whitefield's  eloquence  is  unrivalled — his  zeal  inexhaustible  ;  and  not 
to  admire  both  would  argue  a  total  absence  of  taste,  and  an  insensibility 
not  to  be  coveted  by  anybody.  Your  ladyship  is  a  powerful  auxiliary  to 
the  Methodist  Cabinet  ;  and  I  confess,  notwithstanding  my  own  private 
feelings  and  sentiments,  I  am  infinitely  pleased  at  your  zeal  in  so  good  a 
cause."     (Ibid.) 

^  In  a  letter  to  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,  Lord  Bolingbroke  said, 
"  Mr.  Whitefield  is  the  most  extraordinary  man  in  our  times.  He  has  the 
most  commanding  elocjuence  I  ever  heard  in  any  person  ;  his  abilities  are 
very  considerable  ;  his  zeal  unquenchable  ;  and  his  piety  and  excellence 
genuine — unquestionable.  The  bishops  and  inferior  orders  of  the  clergy 
are  very  angry  with  him,  and  endeavour  to  represent  him  as  a  hypocrite, 
an  enthusiast ;  but  this  is  not  astonishing — there  is  so  little  real  goodness 
or  honesty  among  them.  Your  ladyship  will  be  somewhat  amused  at 
hearing  that  the  King  has  represented  to  his  Grace  of  Canterbury,  that 
Mr.  Whitefield  should  be  advanced  to  the  Bench,  as  the  only  means  of 
putting  an  end  to  his  preaching.  What  a  keen,  what  a  biting  remark  ! 
but  how  just,  and  how  well  earned  by  those  mitred  lords! "  ("  Sketches  of 
the  Life  and  Labours  of  Whitefield,"  published  by  "the  Committee  of  the 
General  Assembly  of  the  Free  Church  of  Scotland,  for  the  publication  of 
the  works  of  Scottish  Reformers  and  Divines,"  p.  271.) 


Dr.   Sionehoiise.  195 


morning.     I  did  ;  and  his  lordship  behaved  with  great  candour  and  frank-     1748 

(less.     All  accepted  of  my  sermons.     Thus,  my  dear  brother,  the  world 

turns  round.     '  In  all  time  of  my  wealth,  good  Lord,  deliver  me  ! ' "  ^    •'^ 

Before  following  Whitefield  to  Scotland,  further  extracts 
from  his  letters  mus"^  be  g^iven. 

The  friendship  between  Whitefield  and  the  celebrated  Dr. 
Doddridge  has  been  already  noticed.  He  now  commenced 
an  important  correspondence  with  one  of  the  doctor's  con- 
verts. James  Stonehouse  was  a  year  or  two  younger  than 
Whitefield,  and  was  practising  as  a  physician  at  Northampton. 
For  seven  years,  he  had  been  an  infidel  ;  and  had  written  a 
pamphlet  against  revealed  religion,  which  reached  three 
editions.  The  death  of  his  young  wife,  at  the  age  of 
twenty-five,  caused  reflection.  He  read  Doddridge's  "  Rise 
and  Progress  of  Religion,"  and  was  converted.  He  was  now 
a  sincere  and  ardent  Christian  ;  and  Whitefield  began  to 
urge  him  to  become  a  minister.  After  much  hesitancy,  he 
entered  into  holy  orders,  and  obtained  the  lectureship  of  All 
Saints',  Bristol.  In  1791,  he  succeeded  to  the  title  of 
baronet.  He  was  a  man  of  great  ability,  was  no  mean  poet, 
published  several  religious  pamphlets,  and  died,  in  1795,  full 
of  years  and  honour.  He  was  now  living  in  terms  of  great 
intimacy  with  Doddridge  and  Hervey,  and  had  written  to 
Whitefield,  giving  him  advice  about  his  health.  At  present, 
Whitefield  had  no  leisure  to  place  himself  in  the  hands  of  a 
physician.  He  was  soon  to  start  for  Scotland  ;  and  he 
wished  to  publish  a  new  and  revised  edition  of  his  journals, 
and  of  some  of  his  sermons.  Hence  the  following,  addressed 
to  Dr.  Stonehouse  : — 

"London,  August  12,  1748. 

"  Very  dear  Sir, — I  thank  you  for  your  concern  about  my  health.  If 
it  should  please  God  to  bring  me  back  from  Scotland,  to  winter  in  town, 
I  have  thoughts  of  submitting  to  some  regimen  or  other.  At  present,  I 
think  it  impracticable. 

"  I  heartilj^  wish  that  you  and  Dr.  Doddridge  '  and  Mr.  Hervey  would 
be  pleased  to  revise  my  journals  and  last  five  sermons.  I  intend  publish- 
ing a  new  edition  soon.  I  always  do  as  you  desire  in  respect  to  Mr. 
Wesley's  sermons.  My  prayer  for  him,  for  myself,  and  for  my  friends,  is 
this, — '  Lord,  give  us  clear  heads  and  clean  hearts  ! ' 

'  Subsequent  letters  will  shew  that  Dr.  Doddridge  complied  with 
Whitefield 's  wish. 


196  The  Life  of  WJiitefield. 

"  I  would  recommend  Bishop  Beveridge's  sermons  more,  but  they  are 
too  voluminous  for  the  common  people,  and  I  have  not  read  them  all.  I 
expect  you  will  do  this  yourself,  by-and-by,  from  the  pulpit,  and  recom- 
mend his  and  your  Master  to  the  choice  of  poor  sinners.  By  your 
excellent  letter,  you  have  publicly  confessed  Him.  The  eyes  of  all  will  be 
now  upon  you,  to  see  whether  the  truths  you  have  delivered  to  others  are 
transcribed  in  your  own  heart,  and  copied  in  your  life.  Now  indeed  may 
you  cry — 

*  O  for  a  strong,  a  lasting  faith, 
To  credit  what  the  Almighty  saith  !* 

"  Dear  sir,  let  me  entreat  you  to  keep  from  trimming,  or  so  much  as 
attempting  to  reconcile  two  irreconcilable  differences, — God  and  the 
world,  Christ  and  Belial,  You  know  me  too  well  to  suppose  I  want  you 
to  turn  cynic.  No,  live  a  social  life  ;  but  beg  of  the  Lord  Jesus  to  free 
you  from  love  of  the  world.  Thence  arises  that  fear  of  man,  which  now 
shackles  and  disturbs  your  soul.  Dare,  dear  sir,  to  be  singularly  good.  If 
Christ  be  your  Saviour,  make  Him  a  present  of  your  pretty  character. 
Honour  Him,  and  He  will  honour  you.  Never  rest  till  you  can  give 
up  children,  name,  life,  and  all  into  His  hands,  who  gave  His  precious 
blood  for  you.  I  make  you  no  apology  for  this  :  you  say  you  are  mj' 
friend." 

Whitefield  left  London  on  September  3,  and,  halting  at 
Olney,  wrote,  as  follows,  to  a  friend  in  New  England  : — 

"Olney,  September  ii^  1748. 

"  It  is  always  darkest  before  daybreak.  It  has  been  so  in  England. 
Matters,  as  to  religion,  were  come  almost  to  an  extremity.  The  enemy 
had  broken  in  upon  us  like  a  flood.  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is  now  lifting 
up  a  standard.  The  prospect  of  the  success  of  the  gospel,  I  think,  was 
never  more  promising.  In  the  church,  tabernacle,  and  fields,  congre- 
gations have  been  great ;  and,  perhaps,  as  great  power  as  ever  hath 
accompanied  the  word.  A  door  is  also  opening  for  the  mighty  and  noble. 
I  have  preached  four  times  to  several  of  the  nobility  at  good  Lady 
Huntingdon's.  All  behaved  exceeding  well ;  and,  I  suppose,  in  the 
winter,  opportunities  of  preaching  to  them  will  be  frequent. 

"As  for  returning  to  America,  if  I  live,  I  believe  there  is  no  doubt  of  it. 
I  intend  keeping  myself  free  from  Societies,  and  hope  to  see  you  again 
next  year." 

Whitefield  arrived  in  Edinburgh  on  Wednesday,  Septem- 
ber 14,  and  continued  in  Scotland  until  October  27.^   During 


'  The  following  jottings,  respecting  Whitefield's  visit,  appeared  in  the 
General  Ath'erliser : — 

"Edinburgh,  September  15.  Yesterday,  an-ived  here  from  London  the 
Rev.  Mr.  George  Whiteheld,   who  has  lately  returned  from   the  West 


/;/    Scotland.  197 

his  stay  in  London,  he  had  preached  regularly,  at  least  once     ^74^ 
a    week,    in   the  Church  of   St.   Bartholomew,  of  which   his  A^e  33 
quondam  enemy,  but  now  ardent  friend,  the   Rev,   Richard 
T.    Bateman,   was  rector.      Though   now    patronized   by  the 
Countess   of  Huntingdon   and   several   of  the  nobles  of  the 
land,  Whitefield  was  not  permitted   to   preach  in  any  metro 
politan    church    except    this  ;    and    even    for    granting    this 
permission,    Mr.    Bateman    was    likely    to    be     involved    in 
trouble.      Dr.   Gibson,   Bishop  of   London,   died   three    days 
after  Whitefield  set  out  for  Scotland  ;    and    it  was   hoped 
that    Bateman's   troubles    would    be   buried    in   the    bishop's 
grave.      Two  days   subsequent  to   his  arrival  at   Edinburgh, 
Whitefield  wrote  to  Mr.  Bateman  as  follows  : — 

"  Edinburgh,  September  16,  1748. 
"  Reverend  and  dear  Sir, — I  have  met  with  a  hearty  welcome. 
Last  night,  I  preached  to  a  Moorfields  congregation,  for  numbers  ;  and 
the  Lord,  I  beheve,  was  pleased  to  give  His  blessing.  I  hope  all  is  well 
in  London.  The  bishop's  death,  I  suppose,  will  prevent  any  further  stir 
about  Bartholomew's.  I  shall  be  glad  to  hear  how  you  go  on.  Pray, 
dear  sir,  how  are  your  circumstances  1  You  will  not  be  offended,  if  I  say 
that  more  than  one  have  informed  me  of  your  being  in  debt.  I  thought 
it  my  duty  to  apprize  you  of  this,  because  I  know  what  a  burden  it  is  to 
be  in  debt ;  not  indeed  for  myself,  but  for  others." 

Except  about  a  dozen  days  spent  at  Glasgow  and  Cam- 
buslang,  Whitefield's  labours  in  Scotland  seem  to  have 
been  confined  to  Edinburgh.  In  various  letters  to  the 
Countess  of  Huntingdon,  he  relates,  that,  at  his  first  coming, 
he  was  rather  discouraged  ;  for  "  some  of  the  ministers  were 
shy,"  many  of  his  friends  were  dead,  others  were  backsliders, 


Indies.  He  is  to  preach  this  afternoon  in  the  Orphan  Hospital  Park, 
where  a  tent  was  erected  this  morning  for  that  purpose.' 

"  Edinburgh,  September  26.  Mr.  Whitefield  has  preached  every  day, 
since  his  arrival,  in  the  Orphan  Park,  to  numerous  auditories ;  and 
yesterday  afternoon,  in  the  Tolbooth  Kirk.  He  set  out  this  morning  for 
Glasgow." 

The  Scots'  Ma^a:rifte  supplies  further  information  ;  namely,  that 
Whitefield  made  collections  for  the  Orphan  Hospital ;  that,  on  his  arrival 
at  Glasgow,  he  preached  every  day  at  the  Gorbals,  the  magistrates  having 
refused  him  the  use  of  the  high-church  yard  ;  that  he  also  preached  in 
several  churches  in  and  about  Glasgow,  and  at  Falkirk  ;  that,  after  his 
return  to  Edinburgh,  he  preached  at  Fife  ;  that  his  farewell  sermon  was 
delivered  in  the  Orphan  Hospital  Park  on  October  26  ;  and  that  the  next 
day  he  set  out  for  London. 


1 98  The  Life  of  Whitefteld. 


^748  the  weather  was  boisterous,  and  he  himself  was  hoarse,  "  I 
Age  33  have  met,"  said  he,  on  September  29,  "  with  some  unexpected 
rubs,  but  not  one  more  than  was  necessary  to  humble  my 
proud  heart."  A  fortnight  later,  he  tells  her  ladyship  that, 
in  the  Synod  of  Glasgow,  there  had  been  a  long  debate 
about  him  ;  and  that  the  Presbytery  of  Perth  had  "  made  an 
act  against  employing  "  him.      He  adds  : — 

"  Ill-nature  shews  itself  in  Edinburgh,  but  I  feel  the  benefit  of  it. 
Ccngregations  are  large,  and  I  am  enabled  to  preach  with  greater  power. 
My  hoarseness  is  quite  gone,  and  my  bodily  health  much  improved.  If 
my  enemies  shew  themselves,  I  am  persuaded  the  blessed  Jesus  will  bless 
me  to  His  people  more  and  more.  Some  give  out  that  I  am  employed 
by  tiie  Government  to  preach  against  the  Pretender ;  and  the  seceders 
are  angry  with  me  for  not  preaching  up  the  Scotch  Covenant.  Blessed 
be  God  !  I  preach  up  the  covenant  of  grace,  and  I  trust  many  souls  are 
taught  to  profit." 

When  at  Topcliff,  on  his  way  back  to  London,  he  wrote 
to  the  Countess  : — 

"  Thanks  be  to  the  Lord  of  all  lords  for  directing  my  way  to  Scotland  ! 
I  have  reason  to  iDelieve  some  have  been  awakened,  and  many,  many 
quickened  and  comforted.  My  old  friends  are  more  solidly  so  than  ever  ; 
and,  I  trust,  a  foundation  has  been  laid  for  doing  much  good,  if  the  Lord 
should  call  me  thither  again.  Two  Synods  and  one  Presbytery  brought 
me  upon  the  carpet ;  but  all  has  worked  for  good.  The  more  I  was 
blackened,  the  more  the  Redeemer  comforted  me." 

This  was  the  first  time  that  Whitefield  had  been  discussed 
in  the  Ecclesiastical  Courts  of  Scotland.  Though  many  of 
the  clergy  had  been  dissatisfied  with  the  countenance  given 
to  Whitefield's  preaching,  several  circumstances  had  hitherto 
prevented  them  from  uniting  in  any  public  measure  to 
restrain  it.  The  proceedings  of  "  The  Associate  Presbytery  " 
had  been  so  intemperate,  that  the  clergy  of  the  Establishment 
naturally  felt  a  reluctance  to  countenance  their  calumnies. 
The  great  body  of  the  people,  also,  were  so  extremely  attached 
to  him,  that  a  direct  attack  upon  his  ministry  could  scarcely 
have  been  made,  without  incurring  public  odium.  Further, 
some  of  the  most  distinguished  families  in  Scotland  were  hfs 
constant  hearers,  and  were  in  the  habit  of  admitting  him  to 
their  private  society.  Among  these,  in  particular,  was  his 
Majesty's  representative,  as  Lord  High  Commissioner,  in  the 
General  Assembly,  who  not  only  attended   his  ministrations. 


Synod  of  Glasgow.  igg 

and  invited  him  to  his  house,  but  introduced  him  to  his  174S 
pubhc  table,  during  the  session  of  the  assembly.  When  ^^g^  ^j 
these  circumstances  are  added  to  the  long-established  practice 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  with  regard  to  occasional  com- 
munion with  other  churches,  it  is  not  surprising  that  the 
ministers  of  the  Establishment  were  not  forward  to  agitate  a 
question  on  which  unanimity  was  not  to  be  expected,  and  in 
which  principle  and  prudence  were  both  involved. 

It  is  difficult  to  conceive  why  the  subject  of  Whitefield's 
character  and  preaching  were  debated  now.  Perhaps  the 
members  of  the  Glasgow  Synod  were  afraid  of  a  repetition 
of  the  marvellous  scenes  which  had  been  witnessed  at  Cam- 
buslang  and  other  places,  in  1742.  Or,  perhaps,  they  were 
deeply  offended,  because,  during  his  present  visit,  Whitefield 
had  been  employed  to  preach  for  Dr.  Gillies  in  the  College 
Church  of  Glasgow,  and  for  Dr.  Erskine  in  the  Church  of 
Kirkintilloch.  Be  that  as  it  may,  the  Synod  of  Glasgow 
deemed  it  right  to  discuss  the  matter.  The  topics  introduced 
were  numerous,  but  stale.  He  was  a  priest  of  the  Church 
of  England  ;  he  had  not  subscribed  the  formula  ;  he  had 
been  imprudent  ;  his  Orphan-house  scheme  was  chimerical  ; 
there  was  want  of  evidence  that  the  money  he  collected  was 
rightly  applied  ;  he  asserted  that  assurance  was  essential  to 
faith  ;  he  encouraged  a  dependence  on  impulses  and  imme- 
diate revelations  ;  he  declared,  on  slender  evidence,  some 
people  converted,  and  others  carnal  and  unregenerated  ;  he 
often  pretended  to  repent  of  his  blunders,  but  as  often 
relapsed  into  them  ;  and,  finally,  he  was  under  a  sentence 
of  suspension  by  Commissary  Garden.^  These  were  the 
accusations.  Keen  debates  occurred  ;  and,  at  length,  the 
following,  almost  neutral,  proposition  was  submitted  :  "  That 
no  minister  within  the  bounds  of  the  Synod  should  employ 
ministers  or  preachers,  not  licensed  or  ordained  in  Scotland, 
till  he  had  had  sufficient  evidence  of  their  license  and  good 
character,  and  should  be  in  readiness  to  give  an  account  of 
his  conduct  to  his  own  presbytery,  when  required."  Thirteen 
voted  against  the  proposition,  and  twenty-seven  for  it. 


'  Gillies'  "  Memoii-s  of  Whitefield." 
==  "Life  of  John  Erskine,  D.D./'  p.  134. 


200  The  Life  of  WJiiteJield. 


1748  Similar  resolutions  were  adopted  by  the  Synod  of  Lothian 
Age  33  and  Tweedale,  tlie  Synod  of  Perth  and  Stirling,  and  by  the 
Presbytery  of  Pldinburgh  ;  and,  to  complete  the  whole,  six: 
hundred  of  the  followers  of  the  ICrskines,  by  whom  V/hitcfield 
was  first  invited  to  visit  Scotland,  assembled  in  Edinburgh 
on  November  16,  and  swore  to  observe  the  League  and 
Covenant ;  and  "  solemnly  engaged  to  strengthen  one 
another's  hands,  in  the  use  of  lawful  means,  to  extii-pate 
Popery,  Prelacy,  Arminianism,  Arianism,  Tritheism,  Sabcl- 
lianism,  and  George  Whitefieldism."  The  service  "  was  con- 
ducted by  the  Rev.  Adam  Gibb  and  his  helpers,  with  great 
solemnity,  and  the  generality  of  the  people  evidenced  an 
uncommon  seriousness  and  concern."  ^ 

Of  course,  all  this  created  great  commotion  ;  but  limited 
space  will  only  permit  the  insertion  of  the  following  letter, 
which  was  printed  in  the  EdinbiirgJi  Cowant : — 

"Sir,— On  the  27th  of  October,  the  Rev.  Air.  George  Whitefield  set 
out  from  this  place"  (Edinburgh)  "to  London.  During  the  time  of  his 
stay  here,  he  preached  about  twenty  times  in  the  Orphan  Hospital  Park, 
three  times  in  the  Tolbooth  Church,  and  twice  in  that  of  the  Cannongatc, 
to  very  large  congregations  ;  and  was  much  approven  of,  by  the  generality 
of  serious  Christians,  as  a  well-accomplished  gospel  preacher.  As  his 
conversation  in  private,  as  well  as  public,  gave  entire  satisfaction  to  those 
who  were  most  intimate  with  him,  it  is  not  a  little  surprising  to  them  to 
find  him  represented  and  asserted  to  be  a  person  of  suspicious  character. 
He  declared,  upon  his  arrival  here,  that  he  was  to  make  no  public  col- 
lections ;  and  he  did  not.  Neither  did  he  ask  money  or  anything  else 
from  any  person.^  As  it  is  reported  he  will  pay  us  a  visit  next  summer, 
it  is  not  doubted  but  it  will  be  very  acceptable  to  all  who  rejoice  tiiat 
Christ  is  preached,  and  sinners  are  saved  through  Him." 

Dr.  Stonehouse,  of  Northampton,  has  been  mentioned. 
Whitefield  wished  him  to  become  a  minister ;  but  Stone- 
house  was  timorous,  and  afraid  of  being  called  a  Methodist. 
Whitefield  desired  to  have  an  interview  with  him,  on  his 
return  from  Scotland,  and  hence  the  following  letter  ; — - 

"  Glasgow,  September  2S,  1748. 
"My  very  dear  Sir, — I  purpose  to  preach  at  Oundle,  in  my  way  to 
London.     Glad  shall  I  be  to  see  two  such  friends  as  you  and  Air.  Hervey, 

'  Gentleman^ s  Maga2t7ie,  1748,  p.  523  ;  and  General  Advertiser^  Nov. 
24,  1748. 

-  The  meaning  is,  Whitefield  did  not  make  collections  for  his  Orphan 
House. 


Bhhop  Lavington  enraged.  20 r 

though  incog.  I  will  endeavour  to  send  you  timely  notice.  I  would  have  1748 
neither  of  you  expose  yourselves  to  needless  contempt  on  my  account.  I 
think  I  can  say  that  I  am  willing  to  be  forgotten,  even  by  my  friends,  if  '^^  ^^ 
Jesus  Christ  may  thereby  be  exalted.  But  then,  I  would  not  have  my 
friends  act  an  inconsistent  part  towards  that  Friend  of  all — that  Friend 
of  sinners,  the  glorious  Emmanuel.  Whilst  you  are  afraid  of  men,  you 
will  expose  yourself  to  a  thousand  inconveniences.  Your  polite  com- 
pany (unless  you  converse  with  them  more  as  their  physician  than  as  their 
companion)  will  prevail  on  you  to  such  compliances  as  will  make  you 
smart,  when  you  retire  into  your  closet  and  reflect  on  the  part  you  have 
acted.  Before  I  shook  off  the  world,  I  often  came  out  of  company  shorn 
of  all  my  strength,  like  poor  Samson  when  he  had  lost  his  locks.  But 
this  is  a  tender  point. 

"  Go  on,  dear  sir,  and  prove  the  strength  of  Jesus  to  be  yours.  Continue 
instant  in  prayer,  and  you  shall  see  and  feel  infinitely  greater  things  than 
you  have  yet  seen  or  felt.  I  am  of  your  opinion,  that  there  is  seed  sown  in 
England,  which  will  grow  up  into  a  great  tree.  God's  giving  some  of 
the  mighty  and  noble  a  hearing  ear  forebodes  future  good.  I  do  not 
despair  of  seeing  you  a  proclaimer  of  the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ. 
God  be  praised  !  that  Mr,  Hervey  is  so  bold  an  advocate  for  his  blessed 
Lord." 

Whitefield  was  always  in  trouble,  from  one  quarter  or 
another.  While  the  ecclesiastical  courts  of  Scotland  v.cre 
interdicting  his  preaching,  without  mentioning  his  name, 
Lavington,  the  Bishop  of  Exeter,  was  lashed  into  an  un- 
christian rage  against  him.  His  Lordship  of  Exeter  had 
recently  delivered  a  charge  to  the  clergy  of  his  diocese. 
Some  unknown  wag  circulated  what  pretended  to  be  a 
manuscript  copy  of  the  charge,  but  containing  declarations  of 
doctrine  and  Christian  experience  worthy  of  Whitefield  and 
Wesley  themselves.  Without  authority,  the  pretended  charge 
was  printed,  and  occasioned  the  publication  of  several 
pamphlets  in  reply  and  congratulation.  Meanwhile,  how- 
ever, Lavington,  the  inveterate  hater  of  Methodists  and 
Moravians,  was  dubbed  a  Methodist.  This,  to  his  lordship, 
was  intolerable,  and  drew  forth  from  him  an  angry  "  decla- 
ration," in  which  he  charged  the  Methodist  chiefs  with  being 
the  authors  of  the  fraud.  The  charge  was  utterly  un- 
founded ;  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon  interfered  ;  with 
great  difficulty  she  obtained  a  recantation  from  the  infuri- 
ated prelate  ;  and  this  was  published  in  the  leading  journals 
of  the  day.  The  following  letter  refers  to  this  disreputable 
fracas. 


202  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

"Glasgow,  October  x,,  1748. 

"Very  dear  Sir,--I  received  yours  this  morning,  and  think  it  my 
duty  to  send  you  an  immediate  answer. 

"  You  might  well  inform  my  Lord  of  Exeter  that  I  knew  nothing  of  the 
printing  of  his  lordship's  pretended  charge,  or  of  the  pamphlets  occa- 
sioned by  it.  When  the  former  was  sent  to  me  in  manuscript,  from 
London  to  Bristol,  as  his  lordship's  production,  I  immediately  said,  it 
could  not  be  his.  When  I  found  it  printed,  I  spoke  to  the  officious 
printer,  who  did  it  out  of  his  own  head,  and  blamed  him  very  much. 
When  I  saw  the  pamphlet,  I  was  still  more  offended.  Repeatedly,  in 
several  companies,  I  urged  the  injustice  as  well  as  imprudence  thereof, 
and  said  it  would  produce  what  it  did, — I  mean  a  delaration  from  his 
lordship,  that  he  was  no  Methodist.  I  am  sorry  his  lordship  had  such  an 
occasion  given  him  to  declare  his  aversion  to  what  is  called  Methodism  ; 
and,  though  I  think  his  lordship,  in  his  declaration,  has  been  somewhat 
severe  concerning  some  of  the  Methodist  leaders,  I  cannot  blame  him 
for  saying,  that  he  thought  '  some  of  them  were  worse  than  ignorant  and 
misguided,'  supposing  that  his  lordship  had  sufficient  proof  that  they 
caused  to  be  printed  a  charge  which  he  had  never  owned  nor  published. 

"  If  you  think  proper,  you  may  let  his  lordship  see  the  contents  of  this. 
I  will  only  add,  that,  I  wish  a  way  could  be  found,  whereby  his  lordship 
and  other  of  the  right  reverend  the  bishops  might  converse  with  some 
of  us.  Many  mistakes  might  thereby  be  rectified,  and  perhaps  his  lord- 
ship's sentiments,  in  some  degree,  might  be  altered.  If  this  cannot  be 
effected,  (I  speak  only  for  myself,)  I  am  content  to  wait  till  we  all  appear 
before  the  great  Shepherd  and  Bishop  of  souls.  Meanwhile,  I  heartily 
pray,  that  their  lordships  may  be  blessed  with  all  spiritual  blessings,  and 
wishing  you  the  like  mercies,  I  subscribe  myself,  very  dear  sir,  your 
affectionate,  obliged,  humble  servant, 

"George  Whitefield." 

Whitefield  reached  London  at  the  beginning  of  Novem- 
ber, and  immediately  resumed  preaching,  twice  a  week,  in 
the  house  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,  "  to  the  great 
and  noble."  ^  Here  he  had  to  encounter  another  trouble. 
In  a  letter,  dated  October  20th,  1748,  Howell  Harris  gives 
an  account  of  his  labours,  in  South  and  North  Wales, 
during  the  last  nine  weeks.  He  had  visited  thirteen 
counties,  had  travelled  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles  every  week, 
and  had  preached  two  sermons  every  day,  and  sometimes 
three  or  four.  During  the  last  week  of  his  tour,  he  had 
never  taken  off  his  clothes  ;  and,  in  one  instance,  had 
travelled  above  a  hundred  miles,  from  morning  to  the  even- 
ing of  the   ensuing  day,  without   any  rest,  preaching  on   tha 


'  Whitefield's  Works,  vol.  ii.,  p.  198. 


Whitejield  visits  Dr.    Waits.  203 

mountains  at  midnight,  in  order  to  avoid  the  persecution  of  ^74^ 
Sir  Watkin  Wilham  Wynn.  Such  was  the  malevolence  of  Age  n 
the  Welsh  baronet  towards  the  poor  Methodists,  that,  only 
a  few  days  before,  for  simply  meeting  together  to  worship 
God,  a  number  of  them  had  had  to  pay  fines,  varying  from 
five  shillings  to  twenty  pounds.  Encouraged  by  those  who 
ought  to  have  known  better,  the  mobs,  in  many  places,  were 
almost  murderously  violent  ;  and,  near  to  Bala,  Harris 
received  a  blow  on  the  head  nearly  sufficient  to  "  split  his 
skull  in  two."  ^  Whitefield  was  informed  of  these  out- 
rageous proceedings  ;  he  reported  them  to  the  Countess  of 
Huntingdon  ;  her  ladyship  laid  the  particulars  before  the 
Government  ;  and,  to  the  no  small  mortification  of  Sir 
Watkin  W^nn,  the  fines  he  had  exacted  from  the  Metho- 
dists were  ordered  to  be  returned.^ 

Five  years  ago,  Whitefield  had  formed  an  acquaintance 
with  Dr.  Doddridge,  the  great  Dissenting  tutor;  he  now 
visited  the  equally  celebrated  Dr.  Watts,  whom  the  Dis- 
senters of  the  day  might  properly  have  regarded  as  their 
patriarch.  Watts  had  looked  upon  Whitefield  with  dis- 
favour, and  had  chidden  Doddridge  for  lowering  the  dignity 
of  the  Dissenting  minister  and  tutor,  by  preaching  in  White- 
field's  w^ooden  meeting-house.  For  more  than  thirty  years, 
Watts  had  been  a  beloved  and  honoured  guest  in  the 
mansion  of  Sir  Thomas  Abney,  Stoke  Newington.  He  was 
now  dying,  and,  on  November  25  th,  away  Whitefield  went  to 
see  him.  Being  introduced,  Whitefield  tenderly  enquired, 
'' how  he  found  himself.?"  "I  am  one  of  Christ's  waiting 
servants,"  replied  the  dying  Doctor.  Whitefield  assisted  in 
raising  him  up  in  bed,  that  he  might  with  more  convenience 
take  his  medicine.  Watts  apologised  for  the  trouble  he 
occasioned.  Whitefield  answered,  "  Surely,  I  am  not  too 
good  to  wait  on  a  waiting  servant  of  Christ."  Whitefield 
took  his  leave  ;  and  half  an  hour  afterwards  Dr.  Watts  was 
dead.^      Thus   met   and   parted   the  great  hymnist   and   the 


'-  "  Life  of  Howell  Harris,"  1791,  p.  196. 
'•  Life  and  Times  of  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.   i.,  p.  109  ;  and 
VVhitefield's  Works,  vol.  ii.,  p.  225. 
^  Gospel  Magazine,  1776,  p.  40. 


204  ^/^^  Life  of  Whiiefield. 

great  preacher,  until  they  met  again  in  "  the  palace  of 
angels  and  God."  ^ 

A  week  after  Watts's  death,  Whitefield  set  out  for 
Gloucester  and  Bristol.  In  the  latter  city,  his  preaching 
was  the  means  of  converting  a  Welsh  shoemaker,  who  sub- 
sequently became  one  of  Wesley's  best  itinerant  preachers, 
and  who,  in  his  wide  wanderings,  composed  a  few  of  the 
finest  hymns  ever  sung  in  the  Christian  Church, — hymns  not 
surpassed  by  the  best  of  Dr.  Watts's,  and  which,  after  a 
century's  use,  are  as  much  in  favour  among  the  Methodists 
as  ever. 

Thomas  Olivers  was  now  twenty-three  years  of  age.  His 
life  had  been  rambling  and  wicked.  Getting  into  debt  had 
been  a  regular  practice,  and  profane  swearing  had  become 
his  habitual  sin.  The  first  night  that  he  spent  in  Bristol  he 
was  literally  penniless.  Having  obtained  work,  he  went  to 
lodge  in  the  house  of  a  man  who  had  been  a  Methodist,  but 
was  now  "  a  slave  to  drunkenness."  In  the  same  house, 
there  was  "  a  lukewarm  Moravian."  Olivers  and  the 
Moravian  disputed  "  about  election,"  till  they  quarrelled. 
The  Moravian,  a  tall,  lusty  fellow,  struck  the  Welshman. 
Olivers  says,  "  I  knew  I  should  have  no  chance  in  fighting 
him,  and  therefore,  for  a  whole  hour,  I  cursed  and  swore, 
with  all  the  rage  of  a  fiend,  in  such  a  manner  as  is  seldom 
equalled  on  earth,  or  exceeded  even  in  hell  itself"  Soon 
after  this,  Olivers  met  a  multitude  of  people  in  the  streets  of 
Bristol,  and  asked  where  they  had  been.  One  answered, 
"To  hear  Mr.  Whitefield."  Olivers  thought,  "I  have  often 
heard  of  Mr.  Whitefield,  and  have  sung  songs  about  him  : 
I'll  go  and  hear  him  myself"  Accordingly,  he  went. 
Whitefield's  text  was,  "  Is  not  this  a  brand  plucked  out  of 
the  fire  V  Olivers  was  there  and  then  convinced  of  sin, 
and  resolved  to  give  his  heart  to  God.  The  next  Sunday, 
he  went  to  the  cathedral  at  six  in  the  morning  ;   and,  as  the 


'  The  Rev.  E.  Paxton  Hood,  in  his  recently  published  "  Life  of  Dr. 
Watis,"  says,  on  the  authority  of  Dr.  Gibbons,  the  story  just  related  "is 
entirely  fictitious."  Dr.  Gibbons  published  his  "  Memoirs  of  Watts,"  in 
1780,  thirty-two  years  after  Watts's  death.  The  reader  must  decide 
whether  the  doctor  or  the  Gospel  Magazine  of  1776  is  the  better 
authority. 


Tho7nas  Olivers.  205 


Te  Deum  was  read,  "  felt  as  if  he  had  done  with  earth,  and  ^74^ 
was  praising  God  before  His  throne."  At  eight,  he  went  to  Age  33 
hear  Whitefield  preach  ;  at  ten,  he  went  to  Christchurch  ;  at 
two  in  the  afternoon,  he  again  attended  church  ;  at  five,  he 
heard  Whitefield,  and  concluded  the  day  at  a  Baptist 
meeting.  He  writes  :  "  The  love  I  had  for  Mr.  Whitefield 
was  inexpressible.  I  used  to  follow  him  as  he  walked  the 
streets,  and  could  scarce  refrain  from  kissing  the  very  prints 
of  his  feet." 

Five  years  after  this,  Thomas  Olivers  had  paid  all  his 
debts,  and  was  one  of  Wesley's  itinerant  preachers.  His 
subsequent  history  was  too  remarkable  to  be  condensed  in  a 
work  like  this. 

Whitefield's  Orphan  House  was  again  causing  him 
anxiety.  He  wrote  to  a  friend  in  America  :  "  I  want  to 
make  it  a  seminary  of  learning.  If  some  such  thing  be  not 
done,  I  cannot  see  how  the  southern  parts  will  be  provided 
with  ministers.  All  here  are  afraid  to  come  over."  ^  He 
had  also  heard  that  his  wife  had  lessened  the  Orphan- 
house  family,  and  was  about  to  return  to  England.  2  And, 
further,  he  had  b£en  informed  that  the  trustees  were  about 
to  allow  the  employment  of  slaves  in  Georgia.^  These 
circumstances  led  him  to  write  a  long  and  remarkable  letter 
to  the  trustees.      The  following  is  an  extract  : — 

"  Gloucester,  December  6,  1 748. 

'  Honoured  Gentlemen,-- Not  want  of  respect,  but  a  suspicion  that 
my  letters  would  not  be  acceptable,  has  been  the  occasion  of  my  not 
writing  to  you  these  four  years  last  past.  I  am  sensible,  that  in  some  of  my 
former  letters,  I  expressed  myself  in  too  strong  and  sometimes  in  unbe- 
coming terms.  For  this  I  desire  to  be  humbled  before  God  and  man.  I 
can  assure  you,  however,  that,  to  the  best  of  my  knowledge,  I  have  acted 
a  disinterested  part.  I  have  simply  aimed  at  God's  glory,  and  the  good  of 
mankind.  This  principle  drew  me  first  to  Georgia  ;  this,  and  this  alone, 
induced  me  to  begin  and  carry  on  the  Orphan  House  ;  and  this,  honoured 
gentlemen,  excites  me  to  trouble  you  with  the  present  lines. 

"  I  need  not  inform  you,  how  the  colony  of  Georgia  has  been  declining, 
and  at  what  great  disadvantages  I  have  maintained  a  large  family  in  that 
wilderness.    Upwards  of  ^5000  have  been  expended  in  that  undertaking  ; 


'  Whitefield's  Works,  vol.  ii.,  p.  201. 
"  Ibid.,  p.  207. 
*  Ibid.,  p.  201. 


2o6  The  Life  of  Whiiefield. 

and  yet,  very  little  proficiency  has  been  made  in  the  cultivation  of  my 
tract  of  land ;  and  that  entirely  owing  to  the  necessity  I  lay  under  of 
making  use  of  white  hands.  Had  negroes  been  allowed,  I  should  now 
have  had  a  sufficiency  to  support  a  great  many  orphans,  without  expend- 
ing above  half  the  sum  that  has  been  laid  out.  An  unwillingnes's  to  let 
so  good  a  design  drop  induced  me,  two  years  ago,  to  purchase  a  planta- 
tion in  South  Carolina,  where  negroes  are  allowed.  This  plantation  has 
succeeded  ;  and,  though  I  have  only  eight  working  hands,  in  all  proba- 
bility, there  will  be  more  raised  in  one  year,  and  with  a  quarter  of  the 
expense,  than  has  been  produced  at  Bethesda  for  several  years  past. 
This  confirms  me  in  the  opinion,  I  have  long  entertained,  that,  Georgia 
never  can  be  a  flourishing  province,  unless  negroes  are  employed. 

"  But,  notwithstanding  my  private  judgment,  I  am  determined,  that, 
not  one  of  mine  shall  ever  be  allowed  to  work  at  the  Orphan  House  till  it 
can  be  done  in  a  legal  manner,  and  with  the  approbation  of  the  Honour- 
able Trustees.  My  chief  end  in  writing  this,  is  to  inform  you,  that,  I  am 
as  willing  as  ever  to  do  all  I  can  for  Georgia  and  the  Orphan  House,  if 
either  a  limited  use  of  negroes  is  approved  of,  or  some  more  indentured 
servants  be  sent  from  England.  If  not,  I  cannot  promise  to  keep  any 
large  family,  or  cultivate  the  plantation  in  any  considerable  manner. 

"  I  would  also  further  recommend  to  your  consideration,  whether,  as 
the  Orphan  House  is  intended  for  a  charitable  purpose,  it  ought  not  to  be 
exempted  from  all  quit-rents  and  public  taxes  ?  And,  as  most  of  the  land 
on  which  the  Orphan  House  is  built  is  good  for  little,  I  would  humbly 
enquire,  whether  I  may  not  have  a  grant  of  five  hundred  more  acres,  not 
taken  up,  somewhere  near  the  Orphan  House  .'' 

"  If  you.  Honourable  Gentlemen,  are  pleased  to  put  the  colony  upon 
another  footing, — I  mean  in  respect  to  the  permission  of  a  limited  use  of 
negroes, — my  intention  is  to  make  the  Orphan  House,  not  only  a  recep- 
tacle for  fatherless  children,  but  also  a  place  of  literature  and  academical 
studies.  Such  a  place  is  much  wanted  in  the  southern  parts  of  America, 
and,  if  conducted  in  a  proper  manner,  must  necessarily  be  of  great  service 
to  any  colony.  I  can  easily  procure  proper  persons  to  embark  in  such  a 
cause." 

From  such  a  pen,  this  is  a  strange  production.  White- 
field,  with  his  large  heart,  urging  the  introduction  of  slavery 
into  the  province  of  Georgia,  and  almost  threatening  to 
abandon  his  Orphan  House  unless  his  proposal  be  granted  ! 
Whitefield's  honour  is  best  cared  for  by  saying  as  little 
about  the  incident  as  possible. 

Having  spent  five  days  at  Gloucester,  during  which  he 
preached  five  times,  and  received  the  sacrament  at  the 
cathedral  ;  and  having  similarly  employed  himself  for  a 
week  at  Bristol,  Whitefield,  at  the  request  of  the  Countess 
of  Huntingdon,  returned  to  London  on  December  17th,  and 


Letter  to  Dr.  Doddridge.  207 


resumed  his  ministry  in  the  Tabernacle,  and  in  the  mansion     ^748 
of  her  ladyship.  p^~^^^ 

"  I  am  now,"  he  wrote,  "  thirty-four  years  of  age  ;  and, 
alas  !  how  little  have  I  done  and  suffered  for  Him,  who  has 
done  and  suffered  so  much  for  me!  Thanks  be  to  His 
great  name  for  countenancing  my  poor  ministrations  so 
much."  ^ 

A  letter  to  Dr.  Doddridge,  to  whom  Whitefield  had  sub- 
mitted his  Journals  for  revision,^  may  properly  close  the 
year  1748, — a  year,  which,  like  all  previous  ones  of  his 
career,  had  been  thronged  with  adventures  and  striking 
incidents. 

"  London,  December  2.1,  1748. 

"Reverend  and  very  dear  Sir,— I  was  glad,  very  glad,  to  receive 
your  letter,  dated  November  7th,  though  it  did  not  reach  me  till  last  night. 
I  thank  you  for  it  a  thousand  times.  It  has  led  me  to  the  throne  of 
grace,  where  I  have  been  crying,  '  Lord,  counsel  my  counsellors,  and 
shew  them  what  Thou  wouldest  have  me  to  do  ! '  Alas  I  alas  !  how  can  I 
be  too  severe  against  myself,  who,  Peter-like,  have  cut  off  so  many  ears, 
and,  by  imprudences,  mixed  with  my  zeal,  have  dishonoured  the  cause  of 
Jesus  !  I  can  only  look  up  to  Him,  who  healed  the  high-priest's  servant's 
ear,  and  say,  '  Lord,  heal  all  the  wounds  my  misguided  zeal  has  given  ! ' 
Assure  yourself,  dear  sir,  everything  I  print  shall  be  revised.  I  always 
have  submitted  my  poor  performances  to  my  friends'  corrections.  Time 
and  experience  ripen  men's  judgments,  and  make  them  more  solid, 
rational,  and  consistent.     O  that  this  may  be  my  case  ! 

"  I  thank  you,  dear  sir,  for  your  solemn  charge  in  respect  to  my  health. 
Blessed  be  God  !  it  is  much  improved  since  my  return  from  Scotland,  and 
I  trust,  by  observing  the  rules  you  prescribe,  I  shall  be  enabled  to  declare 
the  works  of  the  Lord. 

"But  what  shall  I  say  concerning  your  present  trial  ?^  I  most  earnestly 
sympathise  with  you,  having  had  the  same  trial  from  the  same  quarter 
long  ago.  The  Moravians  first  divided  my  family ;  then  my  parish,  in 
Georgia  ;  and,  after  that,  the  Societies  which  I  was  an  instrument  of 
gathering.     I  suppose  not  less   than  four  hundred,  through  their  prac- 


2  i.(. 


Whitefield's  Works,  vol.  ii.,  p.  212. 
Life  and  Times  of  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  i.,  p.  107. 
"  The  following  extract  from  one  of  Doddridge's  letters  will  cast  light 
on  this.  "  Northampton,  October  2,  1748.  The  spread  of  Moravianism 
has  infected  several  weak,  but  affectionate  people  of  my  flock,  and  now 
appears,  in  spite  of  long  dissembling,  to  have  effected  rank  Antinomianism 
in  principle,  joined  with  a  contempt  of  almost  all  external  ordinances,  and 
an  entire  alienation  of  affection  from  me,  though  among  persons  who  have 
always  had  great  reason  to  love  me."  (Doddridge's  Diary  and  Cor- 
respondence, vol.  v.,  p.  78.) 


2o8  The  Life  of  WJiiteficld. 

17^8     tices,  have  left  the    Tabernacle.     But   I  have    been  forsaken   in    other 
ways.     I  have  not  had  above  a  hundred  to  hear  me,  where  I  had  twenty 

'^  thousand  ;  and  hundreds  now  assemble  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of  me, 

who  never  come  to  see  or  speak  to  me,  though  they  must  own,  at  the 
great  day,  that  I  was  their  spiritual  father.  All  this  I  find  but  little 
enough  to  teach  me  to  cease  from  man,  and  to  wean  me  from  that  too 
great  fondness,  which  spiritual  fathers  are  apt  to  have  for  their  spiritual 
children.  But  I  have  generally  observed,  that,  when  one  door  of  useful- 
ness is  shut,  another  opens.  Our  Lord  blesses  you,  dear  sir,  in  your 
writings  ;'  nay,  your  people's  treating  you  as  they  are  now  permitted  to 
do,  perhaps,  is  one  of  the  greatest  blessings  you  ever  received  from 
heaven.  I  know  no  other  way  of  dealing  with  the  Moravians,  than  to 
go  on  preaching  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus,  and  resting  upon  the  promise, 
'  Every  plant  which  my  heavenly  Father  hath  not  planted  shall  be  plucked 
up.'  Seven  years  will  make  a  great  alteration.  I  believe  their  grand 
design  is  to  extend  their  economy  as  far  as  possible.  This  is  now  kept 
up  by  dint  of  money,  and,  I  am  apt  to  think,  the  very  thing,  by  which 
they  think  to  establish,  will  destroy  their  scheme.  God  is  a  gracious 
Father,  and  will  not  always  let  His  children  proceed  in  a  wrong  way. 
Doubtless,  there  are  many  of  His  dear  little  ones  in  the  Moravian  flock ; 
but  many  of  their  principles  and  practices  are  exceeding  wrong,  for  which, 
I  doubt  not,  our  Lord  will  rebuke  them  in  His  own  time. 

"  But  I  fear  that  I  weary  you.  Love  makes  my  pen  to  move  too  fast, 
and  too  long.  Last  Sunday  evening,  I  preached  at  the  other  end  of 
the  town,  to  a  most  brilliant  assembly.  They  expressed  great  approba- 
tion ;  and  some,  I  think,  begin  to  feek  Good  Lady  Huntingdon  is  a 
mother  in  Israel.     She  is  all  in  a  flame  for  Jesus." 

Whitefield's  remarks  concerning  the  Moravians  may, 
perhaps,  seem  somewhat  harsh  ;  but  they  were  not  untrue, 
and  will  prepare  the  reader  for  other  critiques  hereafter. 

Whitefield  mentions  his  "  brilliant  assembly "  in  the 
mansion  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon.  In  a  letter  to  the 
Countess  of  Bath,  he  wrote,  "  It  would  please  you  to  see 
the  assemblies  at  her  ladyship's  house.  They  are  brilliant 
ones  indeed.  The  prospect  of  catching  some  of  the  rich,  in 
the  gospel  net,  is  very  promising.  I  know  you  will  wish 
prosperity  in  the  name  of  the  Lord."  ^ 

No  wonder  that,  after  one  of  his  first  services  at  Lady 
Huntingdon's,  Whitefield  said,  "  I  went  home,  never  more 
surprised  at  any  incident  in  my  life."  ^  Such  congregations 
were    unique.       Nothing    like    them     had    heretofore    been 

'   Doddridge  was  now  completing  his  "  Family  Expositor." 

*  Whitefield's  Works,  vol.  ii.,  p.  220. 

*  Gillies'  "  Memoirs  of  Whitefield." 


Aristocratic  Hearers.  209 


witnessed.  There  were  gatherings  of  England's  proud  '749 
nobihty,  assembled  to  listen  to  a  young  preacher,  whose  ^„^^  3- 
boyhood  had  been  spent  in  a  public-house  ;  whose  youth,  ac 
the  university,  had  been  employed  partly  in  study,  and 
partly  in  attending  to  the  wants  of  fellow-students,  who 
declined  to  treat  him  as  an  equal  ;  and  whose  manhood  life, 
for  the  last  thirteen  years,  had  been  a  commingling  of  marvel- 
lous popularity  and  violent  contempt, — a  scene  of  infirmities 
and  errors,  and  yet  of  unreserved  and  unceasing  devotion 
to  the  cause  of  Christ  and  the  welfare  of  his  fellow-men. 
Such  was  the  youthful  preacher, — a  man  of  slender  learning, 
of  mean  origin,  without  Church  preferment,  hated  by  the 
clerg)',  and  maligned  by  the  public  press.  Who  were  his 
aristocratic  hearers  .''  The  following  list  is  supplied  by  the 
well-informed  author  of  "  The  Life  and  Times  of  the 
Countess  of  Huntingdon  "  :  — 

Lady  Fanny  Shirley,  who  had  long  been  one  of  the 
reigning  beauties  of  the  court  of  George  the  First  ;  the 
Duchess  of  Argyll ;  Lady  Betty  Campbell ;  Lady  Ferrers ; 
Lady  Sophia  Thomas;  the  Duchess  of  Montagu,  daughter 
of  the  great  Duke  of  Marlborough  ;  Lady  Cardigan;  Lady 
Lincoln;  Mrs.  Boscawen;  Mrs.  Pitt;  Miss  Rich  ;  Lady  Fitz- 
walter;  Lady  Caroline  Petersham;  the  Duchess  of  Queens- 
bury,  daughter  of  the  Earl  of  Clarendon,  and  celebrated  for 
extraordinary  beauty,  wit,  and  sprightliness,  by  Pope,  Swift, 
and  Prior ;  the  Duchess  of  Manchester ;  Lady  Thanet, 
daughter  of  the  Marquis  of  Halifax,  and  wife  of  Sackville, 
Earl  of  Thanet;  Lady  St.  John,  niece  of  Lady  Huntingdon; 
Lady  Luxborough,  the  friend  and  correspondent  of  Shen- 
stone,  the  poet;  Lady  Monson,  whose  husband,  in  1760,  was 
created  Baron  Sondes  ;  Lady  Rockingham,  the  wife  of  the 
great  statesman,  a  woman  of  immense  wit  and  pleasant 
temper,  often  at  court,  and  possessed  of  considerable  influ- 
ence in  the  higher  circles  of  society  ;  Lady  Betty  Germain, 
daughter  of  the  Eirl  of  Berkeley,  and  through  her  husband. 
Sir  John  Gern  ain  the  possessor  of  enormous  wealth  ;  Lady 
Eleanor  Bertie,  a  member  of  the  noble  family  of  Abingdon  ; 
the  Dowager-Duchess  of  Ancaster ;  the  Dowager- Lady 
Hyndford  ;  the  Duchess  of  Somerset ;  the  Countess  Delitz. 
one    of  the   daughters  of  the   Duchess   of  Kendal,  and    the 

vcn..   Ji,  14. 


2IO  The  Life  oj   Whitejitld, 

1749     sister   of    Lady    Chesterfield  ;    Lady   Hinchinbroke,    grand- 
^-i^  daughter  of  the  Duke  of  Montagu ;   and  Lady  Schaubs. 

Besides  these   "  honourable  women   not  a  few,"  there  were 
also  the  Earl   of  Burlington,  so  famed  for  his  admiration   of 
the  works  of  Inigo  Jones,  and  for  his   architectural  expendi- 
ture;  George  Bubb   Dodington,  afterwards  Lord   Melcombe, 
a  friend   and  favourite   of  the   Prince   of  Wales,   and   whose 
costly    mansion    was    often    crowded    with    literary    men  ; 
George  Augustus   Selwyn,  an  eccentric  wit,  to  whom   nearly 
all  the  current  bon-mots  of  the  day  were  attributed  ;   the  Earl 
of    Holderness  ;    Lord     (afterwards    Marquess)   Townshend, 
named  George,   after  his   godfather,  George  the  First,  a  dis- 
tinguished  general   in  the  army,   member  of  Parliament  for 
Norfolk,  and  ultimately  a  field-marshal.     Charles  Townshend, 
now  a  young  man   of  twenty-three,  whom   Burke  described 
as  "  the  delight   and   ornament   of  the  House  of  Commons, 
and   the   charm   of  every  private   society  he  honoured   with 
his   presence ;     Lord    St.  John,  half-brother  to   Lord   Boling- 
broke  ;   the  Earl  of  Aberdeen  ;   the  Earl  of  Lauderdale  ;   the 
Earl   of  Hyndford,    Envoy    Extraordinary   to    the   King    of 
Prussia  ;   the   Marquis  of  Tweeddale,  Secretary  of  State  for 
Scotland  ;   George,  afterwards,  Lord  Lyttelton,   at  one  time 
member    for    Okehampton,     and     secretary    of     Frederick, 
Prince   of  Wales,  and  who  had   recently  published   his  well- 
known  book,  "Observations  on  the   Conversion  of  St.  Paul;" 
William  Pitt,  the  distinguished  first  Earl  of  Chatham  ;   Lord 
North,  in  his  twenty-first  year,  afterwards  First  Lord   of  the 
Treasury,  and   ultimately  Earl   of  Guildford  ;    Evelyn,  Duke 
of    Kingston  ;     Viscount    Trentham    (a   title    borne    by   the 
Duke  of  Sutherland)  ;   the   Earl  of  March   (one  of  the  titles 
of    the   Duke    of    Richmond)  ;     the    Earl    of    Haddington  ; 
Edward    Hussey,  who  married   a  daughter  of  the   Duke  of 
Montagu,  and  was  created  Earl  of  Beaulieu  ;    Hume  Camp- 
bell,   afterwards   created    Baron    Hume  ;   the   Earl   of  Sand- 
wich, subsequently  ambassador  to   the   court  of  Spain,  First 
Lord    of    the    Admiralty,  and    Secretary   of    State    for   the 
Home   Department  ;    and   Lord   Bolingbroke,   the  friend    of 
the   Pretender,  a  man  of  great   ability, — a  statesman,  a  phi- 
losopher, and  an  infidel. 

Gillies   adds  to   this   long   list  the  name  of  David  Hume, 


Aristocratic  Hearers.  2il 

who  had  recently  returned  from  Italy  in  great  chagrin,  i749 
because  the  people  of  England  "entirely  overlooked  and  x^-\x 
neglected "  his  "  Inquiry  concerning  Human  Understand- 
ing." It  is  said  that  Hume  considered  Whitefield  the 
most  ingenious  preacher  he  ever  listened  to,  and  that 
twenty  miles  were  not  too  far  to  go  to  hear  him.  "  Once," 
said  the  great  infidel,  "  Whitefield  addressed  his  audience 
thus  :  '  The  attendant  angel  is  about  to  leave  us,  and 
ascend  to  heaven.  Shall  he  ascend  and  not  bear  with  him 
the  news  of  one  sinner  reclaimed  from  the  error  of  his  way  .-*' 
And,  then,  stamping  with  his  foot,  and  lifting  up  his  hands 
and  eyes  to  heaven,  he  cried  aloud,  '  Stop,  Gabriel,  stop,  ere 
you  enter  the  sacred  portals,  and  yet  carry  with  you  the 
tidings  of  one  sinner  being  saved.'  This  address  stu'passed 
anything  I  ever  saw  or  heard  in  any  other  preacher." 

The  Earl  of  Chesterfield  and  the  Earl  of  Bath  have  been 
previously  noticed  as  being  among  Whitefield's  hearers.  One 
more  name  must  be  mentioned.  Lady  Townshend  was  one 
of  Whitefield's  earliest  admirers.  Her  wit  and  eccentricities 
were  notorious.  Of  course  she. was  a  member  of  the  Church 
of  England  ;  but  Horace  Walpole  tells  a  story  of  George 
Selwyn  detecting  her  crossing  herself  and  praying  before 
the  altar  of  a  popish  chapel.  Alternately,  she  liked  and 
disliked  Whitefield.  "  She  certainly  means,"  said  Walpole, 
"  to  go  armed  with  every  viaticum — the  Church  of  England 
in  one  hand,  Methodism  in  the  other,  and  the  Host  in  her 
mouth."  ^  Whitefield  had  the  moral  courage  to  tackle  even 
this  eccentric  lady;  and,  towards  the  close  of  1748,  wrote  to 
her  as  follows  : — 

"  Yesterday,  good  Lady  Huntingdon  informed  me  that  your  ladyship 
was  ill.  Had  I  judged  it  proper,  I  would  have  waited  upon  your  ladyship 
this  morning ;  but  I  was  cautious  of  intrusion.  My  heart's  desire  and 
prayer  to  God  is,  that  this  sickness  be  not  unto  death,  but  to  His  glory, 
and  the  present  and  eternal  good  of  your  precious  and  immortal  soul.  O 
that  from  a  spiritual  abiding  sense  of  the  vanity  of  all  created  good,  you 
may  cry  out, — 

'  Begone,  vain  world,  my  heart  resign, 

For  I  must  be  no  longer  thine  : 

A  nobler,  a  diviner  guest 

Now  claims  possession  of  my  breast.' 

'  *'  Life  and  Times  of  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  i.,  p.  105. 


2 1 '2  77?^  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1749  Then,  and  not  till  then,  will  your  ladyship  with  cheerfulness  wait  for 
the  approach  of  death.     It  is  a  true  and  living  faith  in  the  Son  of  God 

*^  ^'^  that  can  alone  bring  present  peace,  and  lay  a  solid  foundation  for  future 
and  eternal  comfort.  I  cannot  wish  your  ladyship  anything  greater,  any- 
thing more  noble,  than  a  large  share  of  this  precious  faith.  When,  like 
Noah's  dove,  we  have  been  wandering  about  in  a  fruitless  search  after 
happiness,  and  have  found  no  rest  for  the  sole  of  our  feet,  the  glorious 
Redeemer  is  ready  to  reach  out  His  hand  and  receive  us  into  His  ark. 
This  hand,  honoured  madam.  He  is  reaching  out  to  you.  May  you  be 
constrained  to  give  your  heart  entirely  to  Him,  and  thereby  enter  into  that 
rest  which  remains  for  the  happy,  though  despised,  people  of  God." 

The  foregoing  were  some,  not  all,  of  Whitefield's  aristo- 
cratic hearers.  Others  will  be  mentioned  hereafter.  The 
gatherings,  in  Chelsea  and  in  North  Audley  Street,  were 
profoundly  interesting  spectacles  ;  and  never,  till  the  day  of 
judgment,  when  all  secrets  will  be  unfolded,  will  it  be  ascer- 
tained to  what  extent  the  preaching  of  the  youthful  White- 
field  affected  the  policy  of  some  of  England's  greatest 
statesmen,  and  moulded  the  character  of  some  of  its  highest 
aristocratic  families.  Who  will  venture  to  deny  that,  in  some 
of  these  famJlies,  the  effects  of  Whitefield's  ministry  is  felt  to 
the  present  day  .''      Let  us  pursue  his  histoiy. 

Whitefield  continued  his  correspondence  with  Hervey  and 
Stonehouse.  On  Januaiy  13,  1749,  he  wrote  to  the  former 
as  follows  : — 

"The  prospect  of  doing  good  to  the  rich,  who  attend  the  house  of  good 
Lady  Huntingdon,  is  very  encouraging.  I  preach  there  twice  a  week,  and 
yesterday  Lord  Bolingbroke  was  one  of  my  auditors.  His  lordship  was 
pleased  to  express  very  great  satisfaction.  Who  knows  what  God  may 
do .''  He  can  never  work  by  a  meaner  instrument.  I  want  humility,  I 
want  thankfulness,  I  want  a  heart  continually  flaming  with  the  love  of 
God. 

"I  thank  you  for  your  kind  invitation  to  your  house  and  pulpit.  I 
would  not  bring  you  or  any  of  my  friends  into  difficulties,  for  owning  poor, 
unworthy,  hell-deserving  me  ;  but,  if  Providence  should  give  me  a  clear 
call,  I  shall  be  glad  to  come  your  way.  I  rejoice  in  the  prospect  of  having 
some  ministers  in  our  church  pulpits  who  dare  own  a  crucified  Redeemer. 
I  hope  the  time  will  come  when  many  of  the  priests  will  be  obedient  to 
the  word." 

It  is  a  humiliating  fact,  that  Whitefield,  an  ordained 
clergyman,  and  under  no  official  censure,  was  not  able  to 
avail  himself  of  Hervey's  invitation  witho.it  the  probability 
of  involving  his  gentle  friend  in  trouble  ;  and  it  is  a  beautiful 


Dr.   Stonehouse.  2 1 3 


trait  in  Whitefield's   character,  that,  however  great  the  grati-    '749 
fication  of  preaching  in  a  church  might  be,  he  was  unwilling  Age  34 
to  indulge  himself  in  such  a  pleasure  at  the  expense  of  any 
of  his  friends. 

Dr.  Stonehouse  occasioned  Whitefield  sorrow  and  anxiety. 
The  Doctor  was  a  sincere,  earnest,  and  devout  Christian,  but 
he  was  afraid  of  being  branded  as  a  Methodist;  and,  for  the 
same  reason,  he  was  afraid  of  being  known  as  one  of  White- 
field's  friends.  Hence  the  following,  written  four  days  after 
the  date  of  the  letter  just  quoted  : — 

"  The  way  of  dvity  is  the  way  of  safety.  Our  Lord  requires  of  us  to 
confess  Him  in  His  gospel  members  and  ministers.  To  be  afraid  of 
publicly  owning,  associating  with,  and  strengthening  the  hearts  and  hands 
of  the  latter,  especially  when  they  are  set  for  the  defence  of  the  gospel,  is, 
in  my  opinion,  very  offensive  in  His  sight,  and  can  only  proceed  from  a 
want  of  more  love  to  Him  and  His  people.  You  say,  *  We  are  most  of  us 
too  warm  ; '  but  I  hope  you  do  not  think  that  being  ashamed  of  any  of 
your  Lord's  ministers  is  an  instance  of  it.  Thanks  be  to  God  !  that  Mr. 
Hervey  seems,  as  you  express  it,  'to  court  the  enmity  of  mankind.'  It  is 
an  eiTor  on  the  right  side.  Better  so  than  to  be  afraid  of  it  The  Lord 
never  threatened  to  spew  any  church  out  of  His  mouth  for  being  too  hot  ; 
but,  for  being  neitlier  hot  nor  cold,  He  has.  It  is  too  true,  my  dear  sir, 
*  we  have  but  few  faithful  ministers  ;'  but  is  keeping  at  a  distance  from 
one  another  the  way  to  strengthen  their  interest .?  By  no  means.  To  tell 
you  my  whole  mind,  I  do  not  believe  God  will  bless  either  you  or  your 
friends,  to  any  considerable  degree,  till  you  are  more  delivered  from  the 
fear  of  man.  Alas  !  how  were  you  bowed  down  with  it,  when  I  saw  you 
last  !  And  your  letter  bespeaks  you  yet  a  slave  to  it.  O  my  brother,  deal 
faithfully  with  yourself,  and  you  will  find  a  love  of  the  world,  and  a  fear  of 
not  providing  for  your  children,  have  gotten  too  much  hold  of  your  heart. 
Do  not  mistake  me.  I  would  not  have  you  throw  yourself  into  flames.  I 
wcnild  only  have  you  act  a  consistent  part,  and  not,  for  fear  of  a  little 
contempt,  be  ashamed  of  owning  the  ministers  of  Christ.  After  all,  think 
not,  my  dear  sir,  that  I  am  pleading  my  own  cause.  You  are  not  in 
danger  of  seeing  me  at  Northampton.  I  only  take  this  occasion  of  saying 
a  word  or  two  to  your  heart.  You  will  not  be  offended,  as  it  proceeds 
from  love.  I  salute  Mr.  Hervey,  and  dear  Doctor  Doddridge,  most 
coi'dialiy." 

Towards  the  end  of  January,  Whitefield  set  out,  from 
London,  to  the  west  of  England,  where  he  spent  the  next 
five  weeks.  By  appointment,  he  and  Howell  Harris  held  an 
"  Association  "  at  Gloucester,^  where,  he  says,  "  affairs  turned 


'  Whitefield's  Works,  vol.  ii.,  pp.  220,  224. 


214  "^^^  Life  of  Whifefield. 

*749    out  better  than  expectation."   From  Gloucester,  he  proceeded 
Age  34  to  Bristol,  where  he  employed  the  next  ten  days. 

Whitefield  was  singularly  devoid  of  envy.  On  leaving 
London,  his  place  at  Lady  Huntingdon's  was  occupied  by 
his  friend  Wesley,^  whose  preaching  secured  her  ladyship's 
approval.  Robert  Cruttenden  also  introduced  the  Rev. 
Thomas  Gibbons,  D.D.,^  a  young  man  of  twenty-eight,  who, 
at  this  time,  was  the  officiating  minister  of  the  Independent 
Church  at  Haberdashers'  Hall.  Cruttenden,  in  a  letter  to 
Whitefield,  told  him  that  their  two  hours'  interview  with  the 
Countess  had  been  exceedingly  pleasant.^  With  his  large 
heart,  Whitefield  was  delighted  by  such  intelligence  as  this^ 
and  wrote  to  her  ladyship  as  follows  : — 

"Bristol,  February  i,  1749. 
"  I  am  glad  your  ladyship  approves  of  Mr.  Wesley's  conduct,  and  that 
he  has  preached  at  your  ladyship's.  The  language  of  my  heart  is,  '  Lord, 
send  by  whom  Thou  wilt  send,  only  convert  some  of  the  mighty  and  noble, 
for  Thy  mercy's  sake  ! '  Then  I  care  not  if  I  am  heard  of  no  more.  I 
am,  also,  glad  your  ladyship  approves  of  Mr.  Gibbons.  He  is,  I  think,  a 
worthy  man.  By  taking  this  method,  you  will  have  an  opportunity  of 
conversing  with  the  best  of  all  parties,  without  being  a  bigot,  and  too 
sti'enuously  attached  to  any.  Surely,  in  this,  your  ladyship  is  directed 
from  above.  The  blessed  Jesus  cares  for  His  people  of  all  denominations. 
He  is  gathering  His  elect  out  of  all.  Happy  they  who,  with  a  disinterested 
view,  take  in  the  whole  church  militant,  and,  in  spite  of  narrow-hearted 
bigots,  breathe  an  undissembled  catholic  spirit  towards  all." 

In  the  salne  month,  Lady  Huntingdon  wrote  to  Whitefield 
a  cheering  account  of  the  death  of  one  of  his  noble  con- 
verts : — 

"  My  last,"  says  she,  "mentioned  the  sudden  illness  of  my  Lord  St. 
John.  A  few  days  after,  her  ladyship  wrote  to  me  in  great  alann,  and 
begged  me  to  send  some  pious  clergyman  to  her  lord.  Mr.  Bateman 
went.  His  lordship  enquired  for  you,  to  whom  he  said  he  was  deeply 
indebted.  His  last  words  to  Mr.  Bateman  were:  'To  God  I  commit 
myself.     I  feel  how  unworthy  I  am  ;  but  Jesus  Christ  died  to  save  sinners; 

'  It  is  somewhat  strange  that  this  is  not  mentioned  in  Wesley's  Journal. 

"  Dr.  Gibbons  was  a  very  learned  and  able  man.  His  degree  of  Doctor 
of  Divinity  was  conferred  by  the  University  of  Aberdeen,  in  1764,  when 
he  was  one  of  the  tutors  of  the  Dissenting  Academy  at  Alile-End.  He 
was  a  voluminous  author,  his  differeat  publications  being  forty-six  in 
number.  He  died  in  1785,  and  was  buried  in  Bunhill  Fields.  (Wilson's 
**  History  of  Dissenting  Churches.") 

^  ''  Life  and  Times  of  Countess  of  Huntingdom,"  vol.  i.,  p.  112. 


In  the   West  of  E^igland.  215 


and  the  prayer  of  my  heart  now  is,  God  be  merciful  to  me  a  sinner  !'    His     1749 
lordship  breathed  his  last  about  an  hour  after  Mr.  Bateman  left.     This,  ^ 

my  good  friend,  is  the  firstfruits  of  that  plenteous  harvest,  which,  I  trust, 
the  great  Husbandman  will  yet  reap  amongst  the  nobility  of  our  land. 
Thus  the  great  Lord  of  the  harvest  has  put  honour  on  your  ministry.  My 
Lord  Bolingbroke  was  much  struck  with  his  brother's  language  in  liis  last 
moments.  O  that  the  obdurate  heart  of  this  desperate  infidel  may  yet  be 
shaken  to  its  very  centre  !  May  his  eyes  be  opened  by  the  illuminating 
influence  of  Divine  truth  !  May  the  Lord  Jesus  be  revealed  to  his  heart 
as  the  hope  of  glory  and  immortal  bliss  hereafter !  I  tremble  for  his 
destiny.     He  is  a  singularly  awful  character."  ' 

Whitefield's  preaching  in  Bristol  was  again  successful. 

"  The  power  of  the  Lord,"  he  writes,  "  attended  the  word,  as  in  days  of 
old,  and  several  persons,  who  never  heard  me  before,  were  brought  under 
great  awakenings."'^ 

On  February  8th,  he  proceeded  to  Exeter,  where  he  found 
the  Society  affairs  in  great  confusion  ;  but,  winter  though  it 
was,  and  though  his  health  was  far  from  being  vigorous,  he 
began  to  preach  in  the  open  air.  Large  crowds  assembled  ; 
and,  he  says,  "  I  trust  real  good  was  done."'^  He  also 
preached  at  Bovey-Tracey,  where  he  "  found  several  poor 
simple  souls  ;  "  and  at  Marychurch,  where  there  were  about 
a  score  of  converted  people  who  had  been  greatly  perse- 
cuted. At  Kingsbridge,  at  eight  o'clock  at  night,  he  found 
a  thousand  people  assembled  in  the  street,  and  at  once  com- 
menced preaching,  from  the  words,  "  I  must  work  the  works 
of  Him  that  sent  me  while  it  is  day;  the  night  cometh,  when 
no  man  can  work."      He  writes  : — 

"  I  preached  in  the  street.  The  moon  shone.  All  were  quiet  ;  and,  I 
hope,  some  began  to  think  of  working  out  their  salvation  with  fear  and 
trembling.  The  next  morning,  I  preached  again.  Four  ministers  at- 
tended. Our  Lord  was  pleased  to  make  it  a  fine  season.  I  had  the 
pleasure  of  hearing,  that,  by  two  or  three  discourses  preached  at  this 
place  about  five  years  ago,  many  souls  were  awakened.  One  young  man, 
then  called,  has  become  a  preacher.  He  was  in  a  tree,  partly  to  ridicule 
me.  I  spoke  to  him  to  imitate  Zaccheus,  and  come  down  and  receive  the 
Lord  Jesus.  The  word  was  backed  with  power.  He  heard,  came  dov/n, 
believed,  and  now  adorns  the  gospel."  ■* 

*   "  Life  and  Times  of  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  i.,  p.  98. 
"^  Whitefield's  Works,  vol.  ii.,  p.  229. 
^  Ibid.,  p.  230. 
Ibid.,  p.  231. 


2l6  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1749  On  February  15,  Whitefield  arrived  at  Plymouth,^  being 
Age'34  escorted,  the  last  ten  miles  of  his  journey,  by  a  cavalcade  of 
his  "  spiritual  children,"  who  had  gone  out  to  meet  him.  He 
found  "  many  hundreds,  in  the  tabernacle,  waiting  to  hear 
the  word  ; "  and,  though  the  hour  was  late,  he  immediately 
commenced  preaching.  Here  he  remained  a  week.  The 
following  was  addressed  to  Lady  Huntingdon  : — 

"  About  two  thousand  attend  every  night.  Last  Sunday  evening,  in  the 
field,  there  were  above  five  thousand  hearers.  Affairs  bear  a  promising 
aspect.  I  hear  much  good  has  been  done  at  Bristol.  Everywhere,  fresh 
doors  are  opening,  and  people  flock  from  all  quarters.  Prejudices  subside, 
and  strong  impressions  are  made  on  many  souls,  I  have  not  been  so 
well,  for  so  long  a  season,  for  many  years,  as  I  have  been  since  I  left 
London  :  a  proof,  I  think,  that  the  Lord  calls  me  into  the  fields." 

Whilst  at  Plymouth,  Whitefield  wrote  several  letters,  full 
of  interest,  but  too  long  for  insertion  here.  To  Lady  Betty 
Germain,  he  said  : — • 

"  Of  the  honourable  women,  ere  long,  I  trust  there  will  be  not  a  few  who 
will  dare  to  be  singularly  good,  and  will  confess  the  blessed  Jesus  before 
men.  O  with  what  a  holy  contempt  may  the  poor  despised  believer  look 
down  on  those  who  are  yet  immersed  in  the  pleasures  of  sense,  and, 
amidst  all  the  refinements  of  their  unassisted,  unenlightened  reason,  con- 
tinue slaves  to  their  own  lusts  and  passions  !  Happy,  thrice  happy,  they 
who  begin  to  experience  what  it  is  to  be  redeemed  from  this  present  evil 
world  !     You,  honoured  madam,  I  trust,  are  one  of  this  happy  number." 

To  the  Countess  of  Delitz,  he  wrote  : — 

"  Your  ladyship's  answering  my  poor  scrawl  was  an  honour  I  did  not 
expect.     Welcome,  thrice  welcome,  honoured  madam,  into  the  world  of 

'  Whitefield's  home,  at  Plymouth,  during  this  and  every  subsequent  visit, 
was  the  house  of  Andrew  Kinsman.      Mr.  Kinsman  was  now  in  the  twenty- 
fifth  year  of  his  age.     Seven  years  ago,  he  had  been  converted  by  reading 
Whitefield's  sermons.      In  1745,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Tiley,  another  of 
Whitefield's  converts.     He  and  his  wife  gave  the  piece  of  ground,  at  Ply- 
mouth, on  which  the  Tabernacle  was  built,  and  also  contributed  generously 
towards  the  erection  of  that  edifice.     In  1750,  Kinsman  began  to  preach 
out  of  doors,  at  Plymouth  Dock,  and  was  subjected   to  the  most  violent 
persecutions.     Sometimes,  he  was   surrounded  by  eight  or  nine  military 
drums,  to  drown  his  voice  ;  and  often  he  had  to  flee  for  his  life.  After  this, 
he  became  an  itinerant,  and  preached  with  great  acceptance  in  Bristol, 
London,  and  elsewhere.     At  the  Tabernacle,  London,  Shuter,  the  cele- 
brated comedian,  was  one  of  his  hearers,  and  was  deeply  aflected  by  his 
ministry.      In   1763,  he  was  ordained  as  the  pastor  of  the    Society  at 
Plymouth  Dock,  to  which  he  henceforth  chiefly  confined  his  labours,  with 
the  exception   of  visits  to  London  and  Bristol.     He  died,  in  1793,  aged 
sixty-eight.     {Evangelical  Magazine,  1793,  pp.  45— 60.) 


In  the   West  of  England.  217 

new  creatures  !     O  what  a  scene  of  happiness  hes  before  you  !    Your     1749 
frames,  my  lady,  Hke  the  moon,  will  wax  and  wane  ;  but  the  Lord  Jesus       — 
will  remain  your  faithful  friend.     You  seem  to  have  the  right  point  in      Se  34 
view,  to  get  the  constant  witness  and   indwelling  of  the  Spirit  of  God  in 
your  heart.     This  the  Redeemer  has  purchased  for  you.     Of  this,  He  has 
given  your  ladyship  a  taste.     O  that  your  honoured  sister  may  go  hand  in 
hand  with  you  !     Wherefore  doth  she  doubt  ? " 

It  has  been  previously  stated  that,  on  Whitefield's  arrival 
at  Bermudas,  he  was  warmly  welcomed  by  the  Church 
clergyman,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Holiday.  Unfortunately,  Mr. 
Holiday's  friendship  was  shortlived.    Hence  the  following  : — 

"  Plymouth,  February  20,  1749. 

"  I  did  not  think  Mr.  Holiday's  friendship  would  hold  long.  It  will  be 
time  enough  for  me  to  speak  to  him,  when  I  see  Bermudas  again,  which 
I  propose  doing  as  soon  as  possible.  Meanwhile,  I  would  observe  that, 
if  I  am  a  Roman  Catholic,  the  pope  must  have  given  me  a  very  large 
dispensation.  Surely,  Mr.  Holiday  has  acted  like  one,  to  pretend  so 
much  friendship,  and  yet  have  nothing  of  it  in  his  heart.  But  thus  it 
must  be.  We  must  be  tried  in  every  way.  As  for  any  secrets  that  I  told 
him,  he  is  very  welcome  to  reveal  them.  You  know  me  too  well  to  judge 
I  have  many  secrets.  May  the  secret  of  the  Lord  be  with  me  !  and  then 
I  care  not  if  there  was  a  window  in  my  heart  for  all  mankind  to  see  the 
uprightness  of  my  intentions. 

"  I  am  now  in  the  west,  and  have  begun  to  take  the  field.  Great 
multitudes  flock  to  hear.  I  find  it  is  a  trial,  to  be  thus  divided  between 
the  work  on  this  and  the  other  side  of  the  water.  I  am  convinced  I  have 
done  right  in  coming  over  now  ;  but  I  keep  myself  quite  disengaged,  that 
I  may  be  free  to  leave  England  the  latter  end  of  the  summer,  if  the  Lord 
is  pleased  to  make  my  way  clear.  I  long  to  have  Bethesda  a  foundation 
for  the  Lord  Jesus.  If  I  can  procure  a  proper  person,  of  good  literature, 
who  will  be  content  to  stay  two  or  three  years,  something  may  be  done." 

Before  his  departure  from  Plymouth,  Whitefield  preached 
at  Tavistock  ;  where,  he  says,  "  I  was  rudely  treated  ;  for, 
whilst  I  was  praying,  some  of  the  baser  sort  brought  a 
bull  and  dogs,  and  disturbed  us  much  ;  but  I  hope  good 
was  done." 

On  reaching  Exeter,  he  wrote  to  his  friend  Robert 
Cruttenden,  once  a  minister  of  Christ,  then  an  infidel,  and 
now  re-converted  : — 

"Exeter,  February  2.z„  1749. 
"  I   suppose  you  will  be  pleased   that  I  am  thus  far  in  my  return  to 
London.     O  my  friend,  my  friend,  I  come  with  fear  and  trembling.     To 
speak  to  the  rich  and  great,  so  as  to  win  them  to  the  blessed  Jesus,  is 


2i8  T^he  Life  of  Whitcfie'd. 


1749  indeed  a  task.  But,  wherefore  do  we  fear  ?  We  can  do  all  things  through 
—  Christ  strengthening  us.  But  why  does  Mr.  Cruttenden  think  it  strange 
Age  34  ti^at  no  one  can  be  found  to  help  me  in  the  country  1  Is  it  not  more 
strange  that  you  should  He  supine,  burying  your  talents  in  a  napkin, 
complaining  you  have  nothing  to  do,  and  yet  souls  everywhere  are  perish- 
ing about  you  for  lack  of  knowledge  ?  Why  do  you  not  preach  or  print  ? 
At  least,  why  do  you  not  help  me,  or  somebody  or  another,  in  a  more 
public  way  ?  You  are  in  the  decline  of  life,  and  if  you  do  not  soon  re- 
assume  the  place,  you  are  now  qualified  for,  you  may  lose  the  opportunity 
for  ever.  I  write  this  in  great  seriousness.  May  the  Lord  give  you  no 
rest,  till  you  lift  up  your  voice  like  a  trumpet !  Up,  and  be  doing  ;  and 
the  Lord  will  be  with  you." 

Whitefield  arrived  in  London  at  the  beginning  of  the 
month  of  March.  On  his  way,  at  Bristol,  he  and  Charles 
Wesley  met.  Charles  was  to  be  married  to  Miss  Gwynne 
a  month  afterwards,  and  wrote  :  "  March  3.  I  met  George 
Whitefield,  and  made  him  quite  happy  by  acquainting  him 
with  my  design."^  Whitefield  spent  a  month  in  London, 
and  was  fully  occupied,  not  only  with  preaching  in  the 
Tabernacle,  and  in  the  house  of  Lady  Huntingdon,  but  with 
work  that  was  not  at  all  congenial  to  him. 

At  the  end  of  the  year  1748,  the  Rev.  George  White, 
the  notorious  clergyman  of  Colne,  in  Lancashire,  had  pub- 
lished his  infamous  "  Sermon  against  the  Methodists."  In 
a  footnote,  the  fuming  author,  speaking  of  Whitefield  and 
Wesley,  said  : — 

"  These  officious  haranguers  cozen  a  handsome  subsistence  out  of  their 
irregular  expeditions.  No  satisfactory  account  has  been  given  us  of  Mr. 
Whitefield's  disbursements  in  Georgia  ;  and,  I  am  afraid,  by  his  late 
modest  insinuations,  in  or  about  the  Highlands  of  Scotland,  of  the  want 
of  ^500  more,  he  thinks  the  nation  is  become  more  and  more  foolish,  and 
within  the  reach  of  his  further  impositions.  It  appears,  from  many  pro- 
bable accounts,  that  Mr.  Wesley  has,  in  reality,  a  better  income  than 
most  of  our  bishops,  though,  now  and  then,  (no  great  wonder,)  it  costs 
him  some  little  pains  to  escape  certain  rough  compliments."' 

This  was  a  false,  libellous  attack  on  Whitefield's  honesty  ; 
and  Grimshaw,  of  Haworth,  and  Benjamin  Ingham  wished 
him  to  answer  it.    His  reply  to  Grimshaw  was  as  follows  ; — 


'  C.  Wesley's  Journal,  vol.  ii.,  p.  53.  ,       ^  ■      ,  a 

^  Just  about  the  time  when  this  was  written,  Wesley,  C^nmshaw,  and 

Thomas    Colbeck    were   in   the   utmost  danger   of  being   murdered,   at 

Roughlee,  by  a  drunken  mob,  raised  and  encouraged  by  this  same  clerical 

Mr.  White.     (See  Wesley's  Journal.) 


A  Reverend  Slanderer.  2ig 


"London,  J/arc/i  17,  1749.        1749 
"My  dear  Brother, — What  a  blessed  thing  it  is  that  we  can  write    * 
to,  when  we  cannot  see  one  another !    By  this  means  we  increase  our  joys, 
and  lessen  our  sorrows,  and,  as  it  were,  exchange  hearts. 

"Thanks  be  to  the  Lord  Jesus,  that  the  work  flourishes  with  you  !  I 
am  glad  your  children  grow  so  fast  ;  they  become  fathers  too  soon  ; 
I  wish  some  may  not  prove  dwarfs  at  last.  A  word  to  the  wise  is  suffi- 
:ient.  I  have  always  found  awakening  times  like  spring  times  ;  many 
blossoms,  but  not  always  so  much  fruit.  But  go  on,  my  dear  man,  and, 
in  the  strength  of  the  Lord,  you  shall  do  valiantly.  I  long  to  be  your 
way  ;  but  I  suppose  it  will  be  two  months  first. 

"  Pray  tell  my  dear  Mr.  Ingham  that  I  cannot  now  answer  the  Preston* 
letter,  being  engaged  in  answering  a  virulent  pamph'et,  entitled,  'The 
Enthusiasm  of  the  Methodists  and  Papists  compared,'  supposed  to  be 
done  by  the  Bishop  of  Exeter.  Thus  it  must  be.  If  we  will  be  temple 
builders,  we  must  have  the  temple  builders'  lot ;  I  mean,  hold  a  sword  in 
one  hand,  and  a  trowel  in  the  other.  The  Lord  make  us  faithful  Nehe- 
miahs,  for  we  have  many  Sanballats  to  deal  with  !  But,  wherefore  should 
we  fear?  If  Christ  be  for  us,  who  can  be  against  us  ?  'A'//  despcrandum, 
Christo  duce^  is  the  Christian's  motto.  Remember  me,  in  the  kindest 
manner,  to  honest-hearted  Mr.  Ingham,  and  tell  him  that,  in  a  post  or 
two,  I  hope  he  will  hear  from  me." 

What  Whitefield,  for  want  of  time,  cotild  not  undertake 
was  accomplished  by  the  redoubtable  Grimshaw,  who,  in  an 
8vo.  pamphlet  of  98  pages,  cudgelled  White  almost  unmer- 
cifully.^ 

*  White's  sermon,  with  its  dedicatory  letter,  addressed  to  the  Arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury,  was  printed  at  Preston. 

^  Just  at  this  time,  another  hostile  pamphlet  was  published,  not  far  from 
Colne  :  "  A  brief  description  of  the  Methodists  ;  and  a  confutation  of 
their  dangerous  principles.  By  John  Sladdin,  of  Ovenden,  near  Halifax, 
a  Layman.  York  :  printed  by  Ccesar  Ward  ;  and  sold  by  all  the  distributors 
of  the  York  Courant.  1749."  (i2mo.  16  pp.)  The  following  is  a  brief 
specimen  of  Mr.  Sladdin's  style  and  sentiments  :  "  Though,  before  they 
fancied  themselves  to  have  been  converted,  the  Methodists  were  openly 
lewd  and  profane,  would  swear  and  be  drunk,  and  wallow  in  sensuality 
and  voluptuousness,  yet  they  might  have  a  few  amiable  qualities  ;  perhaps 
they  were  courteous,  affable,  kind,  obliging,  and  faithful  in  their  promises. 
But  now,  alas  !  by  passing  through  those  dismal  stages  of  conversion, 
they  have  contracted  such  a  mass  of  melancholy  humours  as  hath  quite 
soured  their  formerly  sweet  and  engaging  tempers  into  pride  and  envy, 
peevishness  and  faction,  insolence  and  censoriousness.  Nothin,'-  now  will 
satisfy  them  but  heats  of  fancy  and  transports  of  passion.  Whilst  they 
should  be  attending  to  the  sober  dictates  of  Scripture  and  right  reason, 
they  are  looking  for  incomes,  impulses,  and  secret  m.mi/estjfions;  and 
are  apt  to  interpret  every  odd  whimsy  for  an  innate  whisper  from  heaven, 
and  every  brisk  emotion  of  their  spirits  for  a  smile  of  God's  countenance. 
Go,  ye  proud  wretches,  you  that  have  swelled  yourselves  with  conceit  — 
you  who,  like  a  company  of  bladders,  are  blown  up  with  your  own  breath, 


2  20  The  Life  of  Whitefitld. 

Whiteficld  was  answering  Lavington.  Notwithstanding  the 
recantation  extorted  from  him  by  the  Countess  of  Hunting- 
don, only  six  months  before,  the  irritable  prelate  could  neither 
forget  nor  forgive  the  publication  of  the  fictitious  charge  that 
has  been  already  mentioned  ;  and  now  he  vented  his  anger 
by  issuing  anonymously  the  first  part  of  "  The  Enthusiasm 
of  Methodists  and  Papists  compared."  (8vo.  82  pp.)  No 
good  end  would  be  served  by  lengthened  quotations  from 
this  scolding  pamphlet.  The  Bishop  of  Exeter  was  too 
angry  to  be  polite.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that,  so  far  as  White- 
field  is  concerned,  Lavington's  attacks  are  founded  upon 
incautious  and  improper  expressions  in  Whitefield's  publi- 
cations— expressions  most  of  which  Whitefield  himself  had 
publicly  lamented  and  withdrawn,  or  modified.  The  pith  of 
the  bishop's  pamphlet  is  contained  in  his  last  paragraph  but 
one.  The  italics  in  the  following  quotations  are  his  lord- 
ship's own  : — 

"  This  ne7u  dispensation  is  a  composition  of  enthusiasm,  superstition, 
and  imposture.  When  the  blood  and  spirits  run  high,  inflaming  the 
brain  and  imagination,  it  is  most  properly  enthusiasm,  which  is  religion 
run  mad ;  when  low  and  dejected,  causing  groundless  terrors,  or  the 
placing  of  the  great  duty  of  man  in  little  observances,  it  is  superstition, 
which  is  religion  scared  out  of  its  senses;  when  any  fraudulent  dealings 
are  made  use  of,  and  any  wrong  projects  carried  on  under  the  mask  of 
piety,  it  is  imposture,  and  may  be  termed  religion  turned  hypocrite." 

The  title  of  Whitefield's  answer  was  as  follows  :  "  Some 
Remarks  on  a  Pamphlet,  entitled,  '  The  Enthusiasm  of 
Methodists  and  Papists  compared  ;  wherein  several  mistakes 
in  some  parts  of  his  past  writings  and  conduct  are  acknow- 
ledged, and  his  present  sentiments  concerning  the  Methodists 
explained.  In  a  letter  to  the  Author.  By  George  White- 
field,  late  of  Pembroke  College,  Chaplain  to  the  Right 
Honourable  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon.  '  Out  of  the 
eater  came  forth  meat'  (Judges  xiv.  4).  London  :  printed 
by  W,  Strahan,  1749."      (8vo.  48  pp.) 

The    title-page    indicates    the     contents    of    Whitefield's 
pamphlet.      He  honestly  acknowledges  his  errors   by  insert- 

and  swell  and  look  big,  and  yet  have  nothing  but  wind  within  you  ;  go, 
bring  forth  fruits  meet  for  repentance,  and  let  people  sec  you  grow  more 
humble  and  lowly  in  your  opinions," 


Whitefield  and  Bishop  Lavington.  221 

ing  the  letter  alread}^  given,  under  the  date  of  "June  24,  ^74 
1748,"  and  which,  with  very  Httle  alteration,  had  been  pub-  k^^/^ 
Hshed  in  Scotland,  before  Lavington's  mahgnant  ridicule 
had  been  committed  to  the"  press.  Three  brief  extracts, 
from  Whitefield's  "  Remarks,"  will  be  enough.  In  reply  to 
the  accusation  of  claiming  to  be  inspired  and  infallible, 
Whitefield  says  : — 

"  No,  sir,  my  mistakes  have  been  too  many,  and  my  blunders  too 
frequent,  to  make  me  set  up  for  infallibility.  I  came  soon  into  the  world  ; 
I  have  carried  high  sail,  whilst  running  through  a  whole  torrent  of  popu- 
larity and  contempt ;  and,  by  this  means,  I  have  sometimes  been  in 
danger  of  oversetting  ;  but  many  and  frequent  as  my  mistakes  have  been, 
or  may  be,  as  soon  as  I  am  made  sensible  of  them,  they  shall  be  publicly 
acknowledged  and  retracted." 

Again,  having  stated  what  are  the  doctrines  of  the 
Methodists,  Whitefield  writes  : — 

"  These  are  doctrines  as  diametrically  opposite  to  the  Church  of  Rome, 
as  light  to  darkness.  They  are  the  very  doctrines  for  which  Ridley, 
Latimer,  Cranmer,  and  so  many  of  our  first  reformers  burnt  at  the  stake. 
And,  I  will  venture  to  say,  they  are  doctrines  which,  when  attended  with  a 
divine  energy,  always  have  made,  and,  maugre  all  opposition,  always  will 
make,  their  way  through  the  world,  however  wenk  the  instruments,  who 
deliver  them,  may  be." 

Then,  again,  the  object  at  which  Whitefield  and  his  friends 
were  aiming  is  thus  described  : — 

"  To  awaken  a  drowsy  world  ;  to  rouse  them  out  of  their  formality,  as 
well  as  profaneness,  and  put  them  upon  seeking  after  a.  present  and  great 
salvation;  to  point  out  to  \hG.rm.  glorious  rest, -which,  not  only  remains 
for  the  people  of  God  hereafter,  but  which,  by  a  living  faith,  the  very 
chief  of  sinners  may  enter  into  even  here,  and  without  which  the  most 
blazing  profession  is  nothing  worth— is,  as  far  as  I  know,  the  one  thing — 
the  grand  and  common  point,  in  which  all  the  Methodists  endeavours 
centre.  This  is  what  some  of  all  denominations  want  to  be  reminded  of ; 
and  to  stir  them  up  to  seek  after  the  life  and  power  of  godliness,  that  they 
may  be  Christians,  not  only  in  word  and  profcssio)i,  but  in  spirit  and  in 
truth,  is,  and,  through  Jesus  Christ  strengthening  me,  shall  be  the  one 
sole  business  of  my  life." 

Answers  to  Bishop  Lavington  were  also  written  by 
Wesley,  and  by  the  Rev.  Vincent  Perronet.  On  the  bishop's 
side  there  was  published,  "  A  Letter  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  George 
Whitefield,  occasioned  by  his  '  Remarks  on  a  Pamphlet, 
entitled,    The    Enthusiasm    of   the    Methodists    and    Papists 


222  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

'749  compared.'"  (8vo.  59  pp.)  Among  other  railing  accusa- 
Age  34  tions,  the  author  charges  the  poor  Methodists  with  making 
their  followers  mad  ;  and  broadly  asserts  that  some  of  them 
have  committed  murders  in  Wales,  and  are  now  hanging 
in  chains  for  their  crimes.  Whitefield  was  represented  as 
having  "  a  windmill  in  his  head,"  and  going  "  up  and  down 
the  world  in  search  of  somebody  to  beat  out  his  brains." 
It  is  a  curious  fact,  however,  that  the  pamphleteer  attacked 
the  Rev.  Griffith  Jones,  who  had  recently  published  his 
Welsh  Catechism,  more  virulently  than  he  attacked  White- 
field.  The  same  gentleman  (he  calls  himself  a  "Layman") 
published  a  second  pamphlet,  with  the  title,  "  A  Second 
Letter  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  George  Whitefield,  occasioned  by  his 
Remarks  upon  a  Pamphlet,  entitled.  The  Enthusiasm  of 
Methodists  and  Papists  compared.  In  this,  Mr.  Whitefield's 
claim  to  the  doctrine  of  the  9th,  loth,  iith,  and  12th 
Articles  of  the  Church  of  England  is  examined  ;  as  also 
that  of  his  great  Mr.  Griffith  Jones,  of  Landowror,  to  the 
doctrine  of  the  17th  Article;  together  with  some  further 
account  of  the  fire  kindled  by  them  both  in  North  and 
South  W^ales."  (8vo.  1 1 1  pp.)  The  writer  was  a  man  of 
learning,  and,  though  a  layman,  was  well  acquainted  with 
theology.  The  fault  of  his  productions  is  their  bitterness, 
and  their  publication  of  false  and  even  obscene  stories.  He 
charges  the  Welsh  Methodists  with  the  practice  of  adultery, 
and  with  holding  the  doctrine  that  fornication  among  them- 
selves was  not  a  sin.  He  asserts  that  "  Most  of  the  Methodist 
teachers  in  Wales  are  become  Father  Confessors  ;"  and  that 
one  of  them.  Will  Richard,  a  cobbler,  "  when  he  forgives 
the  sins  of  any  person,  delivers  the  party  a  paper,  which, 
upon  its  being  produced,  will  procure  him  or  her  admittance 
into  heaven."  There  are  other  stories  too  impure  to  be 
reproduced. 

It  may  be  added,  that  such  was  the  public  importance 
attached  to  the  production  of  Lavington  and  the  reply  of 
Whitefield,  that  the  AFonthly  Reviezv,  for  i  749,  devoted  not 
fewer  than  twenty-eight  of  its  pages  to  an  examination  of 
them. 

Whitefield's  "  Remarks  "  being  finished,  he  wrote  to  his 
friend  Hervcy,  as  follows  : — 


"  The  DevW s   Castaways.''''  223 

London,  April  5,  1749.        1749 
"  Rev,    and    dear    Sir, — I    suppose    you  have    seen    my   pamphlet       — 
advertised.     I  want  to  pubhcly   confess   my  pubHc  mistakes.     O  how      S^  34 
many,  how  great  they  have  been  !      How  much  obhged  I   am  to  my 
enemies  for  telhng  me  of  them  !     I  wish  you  could  see  my  pamphlet 
before  it  comes  out.     O  that  it  may  be  blessed  to  promote  God's  glory 
and  the  good  of  souls  ! 

"  You  will  be  glad  to  hear  that  our  Lord  has  given  us  a  good  passover" 
(Easter),  "and  that  the  prospect  is  still  encouraging  among  the  rich.  I 
intend  to  leave  town  in  about  a  week,  and  to  begin  ranging  after  precious 
souls. 

"  You  judge  right  when  you  say  I  do  not  want  to  make  a  sect,  or  set 
myself  at  the  head  of  a  party.  No;  let  the  name  of  Whitefield  die,  so 
that  the  cause  of  Jesus  Christ  may  live.  I  have  seen  enough  of  popularity 
to  be  sick  of  it,  and,  did  not  the  interest  of  my  blessed  Master  require 
my  appearing  in  public,  the  world  should  hear  but  little  of  me  hence- 
forward. But  who  can  desert  such  a  cause  ?  Who,  for  fear  of  a  little 
contempt  and  suffering,  would  decHne  the  service  of  such  a  Master?" 

Whitefield   here  mentions  "  the  prospect  among  the  rich," 
but   says    nothing    of  the   poor.      It    must   not    be   inferred, 
however,  that  his  labours  and  success   among  the  latter  were 
at  all  abated.      The  author  of  "  The  Life  and  Times  of  the 
Countess  of  Huntingdon  "  gives  an  instance,  belonging  to  this 
period,  which  is  worth   relating.      While  the  rich   assembled 
in  her  ladyship's  drawing-room,  the  poor  filled   her  kitchen. 
Certain  ladies  having  called   to  pay  a  visit  to  the  Countess, 
she  asked   them   if  they  had   heard   Mr.  Whitefield   preach  ; 
and,  upon  being  answered   in   the  negative,  she  expressed  a 
wish  that  they  should   attend   his  preaching  on  the  day  fol- 
lowing.     The   ladies   did   so  ;   and   the  Countess,  when  they 
next    met,    enquired    how    they   liked   him.      "  O   my  lady," 
they  answered,  "  of  all  the   preachers  we  ever  heard,   he   is 
the   most    strange   and    unaccountable.      Among   other   pre- 
posterous things,  he  declared  that  Jesus   Christ  is  so  willing 
to  receive  sinners,  that   He  does   not   object  to  receive  even 
the  devil's  castazuays  !      My  lady,  did   you   ever  hear  of  such 
a  thing  since  you  were  born  .-•  "     Her  ladyship  acknowledged 
that  the  language  was  a  little  singular,  but,  as  Mr.  Whitefield 
was  in   the  house,  she  would   send   for  him,  and   he  should 
answer   for   himself      Whitefield   came  ;    the   previous   con- 
versation   was   repeated  ;    and   he   said  :   "  My  lady,  I   must 
plead  guilty  to  the  charge  ;  whether  I  did  right  or  otherwise, 
your  ladyship  shall  judge   from   the   following  circumstance. 


2  24  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

^749  Half  an  hour  ago,  a  poor,  miserable- looking,  aged  female' 
Age  34  requested  to  speak  with  me.  I  desired  her  to  be  shewn 
into  your  parlour.  She  said,  '  Oh,  sir,  I  was  accidentally 
passing  the  door  of  the  chapel  where  you  were  preaching 
last  night,  and  I  went  in,  and  one  of  the  first  things  I  heard 
you  say  was,  that  Jesus  Christ  was  so  willing  to  receive 
sinners,  that  He  did  not  object  to  receiving  the  devil's  cast- 
aways. Now,  sir,  I  have  been  on  the  town  many  years, 
and  am  so  %vorn  out  in  his  service,  that,  I  think,  I  may  with 
truth  be  called  one  of  the  devil's  castaways.  Do  you  think, 
sir,  that  Jesus  Christ  would  receive  me  V  "  I,"  said  White-, 
field,  "  assured  her  there  was  not  a  doubt  of  it,  if  she  was  but 
willing  to  go  to  Him."  The  sequel  of  the  story  was,  the 
poor  creature  was  converted,  and  died  testifying  that  the 
blood  of  Christ  can  cleanse  from  all  unrighteousness. 

On  leaving  London,  Whitefield  proceeded  to  Gloucester 
and  Bristol.  Early  in  the  month  of  May,  he  went  to  Ports- 
mouth, where  he  spent  near  a  fortnight,  preaching  with  a 
success  which  was  marvellous  even  to  himself  Writing  to 
Lady  Huntingdon,  on  May  8th,  he  says  : — 

"  The  night  after  I  came  here "  (Portsmouth),  "  I  preached  to  many 
thousands,  a  great  part  of  whom  were  attentive,  but  some  of  the  baser 
sort  made  a  httle  disturbance.  On  the  Friday  evening"  (May  5th),  "I 
preached  at  Gosport,  where  the  mob  has  generally  been  very  turbulent ; 
but  all  was  hushed  and  quiet.  Every  time  I  have  preached,  the  word 
has  seemed  to  sink  deeper  and  deeper  into  the  people's  hearts.'' ' 

On  May  i  ith,  he  wrote  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  M'Culloch,  Presby- 
terian minister,  at  Cambuslang  : — - 

"  I  have  been  preaching  at  Portsmouth  every  day,  for  a  week  past,  to 
very  large  and  attentive  auditories.  I  hear  of  many  who  are  brought 
under  convictions  ;  prejudices  seem  to  be  universally  removed  ;  and  a 
people  who,  but  a  week  ago,  were  speaking  all  manner  of  evil  against  me, 
are  now  very  desirous  of  my  staying  longer  among  them.  What  cannot 
God  do  ? 

"  At  London,  real  good  has  been  done  among  the  rich,  and  the  poor 
receive  the  gospel  with  as  much  gladness  as  ever.      Mr.  Harris  and  some 

'  Methodist  preaching  was  begun,  in  this  neighbourhood,  in  the  year 
1746,  by  John  Cennick,  Thomas  Adams,  and  other  "assistants"  of 
Whitefield.  A  Society  was  formed,  chiefly  consisting  of  members  of  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Williams's  church  at  Gosport,  and  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Norman's  at 
Portsmouth.  In  1754,  they  erected  Portsmouth  "  Tabernacle."  (Seymour's 
"  Memoirs  of  Whitefield.") 


Age  34 


A  Poor  Minister.  225 

others  have  agreed  to  continue  preaching  at  the  Tabernacle,  and  else-     I749 
where,  as  formerly.    I  should  be  glad  to  hear  of  a  revival  at  Cambuslang  ; 
l)ut  you  have  already  seen  such  things  as  are  seldom  seen  above  once 
in  a  century." 

On  the  day  following,  in   a  letter   to   the  Countess  Delitz, 
he  says  : — 

''A  wilderness  is  the  best  name  this  world  deserves.  Ceiled  houses, 
gaudy  attire,  and  rich  furniture,  do  not  make  it  appear  less  so  to  a  mind 
enlightened  to  see  the  beauties  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth.  The  preaching  of 
the  cross  has  been  much  blessed  here.  Multitudes  daily  attend,  and 
many  are  much  affected.  It  would  please  your  ladyship  to  see  the 
alteration  that  has  been  made  in  a  week." 

On  the  same  day,  he  wrote  to  Lady  Fanny  Shirley: — 

"  What  a  glorious  opportunity  is  now  afforded  you,  to  shew,  even 
before  kings,  that  we  are  made  kings  indeed,  and  priests  unto  God,  and 
that  it  is  our  privilege,  as  Christians,  to  reign  over  sin,  hell,  the  world,  and 
ourselves.  O  the  happiness  of  a  life  wholly  devoted  to  the  ever-blessed 
God,  and  spent  in  communion  with  Him  !  It  is  indeed  heaven  begun 
on  earth.  I  trust,  some  in  these  parts,  who  a  few  days  ago  had  never 
heard  of  this  kingdom  df  God,  now  begin  to  look  after  it.  I  have  not  seen 
a  more  visible  alteration  made  in  a  people  for  some  time.  Thousands 
have  attended,  in  the  greatest  order  ;  and  numbers  are  affected." 

On  Monday,  May  15,  Whitefield  set  out  for  Wales,  taking 
Salisbury  and  Bristol  on  his  way.  In  ten  days,  he  reached 
his  wife's  house  at  Abergavenny,  where  he  spent  forty-eight 
hours  of  "  sweet,  very  sweet  retirement, — so  sweet,"  says  he, 
"  that  I  should  be  glad  never  to  be  heard  of  again.  But  this 
must  not  be.  A  necessity  is  laid  ujjon  me  ;  and  woe  is  me, 
if  I  preach  not  the  gOspel  of  Christ." 

Whitefield's  was  a  warm  heart.  Distress  in  others  always 
moved  him.  His  sympathy  was  not  restrained  by  bigotry. 
In  the  fullest  sense,  it  made  him  a  good  Samaritan.  While 
at  Abergavenny,  he  wrote  to  a  friend  in  London,  who  had 
charge  of  "  the  poor  widows,  and  the  other  Tabernacle 
petitioners,"  and  laid  before  him  a  case  of  need,  Avhich  he 
wished   to   be   relieved   out  of  the  Tabernacle   funds.      "On 

Thursday,"  says  he,  "  I  saw  Mr.  £• I- — ■ — ,  the  Dissenting 

minister,  and  found  him  very  meanly  apparelled.  He  is  a 
most  worthy  man.  Some  time  ago,  he  sold  £\^  worth  of 
his    books,    to    fini.'^h    a    small    mecting-housc,   in    which   he 

^OL.  II.  15 


2  26  The  Life  of  White  fie  Id. 

^749  preaches.  He  has  but  £'i,  per  annum  from  the  fund,  and 
Age  34  about  as  much  from  his  people.  He  lives  very  low,  but 
enjoys  much  of  God  ;  and  has  as  great  understanding  of 
the  figurative  parts  of  Scripture  as  any  one  I  know.  He  is 
a  Zacharias,  and  his  wife  an  Elizabeth.  Four  or  five  guineas 
might  be  bestowed  on  them.  What  a  scene  will  open  at 
the  great  day  !  How  many  rich  priests  will  stand  con- 
founded, whilst  the  poor  despised  faithful  ministers  of  Christ 
shall  enter,  after  all  their  tribulation,  into  the  joy  of  their 
Lord  !" 

Whitefield  spent  a  glorious  month  among  the  Welsh 
mountains.  In  a  letter,  dated  "Carmarthen,  June  5,  1749," 
he  writes  :  "  I  am  still  in  suspense  about  my  wife  f  but, 
what  is  best,  (glory  be  to  God  !)  the  gospel  runs,  and  is 
glorified.  I  have  preached  fourteen  times  within  the  past 
eight  days,  and  the  word  has  everywhere  fallen  with  weight 
and  power.      Yesterday  was  a  great  day  here." 

From  Carmarthen,  Whitefield  proceeded  to  Haverfordwest, 
where,  on  June  8th,  be  wrote  to  Lady  Huntingdon  : — 

"  Congregations  grow  larger  and  larger.  All  the  towns  hereabout  are 
quite  open  for  the  word  of  God.  Yesterday,  I  preached  near  Pembroke  ; 
to-day  and  next  Lord's-day,  I  am  to  preach  here  ;-  and  to-morrow,  at 
St.  David's.  Not  a  dog  stirs  a  tongue.  The  mayor  and  gentlemen  at 
Pembroke  were  very  civil  ;  and  the  young  men  bred  up  at  Carmarthen 
Academy  were  much  taken.  The  congregations  consist  of  many  thousands^ 
and  their  behaviour  is  very  affecting.  Indeed,  we  have  blessed  seasons. 
O  free  grace  !  " 

Whitefield  got  back  to  Bristol  on  June  23.  Hence  the 
following,  addressed  to  the  Rev.  James  Hervey  : — 

"Bristol,  June  24,  1749. 
"Yesterday,  God  brought  me  here,  after  having  carried  me  a  circuit  of 
about  eight  hundred  miles,  and  enabled  me  to  preach,  I  suppose,  to 
upwards  of  a  hundred  thousand  souls.  I  have  been  in  eight  Welsh 
counties  ;  and,  I  think,  we  have  not  had  one  dry  meeting.  The  work  in 
Wales  is  much  upon  the  advance,  and  is  likely  to  increase  daily.  Had 
my  dear  Mr.  Hervey  been  there  to  have  seen  the  simplicity  of  the 
people,  I  am  persuaded,  he  would  have  said,  '  Sit  anitna  7nea  a/m 
Methodistis  f     But  every  one  to  his  post.      On   Monday  or  Tuesday 

'  He  was  expecting  her  arrival  from  America. 

*  Whitefield's  Sunday  congregation  at  Haverfordwest  was  estimated 
at  nearly  twenty  thousand.     (Whitefield's  Works,  vol.  ii.,  p.  264.) 


New  Jersey   College.  227 


next,  I  set  out  for  London.     Good  Lady  Huntingdon  is  here,'  and  goes     1749 
on,  in  her  usual  way,  doing  good."  — 

Age  34 
The  Honourable  Jonathan  Belcher  has  been  mentioned  as 
one  of  the  early  friends  of  Whitefield.  For  eleven  years, 
from  1730  to  1 741,  this  gentleman  was  the  governor  of 
Massachusetts  and  New  Hampshire,  and  performed  his 
official  duties  v\/ith  great  ability.  It  so  happened,  however, 
that,  just  about  the  time  when  he  shewed  Whitefield  so 
much  honour,  in  1 740,  an  unprincipled  cabal,  by  falsehood, 
forgery,  and  injustice,  succeeded  in  depriving  him  of  his 
office.  Upon  this,  he  repaired  to  the  court  of  George  H., 
where  he  vindicated  his  character  and  conduct,  and  exposed 
the  baseness  of  his  enemies.  He  was  restored  to  the  royal 
favour;  and,  in  1747,  was  appointed  governor  of  New 
Jersey.  In  1748,  he  obtained,  from  King  George  II.,  a 
charter  for  the  founding  of  New  Jersey  College.^  This  was 
an  institution  in  which  Whitefield  was  greatly  interested.  As 
early  as  November  21,  1748,  he  wrote  to  the  Rev.  Ebenezer 
Pemberton  :  "  I  have  been  endeavouring,  in  Scotland,  to  do 
all  the  service  I  could  to  the  New  Jersey  College  ;  but  I 
believe  nothing  will  be  done  to  purpose,  unless  you  or  some 
other  popular  minister  come  over,  and  make  an  application 
in  person.  In  all  probability,  a  collection  might  then  be 
recommended  by  the  General  Assembly,  and  large  contribu- 
tions be  raised  among  private  persons  who  wish  well  to 
Zion."  And  now  again,  in  another  letter  to  Mr.  Pemberton, 
dated  "  London,  July  10,  1749,"  Whitefield  writes  :  "  Is  there 

no  prospect  of  your  coming  over  }      Your  Mr.  T might 

do  much  for  New  Jersey  College  ;  but  I  have  told  you  my 
mind  in  a  former  letter.  May  God  direct  for  the  best !  I 
have  a  great  mind  to  return  to  my  beloved  America  this 
autumn,  but  am  not  yet  determined.  My  wife  arrived  about 
a  fortnight  ago." 

It  will  be  seen  hereafter,  in  1754,  that  Whitefield's  sug- 

Her  ladyship  was  at  Bristol  for  the  benefit  of  her  health,  and  had 
apartments  in  the  house  of  Whitefield's  brother.  She  was  also  begging 
money  towards  the  erection  of  Bristol  Tabernacle.  ("Life  and  Times  of 
the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  ii.,  pp.  378 — 380  ;  and  Whitefield's 
Works,  vol.  ii.,  p.  258.) 

^  Hodge's  "History  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  America,"' part  ii , 
p.  241. 


2  28  The  Life  of  Whitcfield. 

^749  gestion  was  adopted,  and  a  deputation  came  to  England  for 
Age  34  the  purpose  he  had  mentioned. 

It  is  a  curious  coincidence,  that,  just  at  the  time  when 
Governor  Belcher  was  obtaining  a  charter  for  the  New  Jersey 
College,  Benjamin  Franklin,  then  a  member  of  the  General 
Assembly  of  Pennsylvania,  was  publishing  his  "  Proposals 
relating  to  the  Education  of  Youth  in  Pennsylvania;"  in  other 
words,  he  was  proposing  to  found  an  academy  or  college  in 
Philadelphia.  Franklin  begged  about  i^5000  ;  the  subscribers 
requested  him  and  Mr.  Francis,  the  Attorney-General,  "  to 
draw  up  constitutions  for  the  government  of  the  academy;  " 
twenty-four  trustees  were  chosen  ;  a  house  was  hired ;  masters 
engaged  ;  and  the  schools  opened.  The  scholars  increasing 
fast,  a  larger  building  was  found  to  be  indispensable.  The 
meeting-house,  which  had  been  built  for  Whitefield,  in  1 740, 
was  burdened  with  an  inconvenient  debt  ;  Franklin  negotiated 
with  the  trustees  to  transfer  it  to  the  academy,  on  condition 
that  the  debt  was  paid,  that  the  large  hall  should  be  kept 
open  for  occasional  preachers,  and  that  a  free  school  should 
be  maintained  for  the  instruction  of  poor  children.  In  due 
time,  the  trustees  of  the  academy  were  incorporated  by  a 
royal  charter  ;  the  fundj  were  increased  by  contributions  in 
Great  Britain  ;  and  thus  was  established,  in  VVhitefield's 
meeting-house,  by  the  celebrated  Benjamin  Franklin,  the 
College  of  Philadelphia.^ 

The  following  letter,  addressed  to  Whitefield,  refers  to  these 
transactions  ;  and,  in  other  respects,  is  interesting  : — 

,  "  Philadelphia,  July  6,  1749. 

"  Dear  Sir, — Since  your  being  in  England,  I  have  received  two  of 
your  favours,  and  a  box  of  books  to  be  disposed  of.  It  gives  me  great 
pleasure  to  hear  of  your  welfare,  and  that  you  purpose  soon  to  return  to 
America. 

"  We  have  no  kind  of  news  here  worth  writing  to  you.  The  affair  of 
the  building  remains  in  statu  quo,  there  having  been  no  new  application  to 
the  Assembly  about  it,  or  anything  done,  in  consequence  of  the  former. 

"  I  have  received  no  money  on  your  account  from  Mr.  Thanklin,  or  from 
Boston,  Mrs.  Read,*  and  your  other  friends  here,  in  general,  are  well,  and 
will  rejoice  to  see  you  again. 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  that  you  have  frequen*-  opportunities  of  preaching 


"  "  Memoirs  of  Franklin,"  vol.  i.,  p.  185. 

*  Franklin's  wife  was  a  Miss  Read,  before  he  married  lier. 


Rev.  Robert  Robinson.  229 


Age  34 


among  the  great.  If  you  can  gain  them  to  a  good  and  exemplary  life,  ^749 
wonderful  changes  will  follow  in  the  manners  of  the  lower  ranks  ;  for  ad 
exemplum  regis,  etc.  On  this  principle,  Confucius,  the  famous  eastern 
reformer,  proceeded.  When  he  saw  his  country  sunk  in  vice,  and  wicked- 
ness of  all  kinds  triumphant,  he  applied  himself  first  to  the  grandees  ; 
and,  having,  by  his  doctrine,  won  them  to  the  cause  of  virtue,  the  com- 
mons followed  in  multitudes.  The  mode  has  a  wonderful  influence  on 
mankind  ;  and  there  are  numbers,  who,  perhaps,  fear  less  the  being  in 
hell,  than  out  of  the  fashion.  Our  more  western  reformations  began  with 
the  ignorant  mob  ;  and,  when  numbers  of  them  were  gained,  interest  and 
party-views  drew  in  the  wise  and  great.  Where  both  methods  can  be 
used,  reformations  are  likely  to  be  more  speedy.  O  that  some  method 
could  be  found  to  make  them  lasting !  He  who  discovers  that,  will,  in 
my  opinion,  deserve  more,  ten  thousand  times,  than  the  inventor  of  the 
longitude. 

"  My  wife  and  family  join  in  the  most  cordial  salutations  to  you  and  good 
Mrs.  Whitefield. 

"  I  am,  dear  sir,  your  very  affectionate  friend,  and  most  obliged  humble 
servant, 

"Benjamin  Franklin."' 

Such  was  the  moralizing  of  the  famous  Franklin  concern- 
ing the  marvellous  movement  of  his  friend  Whitefield. 

It  was  about  this  time  that  Whitefield's  ministry  was 
blessed  to  the  conversion  of  a  youth,  who,  afterwards,  ros#to 
great  eminence.  Robert  Robinson  had  recently  tju^jii  ap- 
prenticed to  a  hair-dresser,  in  Crutched  Friars,  London. 
The  apprentice  was  attracted  to  hear  Whitefield  at  the 
Tabernacle,  and,  ever  after,  called  him  his  spiritual  father.- 
In  1 76 1,  at  the  age  of  twenty-six,  Robert  Robinson  became 
the  pastor  of  a  small  Dissenting  congregation,  at  Cambridge, 
whose  members  could  scarcely  afford  him  £20  a  year.  His 
ministry,  however,  was  so  successful,  that,  in  the  course  of  a 
few  years,  his  church  included  above  two  hundred  highly 
respectable  families.  Upon  Robinson's  subsequent  popularity 
as  a  preacher  ;  his  ability  as  an  author;  and  his  embracing, 
a  few  years  before  his  death,  the  Unitarian  creed,  there  is  no 
necessity  to  dwell.      These  are  well-known  facts. 

Having  spent  a  few  days  in  London,  Whitefield  returned, 
towards   the  end  of  July,  to   Lady  Huntingdon,  at   Bristol,'^ 

'  Evangelical  Magazine,  1803,  p.  28. 
"^  "  Life  of  Rev.  Robert  Robinson,"  p.  18. 
^  ^  Both  the  Wesleys  were   now  in  Bristol,  and   they,   Whitefield,  and 
Howell  Harris  had  a  conference.     Hence,  the  following  from  Charles 


23o"  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

'749    where  "  many   in   high   h'fe  "  attended   his    ministry.^      Here 
Age  34  he  had    another  battle  with   a  bishop.      Whitefield  was  told 

that  the  Bishop  of  W ■  had  accused  him  of  perjuiy ;   and 

wrote  to  his  lordship  to  be  informed  upon  what  fact  or  facts 
his  charge  was  founded.  The  bishop's  answer  is  not  pub- 
lished, but  its  nature  and  substance  may  be  inferred  from 
the  reply  of  Whitefield. 

"  Bristol,  August  7,  1749. 

"  My  Lord, — I  suppose  the  mistake  has  lain  here  ;  your  lordship  might 
have  insinuated,  that,  by  my  present  way  of  acting,  I  have  brolvcn  tlie 
solemn  engngemcnt  I  entered  into  at  my  ordination  ;  and  that  might  have 
been  interpreted  to  imply  a  charge  oi perjury. 

"  The  relation  in  which  I  stand  to  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,  made 
me  desirous  to  clear  myself  from  such  an  imputation,  and  to  give  your 
lordship  an  opportunity  of  vindicating  yourself  in  the  manner  you  have 
done. 

"  Were  I  not  afraid  of  intruding  too  much  upon  your  lordship's  time,  I 
would  endeavour  to  answer  the  other  part  of  your  letter,  and  give  you  a 
satisfactory  account  of  whatever  may  seem  irreguHr  and  exceptionable  in 
my  present  conduct.  This  I  would  gladly  do,  not  only  before  your  lord- 
ship, but,  before  all  the  right  reverend  the  bishops  ;  for  I  highly  honour  them 
on  account  of  the  sacred  character  they  sustain  ;  and  wish  to  make  it  my 
daily  endeavour  to  obey  all  their  godly  admonitions.  This,  I  presume, 
my  lord,  is  the  utmost  extent  of  the  promise  I  made  at  my  ordination.  If 
I  deviate  from  this,  in  any  respect,  it  is  through  ignorance  and  want  of 
better  information,  and  not  out  of  obstinacy,  or  contempt  of  lawful 
authority." 

In  the  second  week  of  August,  Whitefield  set  out  for 
Plymouth  ;  and,  on  the  way,  preached  twice  at  Wellington, 
once  at  Exeter,  and  twice  at  Kingsbridge.^  At  Plymouth, 
he  wrote,  to  a  friend,  as  follows  : — 

Plymouth,  August,  19,  1749. 
"  My  VERY  DEAR  BROTHER,— Last  night,  I  heard  that  the  bishop** 
(of  Exeter)  "  has  published  a  second  pamphlet,  with  a  preface  addressed 
to  me.  Have  you  seen  it  ?  Or,  do  you  think  it  worth  answering  1  He 
told  a  clergyman,  some  time  ago,  that  he  might  expect  a  second  part.  He 
said,  my  answer  was  honest,  and  that  I  recanted  many  things;  but  that  I 
still  went  on  in  my  usual  way.     God  forbid  I  should  do  otherwise  •    I  am 

Wesley's  Journal: — "  1749,  August  3.  Our  conference  this  week  with  Mr. 
Whitefield  and  Mr.  Harris  came  to  nought ;  1  think  through  their  fleeing 
off."  Was  this  another  attempt  to  amalgamate  Wesley's  and  Whitefield's 
Societies.'' 

'  Whitefield's  Works,  vol.  ii.,  p.  269.  • 

*  Ibid.,  p.  272. 


Bishop  Lavington,  231 

informed,  that,  upon  threatening  to  pull  Mr.  Thompson's  gown  off,  Mr.     174' 
Thompson  threw  it  off  himself,  and  said,  he  could  preach  the  gospel       '~ 
without  a  gown  ;  and  so  withdrew.    Upon  which,  the  bishop  sent  for  him,      ^^ 
and  soothed  him.     I  hope  to  see  Mr.  Thompson,  at  Bideford,  on  Tuesday, 
and  expect  to  hear  particulars."  ' 

The  second  part  of  Bishop  Lavington's  "  Enthusiasm  of 
Methodists  and  Papists  compared,"  was  an  8vo.  volume  of 
two  hundred  pages,  and  quite  as  discreditable  to  his  lordship's 
character  and  position  as  that  already  published.  In  about 
equal  parts,  it  was  levelled  against  Whitefield  and  Wesley, 
with  an  occasional  fling  at  the  Moravians.  It  is  somewhat 
difficult  to  reconcile  its  levity  and  buffoonery  with  Christian 
piety.  At  all  events,  its  spirit,  tone,  and  language,  are  not 
in  harmony  with  St.  Paul's  injunction,  "A  bishop  must  not 
soon  be  angry,  but  be  sober,  just,  holy,  temperate."  It  is 
needless  to  give  an  outline  of  this  episcopal  production  ;  but, 
from  the  preface  of  forty-four  pages,  wholly  addressed  to 
Whitefield,  the  following  choice  epithets  and  phrases  are 
taken.  "  You  are  a  most  deceitful  worker,  grievously  seduc- 
ing your  prepious  lambs."  "  Your  infallible  instructions  are 
so  many  mistakes,  blunders,  or  lies."  "  You  have  climbed 
up,  and  stdlen  the  sacred  fire  from  heaven  ;  have  even  deified 
yourself,  and  put  your  own  spirit  in  the  seat  of  the  Holy 
Ghost."  "  You  have  owned  yourself  a  cheat  and  impostor." 
"  You  say,  ' After-expei'ience  and  riper  judgtfTent  have  taught 
}^ou  to  correct  and  aviend  all  your  performances;  and  for  the 
future  you  are  to  come  out  in  a  more  nnexceptionable  dress! 
What  a  desirable  and  delightful  spectacle  !  I  almost  lotig  to 
have  a  peep  at  you  in  your  unexceptionable  dress.  I  begin  to 
be  in  an  ecstasy.  Now  methinks  I  see  you,  like  a /^^JF^r  after 
he  hath   acted  his  part,   stripping  off  the  dazzling  thisel  in 

'  The  Rev.  Mr.  Thompson  was  rector  of  St.  Gennys,  near  Camelford, 
in  Cornwall.  After  being  educated  at  Exeter  College,  Oxford,  he  became 
chaplain  to  the  Tiger  man-of-war,  in  which  he  went  to  America.  On 
his  return  to  England,  he  succeeded  to  a  family  estate  of  about  ^500  a 
year,  and  settled  at  St.  Gennys.  Though  not  an  "  Oxford  Methodist,"'  he 
preached  the  doctrines  of  the  Methodists,  and  was  ardently  attached  to 
their  leaders.  He  was  an  intimate  friend  of  Hervey,  who  dedicated  to 
Mr.  Thompson's  eldest  daughter  the  first  volume  of  his  "  Meditations." 
Mr.  Thompson  was  a  man  of  considerable  genius,  and  is  said  to  have 
been  the  author  of  a  volume  of  religious  poems,  which  were  published 
anonymously.  He  died  in  1781.  ("  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of 
Huntingdon.") 


232  TJie  Life  c/  Whitefield. 

^749  which  he  strutted  upon  the  stage.  Noiv,  hke  Presbyter  JoJin, 
Age  34  tearing  away  points,  tags,  ribbands,  fringe,  lace,  and  em- 
broidery. Nozv,  again,  {Paulo  majora  cananuts^  methinks  I 
sec  you  divesting  yourself  of  your  celestial  garments  and 
ornaments  ;  plucking  off  your  appropriated  blossoms  of  Aaron's 
rod,  slipping  off  the  child  Samuel's  linen  ephod,  throwing 
Elijalis  mantle  from  your  shoulders  ;  and  modestly  standing 
forth  in  the  ordinary  attire  of  a  plain  goivn  and  cassock!' 

It  was  as  impossible  as  it  was  undesirable,  for  Whitefield 
to  write  an  answer  in  a  scurrilous  and  bantering  style  like 
this  ;  and,  therefore,  he  wisely  determined  not  to  write  at 
all.     Hence  the  following  to  Lady  Huntingdon  : — - 

"  BlDEFORD,  August  24,   1749. 

"  I  have  seen  the  bishop's  second  pamphlet,  in  which  he  has  served  the 
Methodists,  as  the  Bishop  of  Constance  served  John  Huss,  when  he  ordered 
some  painted  devils  to  be  put  round  his  head  before  he  burned  him.  His 
preface  to  me  is  most  virulent.  Everything  I  wrote,  in  my  answer,  is 
turned  into  the  vilest  ridicule,  and  nothing  will  satisfy  but  giving  up  the 
glorious  work  of  the  ever-blessed  God,  as  entirely  cheat  and  imposture.  I 
cannot  see  that  it  calls  for  any  further  answer  from  me.  Mr.  Wesley,  I 
think,  had  best  attack  him  now,  as  he  is  largely  concerned  in  this  second 
part.  I  think  of  leaving  this  place  to-morrow,  and  of  preaching  at  Exeter 
next  Lord's-day." 

Whitefield  would  not  reply  to  the  bishop's  pamphlet,  but 
he  would  preach  in  his  episcopal  city.  It  was  rather  a  bold 
step  to  take  ;  and  the  following  is  Whitefield's  own  account 
of  it.  This,  like  the  former  letter,  was  addressed  to  Lady 
Huntingdon  : — 

"  London,  September  \,  1749. 

"Honoured  Madam,— I  came  to  town  on  Thursday,  the  31st  ultimo, 
after  having  had  a  pleasant  circuit  in  the  west. 

"The  day  after  I  wrote  to  your  ladyship,  I  preached  twice  at  Exeter, 
and,  in  the  evening,  I  believe  I  had  near  ten  thousand  hearers.  The 
bishop  and  several  of  his  clergy  stood  very  near  me,  as  I  am  informed.  A 
good  season  it  was.  All  was  quiet,  and  there  was  a  great  solemnity  in  the 
congregation  ;  but  a  drunken  man  threw  at  me  three  great  stones.  One 
of  them  cut  my  head  deeply,  and  was  likely  to  knock  me  off  the  table  ; 
but,  blessed  be  God  !  I  was  not  at  all  discomposed.  One  of  the  other 
stones  struck  a  poor  man  quite  down. 

"  As  I  came  from  Exeter,  I  visited  one  John  Haime,  the  soldier,  who, 
under  God,  began  the  great  awakening  in  Flanders.     He  is  in  Dorchester 


JLtittr  lO  Hervey.  233 

gaol  for  preaching  at  Shaftesbury,  where  there  has  been,  and  is  now,  a     1749 
great  awakening.'  — 

"  Everywhere  the  work  is  spreading  ;  and,  since  I  have  been  here,  we      ^^  ^'* 
ha\e  had  some  of  the  most  awful,  solemn,  powerful  meetings,  I  ever  saw 
at  the  Tabernacle.     Congregations  have  been  very  large,  and  I  have  had 
several  meetings  with  the  preachers."* 

Whitefi eld's  stay  in  London  was  of  short  duration.  In  a 
few  days,  he  set  out  for  Yorkshire  and  the  North  of  England, 
On  his  way,  in  Hertfordshire,  he  wrote  as  follows  to  his  friend 
Hervey: — 

"  Bennington,  September  17,  1749. 

"  Rev.  and  very  dear  Sir,— Perhaps  I  have  heard  from  what  corner 

your  cross  comes.     It  is  a  very  near  one  indeed.     A  saying  of  Mr.  B 

has  often  comforted  me  :  •'  I  would  often  have  nestled,  but  God  always 
put  a  thorn  in  my  nest.'  Is  not  this  suffered,  my  dear  brother,  to  prick 
you  out,  and  to  compel  you  to  appear  for  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  ?  Preach- 
ing is  my  grand  catholicon,  under  all  domestic,  as  well  as  other  trials.  I 
fear  Dr.  Stonehouse  has  done  you  hurt,  and  kept  you  in  shackles  too  long. 
For  Christ's  sake,  my  dear  Mr.  Hervey,  exhort  him,  now  that  he  has 
taken  the  gown,  to  play  the  man,  and  let  the  world  see,  that,  not  worldly 
moti\  es,  but  God's  gloiy  and  a  love  for  souls,  have  sent  him  into  the 
ministry.  I  hop:^  he  will  turn  out  a  flamer  at  last.  O  when  shall  this 
once  be  !  Who  v.ould  lose  a  moment  ?  Amazing  !  that  the  followers  of 
a  crucified  Redeemer  should  be  afraid  of  contempt  !  Rise,  Hervey,  rise, 
and  see  thy  Jesus  reaching  out  a  crown  with  this  motto,  '  Vinceiiti  dabo. 
Excuse  this  freedom.  I  write  out  of  the  fulness  of  my  heart,  not  to  draw 
you  over  to  me,  or  to  a  party,  but  to  excite  you  to  appear  openly  for  God. 

"  A  letter  may  be  directed  (if  you  write  immediately)  to  be  left  at  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Ingham's,  Yorkshire.  Thither  I  am  bound  now,  and,  if  the 
season  of  the  year  should  permit,  I  would  stretch  to  Scotland.  We  have 
had  most  delightful  seasons  in  London.  The  glory  of  the  Redeemer  filled 
the  Tabernacle.  If  any  doubt  whether  the  cause  we  are  embarked  in  be 
the  cause  of  God,  I  say,  '  Come  and  see.'  Are  you  free  that  I  should  call 
upon  you  in  my  return  to  town  ?  I  think  to  come  by  way  of  Northampton. 
You  shall  hear  what  is  done  in  Yorkshire.  God  has  blessed  my  preaching 
at  Oundle." 

It  is  evident  that  Whitefield  wished  Hervey  to  itinerate 
like  himself ;  but  this  was  a  work  for  which  the  gentle 
rector  of  Weston-Favell  was   physically  and   mentally  unfit. 

'  For  Haime's  own  account  of  his  success  at  Shaftesbury,  and  his  unjust 
imprisonment,  see  the  Arminian  Mai^asine  for  1780,  p.  308.  He  was  one 
of  the  best  of  Wesley's  martial  preachers. 

2  Whiteneld,  Howell  Harris,  and  others  held  an  "Association"  in 
London,  on  September  i,  2,  3,6,  and  7.  (See  "  Life  and  Times  of  Howell 
Harris,"  p.  1 1 5.) 


234  ^^'^  Life  of  White  field. 

1749  No  good  end  would  have  been  answered  by  his  attempting 
Age  34  it.  Besides,  by  his  pen,  he  was  doing  a  great  work,  which 
Whitefield,  had  he  tried,  could  not  have  done  ;  and  which 
itinerancy  would  have  set  aside.  The  fact  is,  though  White- 
field  and  Hervey  were  both  Oxford  Methodists,  Whitefield 
had  not  seen  his  old  acquaintance  for  many  years,  and  seems 
to  have  had  no  idea  of  the  extreme  delicacy  of  his  health. 

Whitefield's  progress  to  Ingham's,  at  Aberford  ;  to  Grim- 
shaw's,  at  Haworth  ;  and  to  other  places,  will  be  seen  in  the 
following  extracts  from  his  letters  : — 

"  Newcastle,  September  29,  1749. 
"  I  have  had  many  proofs  that  God's  providence  directed  my  way  into 
Yorkshire.  I  preached  four  times  at  Aberford,  four  times  at  Leeds,  and 
thrice  at  Haworth,  where  lives  one  Mr.  Grimshaw.  At  his  church,  I 
beheve,  we  had  above  a  thousand  communicants,  and,  in  the  churchyard, 
about  six  thousand  hearers.  It  was  a  great  day  of  the  Son  of  man.  About 
Leeds  are  Mr.  Wesley's  Societies.  I  was  invited  thither  by  them  and  one 
of  their  preachers  ;  and  Mr.  Charles  Wesley,  coming  thither,  published 
me  himself.  I  have  preached  here  once,  and  am  to  preach  again  this 
evening.  On  Monday  next,  October  2nd,  I  propose  to  return  to  York- 
shire, and,  from  thence,  to  London.  I  have  given  over  the  immediate 
care  of  all  my  Societies  to  Mr.  Harris  ;  so  that  now  I  am  a  preacher  at 
large.  Everything  is  turning  round  strangely.  O  for  simphcity  and 
honesty  to  the  end  !  " 

To  Lady  Huntingdon,  Whitefield  wrote  as  follows  : — 

"Newcastle,  Ociobe?- 1,  1749. 
"  Never  did  1  see  more  of  the  hand  of  God,  in  any  of  my  journeys,  than 
in  this.  At  Mr.  Grimshaw's,  1  beheve,  there  were  above  six  thousand 
hearers.  The  sacramental  occasion  was  most  awful.  At  Leeds,  the  con- 
gregation consisted  of  above  ten  thousand.  In  the  morning,  at  five,  I  was 
obliged  to  preach  out  of  doors.  In  my  way  hither,  I  met  Mr.  Charles 
Wesley,  who  returned,  and  introduced  me  to  the  pulpit  in  Newcastle.  As 
I  am  a  debtor  to  all,  and  intend  to  be  at  the  head  of  no  party,  1  thought 
it  my  duty  to  comply.  I  have  preached  in  their  room  four  times,  and, 
this  morning,  I  preached  to  many  thousands  in  a  large  close.  This  even- 
ing, I  am  to  do  the  same.  The  power  of  God  has  attended  His  word, 
and  there  seems  to  be  a  quickening  of  souls.  To-morrow,  God  willing, 
we  set  out  for  Leeds.  As  it  is  so  late  in  the  year,  my  Scotch  friends 
advise  me  to  defer  my  going  thither.  Had  I  known  that,  I  should  have 
embarked  for  America  this  autumn." 

In  these  and  other  letters,  written  while  in  the  north  ot 
England,  Whitefield  makes  no  mention  of  an  event  too  im- 
portant to  be  entirely  omitted.      It  was  now  that  Charles 


Wesley  and  Grace  Alurray.  235 

Wesley  succeeded  in  preventing  his  brother  marrying  Grace  ^749 
Murray,  by  getting  her  married  to  John  Bennet.  This  un-  Age  34 
pleasant,  almost  romantic,  incident  occupies  so  large  a  space 
in  "  The  Life  and  Times  of  Wesley,"  that  I  here  purposely 
refrain  from  entering  into  details.  The  account  there  intro- 
duced has  been  severely  criticised  and  censured  by  some  of 
Wesley's  admirers,  who  seem  to  be  unwilling  to  admit  that 
he  shared  any  of  the  infirmities  common  to  human  beings. 
I  can  only  say,  that  while  I  could  add  to  the  details  I  have 
already  given,  I  know  of  nothing  that  I  ought  either  to 
retract  or  to  modify.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  White- 
field  was  cognisant  of  the  intentions  of  Charles  Wesley  ;  for 
the  marriage  with  Bennet  took  place  in  Newcastle,  the  very 
day  Whitefield  left  that  town  for  Leeds  ;  and,  further,  on  the 
night  previous  to  the  marriage,  Wesley,  at  Whitehaven,  re- 
ceived a  letter  from  Whitefield,  requesting  that  he  would 
meet  him  and  Charles  Wesley,  at  Leeds,  two  days  afterwards. 
Nothing  more  shall  be  added,  except  to  give  Wesley's  own 
account  of  the  distressing  interview.      He  writes  : — 

"  October  4,  1749.  At  Leeds,  I  found,  not  my  brother,  but  Mr.  White- 
field.  I  lay  down  by  him  on  the  bed.  He  told  me  my  brother  would  not 
come  till  John  Bennet  and  Grace  Murray  were  married.  I  was  troubled  ; 
he  perceived  it ;  he  wept  and  prayed  over  me,  but  I  could  not  shed  a  tear. 
He  said  all  that  was  in  his  power  to  comfort  me  ;  but  it  was  in  vain.  He 
told  me  it  was  his  judgment  that  she  was  tny  wife,'  and  that  he  had  said 
so  to  John  Bennet,  that  he  would  fain  have  persuaded  them  to  wait,  and 
not  to  marry  till  they  had  seen  me  ;  but  that  my  brother's  impetuosity 
prevailed  and  bore  down  all  before  it.  On  Thursday,  October  5,  about 
eight,  one  came  in  from  Newcastle,  and  told  us  '  They  were  married  on 
Tuesday.'  My  brother  came  an  hour  after.  I  felt  no  anger,  yet  I  did  not 
desire  to  see  him  ;  but  Mr.  Whitefield  constrained  me.  After  a  few  words 
had  passed,  he  accosted  me  with,  '  I  renounce  all  intercourse  with  you, 
but  what  I  would  have  with  a  heathen  man  or  a  publican.'  I  felt  little 
emotion  ;  it  was  only  adding  a  drop  of  water  to  a  drowning  man  ;  yet  I 
calmly  accepted  his  renunciation,  and  acquiesced  therein.  Poor  Mr. 
Whitefield  and  John  Nelson  burst  into  tears.  They  prayed,  cried,  and 
entreated,  till  the  storm  passed  away.  We  could  not  speak,  but  only  fell  ^ 
on  each  other's  neck." 


'  At  Dublin,  they  had  made  a  contract  de  prasenti,  to  which  Wesley 
attached  great  importance,  and  not  without  reason.  "  Any  contract  made, 
per  verba  de  prasenti,  was,  before  the  time  of  George  II.,  so  far  a  valid 
marriaqe,  that  the  parties  might  be  compelled,  in  the  spiritual  courts,  to 
celebrate  it  /;;  facie  ecclesicF."  ("  The  Student's  Blackstone,"  by  Robert 
Malcolm  Kerr,  LL.D.,  p.  103.) 


236  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 


1749  Thus  did  Whitefield  help  to  prevent  a  breach  of  the  life- 

Ag734  long  and  ardent  friendship  of  the  Wesley  brothers.  Three 
days  afterwards,  Charles  Wesley  wrote  to  Mr.  Ebenezer 
Blackwell,  the  London  banker,  as  follows  : — 

"  Sheffield,  Sunday  Morning,  October  8,  1749. 
"  George  Whitefield,  and  my  brother,  and  I,  are  one,— a  threefold  cord 
which  shall  no  more  be  broken.  The  week  before  last,  I  waited  on  our 
friend  George  to  our  house  in  Newcastle,  and  gave  him  full  possession  of 
our  pulpit  and  people's  hearts,  as  full  as  was  in  my  power  to  give.  The 
Lord  united  all  our  hearts.  I  attended  his  successful  ministry  for  some 
days.  He  was  never  more  blessed  or  better  satisfied.  Whole  troops  of 
the  Dissenters  he  mowed  down.  They  also  are  so  reconciled  to  us,  as  you 
cannot  conceive.  The  world  is  confounded.  The  hearts  of  those  who 
seek  the  Lord  rejoice.  At  Leeds,  we  met  my  brother,  who  gave  honest 
George  the  right  hand  of  fellowship,  and  attended  him  everywhere  to  our 
Societies.  Some  in  London  will  be  alarmed  at  the  news  ;  but  it  is  the 
Lord's  doing,  as  they,  I  doubt  not,  will  by-ar.d-by  acknowledge."  ' 

It  is  a  fact  worth  noting,  that,  on  the  memorable  day, 
when  Whitefield,  the  two  Wesleys,  John  Bennct  and  his 
newly  wedded  wife  met  at  Leeds,  Whitefield  preached  in 
that  town  at  five  in  the  morning,  and  at  Birstal,  at  fi  >  o  in 
the  evening.^  On  both  occasions,  stricken-hearted  Wesley 
was  present,  and  says,  "  God  gave  Mr.  Whitefield  both 
strong  and  persuasive  words." ^  Five  days  afterwards,  Wesley 
was  in  Newcastle,  and,  in  soberer  language  than  that  used 
by  his  brother,  pronounced  the  following  judgment  on 
Whitefield's  visit  there  :  "  I  was  now  satisfied  that  God  had 
sent  Mr.  Whitefield  to  Newcastle  in  an  acceptable  time  ; 
many  of  those  who  had  little  thought  of  God  before,  still 
retain  the  impressions  they  received  from  him."  ^ 

On  leaving  Leeds,  Whitefield,  accompanied  by  Ingham, 
set  out  on  another  evangelizing  tour  through  Yorkshire, 
Lancashire,  and  Cheshire.^  "  Go  on,"  wrote  Howell  Harris, 
in  a  letter  to  Whitefield,  dated   "October  15,  1749," — "Go 

*  C.  Wesley's  Journal,  vol.  ii.,  p.  178. 

^  Tradition  says,  that  when  Whitefield  preached  at  Birstal,  his  voice 
■was  heard  on  Staincliffe  Hill,  a  mile  and  a  half  from  where  he  stood, 
crying,  "  O  earth,  earth,  earth,  hear  the  word  of  the  Lord  !  "  (Gled- 
stone's  "  Life  and  Travels  of  George  Whitefield.") 

^  John  Wesley's  Journal. 

*  Ibid. 

"  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  i.,  p.  264. 


Colonel  Galailn.  237 


on,  and  blaze  abroad  the  fame  of  Jesus,  till  you  take  your  '749 
flight,  to  bow,  among  the  innumerable  company,  before  His  Age  34 
unalterable  glory  !  "  ^  And  "  go  on  "  Whitefield  did.  The 
following  was  written  to  Lady  Fanny  Shirley,  at  Ewood, 
(or  Estwood,  as  Whitefield  calls  it,)  a  place  whence  Grim- 
shaw  had  married  his  first  wife,  and  where  he  occasi'^nally 
resided. 

"EsTWooD,  IN  Lancashire,  October  zt^,  1749. 
"  Honoured  Madam, — Since  I  wrote  to  your  ladyship  from  Newcastle, 
I  have  preached  about  thirty  times  in  Yorkshire,  and  above  ten  times  in 
Cheshire  and  Lancashire.  Congregations  have  been  very  large,  and  a 
convincing  and  comforting  influence  has  everywhere  attended  the  word. 
In  one  or  two  places,  I  have  had  &  little  rough  treatment  ;  but  elsewhere 
all  has  been  quiet.  At  the  importunity  of  many,  I  am' now  returning 
from  Manchester  to  Leeds  ;  from  thence  I  purpose  going  to  Shcftield  ; 
next  week  I  hope  to  see  good  Lady  Huntingdon  at  Ashby  ;  and  the  week 
following  I  hope  to  be  in  London.  Thus  do  I  lead  a  pilgrim  life.  God 
give  me  a  pilgrim  heart,  and  enable  me  to  speak  of  redeeming  love  to  a 
lost  world,  till  I  can  speak  no  more.  Mrs.  Galatin,  at  Manchester,  gi  es 
on  well,  and  is  not  ashamed  to  confess  Him,  who,  I  trust,  has  called  her 
out  of  darkness  into  marvellous  light." 

Colonel  and  Mrs.  Galatin  were  sincere  and  warm-hearted 
friends  both  of  Whitefield  and  the  Wesleys.  Whitefield 
met  them  in  Manchester,  where  the  colonel  ^  was  then 
stationed,  and  made  the  best  use  of  his  opportunity  to 
benefit  him  and  his  subordinate  officers.  Hence  the  follow- 
ing to  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon  : — 

"  Leeds,  October  30,  1749. 

"  I  forwarded  your  letter  to  Mrs.  Galatin,  at  Manchester.  She  seems 
to  be  quite  in  earnest.  I  conversed  for  about  two  hours  with  the  captain 
and  some  other  officers,  upon  the  nature  and  necessity  of  the  new  birth. 
He  was  affected  ;  and,  I  hope,  the  conversation  was  blessed.  Since  1  left 
them,  I  have  preached  to  many  thousands  in  Rosendale,  Aywood '' 
(Ewood  ?)  "and  Halifax  ;  also  at  Birstal,  Pudsey,  and  Armley;  and  I  have 
had  three  precious  seasons  here.  Congregations  are  exceeding  large,  and 
both  the  Established  and  Dissenting  Clergy  are  very  angry.  I  hear  that 
yesterday  they  thundered  heartily.  But  truth  is  great,  and  will  prevail, 
though  preached  in  the  fields  and  streets. 

"  I  thought  to  have  been  at  Ashby  next  Lord's-day,  but  a  door  seems 
to  be  opened  at  Nottingham,  and  I  have  thoughts  of  trying  what  can  be 

'  "  Life  of  Howell  Harris,"  p.  200. 

■'  Whitefield  calls  him  "captain  ;"  but,  if  not  now,  he  soon  afterwaids 
was  colonel. 


238  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1749    . 


Ae-e  xx  done  there.     This  morning  I  shall  set  out  for  Sheffield.     This  day  week, 
your  ladyship  may  depend  on  seeing  me  at  Ashby." 

On  November  13  th,  Whitefield  left  the  country  residence 
of  Lady  Huntingdon  for  London.  On  arriving  there,  he 
found  letters,  which  turned  his  attention  to  Ireland. 

After  John  Cennick  seceded  from  Whitefield,  he,  in  June 
1746,  went  to  Dublin,  and  commenced  preaching  in  Skinner's 
Alley.  Soon  after  this,  Cennick  had  to  attend  a  Moravian 
Synod  in  Germany  ;  and,  during  his  absence,  Thomas 
Williams,  one  of  Wesley's  itinerants,  visited  Dublin,  began 
to  preach,  and  formed  a  Society.  In  August,  i  747,  Wesley 
himself  went  to  Dublin,  and  became  the  guest  of  Mr.  William 
Lunell,  a  banker,  a  man  of  we'alth  and  great  respectability, 
who  had  been  converted  under  the  preaching  of  Cennick 
and  Williams.  A  year  afterwards,  Charles  Wesley  found 
him  mourning  the  loss  of  his  wife  and  child,  and  did  all  he 
could  to  comfort  him.  Mr.  Lunell  became  one  of  Wesley's 
most  liberal  supporters.  He  gave  £a^oo  towards  the  erec- 
tion of  Dublin  chapel  ;  and,  more  than  twenty  years  subse- 
quent to  this,  Wesley  declared  that  Mr.  Lunell,  of  Dublin, 
and  Mr.  Thomas  Janes,  of  Cork,  were  the  most  munificent 
benefactors  that  Methodism  had  ever  had.-^ 

From  the  first,  Methodism  in  Ireland  had  to  encounter 
persecution.  In  Dublin,  the  pulpit  and  benches  of  Marl- 
borough Street  chapel  had  been  burnt  in  the  open  street, 
and  several  of  the  Methodists  beaten  with  shillalahs.  At 
Athlone,  Jonathan  Healey,  one  of  Wesley's  itinerants,  had 
been  almost  murdered.  In  the  present  year,  1 749,  the 
Methodists  at  Cork,  with  the  connivance  of  the  mayor  and 
magistrates,  had  been  subjected  to  the  most  cruel  treat- 
ment. Both  men  and  women  were  attacked  with  clubs  and 
swords,  and  many  were  stabbed,  gashed,  slashed,  stoned, 
and  seriously  wounded.  Their  houses  were  demolished,  and 
their  furniture  and  goods  destroyed.  As  in  Dublin,  the 
pews,  benches,  and  even  flooring  of  the  chapel,  were  dragged 
into  the  streets,  and  were  set  on  fire.  These  horrible  out- 
rages were  continued  during  the  whole  of  the  months  of 
May    and    June.^      Mr.    Lunell   wrote  to  Whitefield   on   the 

'  Wesley's  Works,  vol.  iii.,  p.  406. 

*  For  further  details,  see  "  Life  and  Times  of  Wesley,"  vol.  ii.,  pp.  37 — 39. 


Persecution  in  Ireland.  239 

subject,  and  wished  him  to  visit  Ireland.  Whitcfield  was  "749 
quite  willing  to  accede  to  this  request ;  but,  for  the  present,  Age  34 
was  unable  to  comply  with  it.  Meanwhile,  however,  he 
deeply  sympathised  with  the  sufferers  at  Cork,  and,  as  will 
be  seen  hereafter,  took  active  steps,  in  conjunction  with  the 
Countess  of  Huntingdon,  to  obtain  for  them  the  protection 
of  Government.  The  following  letter,  to  Mr.  Lunell,  refers 
to  the  matters  just  mentioned  : — 

"London,  November  22,  ij^.g. 

"Very  dear  Sir, —  I  received  your  kind  letter  on  Monday  last,  and 
take  the  first  opportunity  of  answering  it. 

"  I  believe  my  particular  province  is  to  go  about  and  preacii  the  gospel 
to  all.  My  being  obHged  to  keep  up  a  large  correspondence  in  America, 
and  the  necessity  I  am  under  of  going  thither  myself,  entireiy  prevent  my 
taking  care  of  any  Societies.  Whether  it  will  ever  be  my  lot  to  come  to 
Ireland,  I  cannot  say.  I  have  some  thought  of  being  there  next  spring  ; 
but  1  would  not  intrude  on  any  one's  labours.  The  world  is  large,  and 
there  is  sufficient  work  for  all.  I  profess  to  be  of  a  catholic  spirit  :  I  am 
a  debtor  to  all.  I  have  no  party  to  be  the  head  of,  and  I  will  have  none  ; 
but,  as  much  as  in  me  lies,  will  strengthen  the  hands  of  all,  of  every  deno- 
mination, who  preach  Jesus  Christ  in  sincerity. 

"  Pray  how  are  the  poor  people  at  Cork  1  Lady  Huntingdon  writes 
concerning  them, — '  I  hope  the  poor  persecuted  people  in  Cork  will  be 
helped.  I  should  be  glad,  if  you  could  write  in  my  name  to  any  of  them, 
and  inform  them  that  I  would  have  written  myself,  but  I  know  not  how  to 
direct.  You  may  give  them  my  assurance  of  serving  them  upon  any 
occasion,  and  a  hint  that  I  believe  they  will  meet  with  no  more  of  the  like 
rough  usage.'  Thus  far  my  good  lady.  I  am  persuaded  you  will,  in  a 
prudent  manner,  communicate  this  to  all  concerned." 

Whitefield's  health  was  generally  best  when  he  was  on 
his  gospel  rambles.  In  London,  it  almost  invariably  suffered. 
Well  or  ill,  however,  when  he  could,  Whitefield  must  be 
allowed  to  work.     Writing  to  Lady  Huntingdon,  he  says  : — 

"London,  November  ^o,  1749. 
"  London  already  begins  to  disagree  with  my  outward  man,  but  the 
Lord's  smiling  upon  my  poor  labours  sweetens  all.  I  have  begun  to 
preach  at  six  in  the  morning.  We  have  large  congregations  even  then.  I 
trust  we  shall  have  a  warm  winter.  I  have  not  been  at  the  other  end  of 
the  town  this  week  ;  but  I  find  all  hold  on.  However,  a  leader  is  wanting. 
This  honour  has  been  put  on  your  ladyship  by  the  great  Head  of  the 
Church  an  honour  conferred  on  few.  That  you  may  every  day  add  to 
the  splendour  of  your  future  crown,  by  always  abounding  in  the  work  of 
the  Lord,  is  the  fervent  prayer  of  your  unworthy  servanf, 

"George  Whitefield," 


240  The  Life  of  Wliitefield. 

^750         Nine    days     later,  he    wrote     again    to    Mr.    Lunell,    of 
Age  35  Dublin  : — 

"London,  December  <^,  1749- 
"  My  dear  Mr.   Lunell, — I  find  by  your  last  kind  letter  that  the 
king's  business  requires  haste.     I,  therefore,  immediately  dispatched  it  to 
good  Lady  Huntingdon,  who,  I  am  persuaded,  will  think  it  her  highest 
privilege  to  serve  the  dear  people  of  Cork.     Whether  your  account  of  their 
sufferings  has  reached  her  ladyship,  I  cannot  tell,  but  you  will  soon  know. 
However,  this  we  know,  they  have  reached  the  ears  of  the  blessed  Jesus, 
who  sits  in  heaven,  and  laughs  all  His  enemies  to  scorn.     He  will  take 
care  that  the  bush,  though  burning,  shall  not  be  consumed"  nay,  He  will 
take  care  that  it  shall  flourish,  even  in   the  midst  of  fire.     It  will  be 
melancholy  to  have  any  preachers  transported  ;  but  the  thoughts  of  this  do 
not  affect  me  so  much,  because  I  know  what  a  field  of  action  there  is  for 
them  abroad.     It  has  been  my  settled  opinion  for  a  long   time,   that 
Christ's  labourers  (at  least,  some  of  them)  love  home  too  much,  and  do  not 
care  enough  for  those  thousands  of  precious  souls,  that  are  ready  to  perish 
for  lack  of  knowledge,  in  yonder  wilderness.     We  propose  having  an 
academy,  or  college,  at  the  Orphan  House  in  Georgia.     Supposing  the 
worst  to  happen,  hundreds  may  find  a  sweet  retreat  there.     The  house  is 
lai-ge  ;  it  will  hold  a  luindred.     I  trust  my  heart  is  larger,  and  will  hold 
ten  thousand.     Be  they  who  they   may,    if  they  belong    to  Jesus,  the 
language  of  my  heart  shall  be,  'Come  in,  ye  blessed  of  the  Lord.'     But, 
perhaps,  this  may  not  be  the  issue.  The  threatening  storm  may  blow  over. 
It  is  always  darkest  before  break  of  day." 

Whitefield's  heart  Avas  large  and  warm.  His  life  was  a 
wandering  one,  and  he  saw  but  little  of  his  relatives  ;  but 
his  affection  for  them  never  failed.  In  anticipation  of  his 
birthday,  he  wrote  to  his  mother  the  following  . — 

"  London,  December  15,  1749. 
"  My  dear  and  honoured  Mother, — To-morrow  it  will  be  thirty- 
five  years  since  you  brought  unworthy  me  into  the  world.  Alas  !  how 
little  have  I  done  for  you,  and  how  much  less  for  Him  who  formed  me. 
This  is  my  comfort ;  I  hope  you  want  for  nothing.  Thanks  be  to  God 
for  His  goodness  to  you  in  your  old  age  !  I  hope  you  comfort  yourself  in 
Him,  who,  I  trust,  will  be  your  portion  for  ever.  After  Christmas,  I  hope 
to  see  you.  My  wife  sends  you  her  most  dutiful  respects.  If  you  would 
have  anything  brought  more  than  you  have  mentioned,  pray  write  to, 
honoured  mother,  your  ever  dutiful,  though  unworthy  son, 

"  George  Whitefield." 

Whitefield  and  his  Tabernacle  friends  began  the  New 
Year,  1750,  by  reading  letters  respecting  the  work  of  God, 
in   different  places  ;   and  by  singing  devout   and   enthusiastic 


Letter-Days.  241 

doggerel.      To   one  of  his   distant   correspondents,  he  wrote     175^ 
thus  :—  Ag^  _ 

"London,  y^?;///rt';j  2,  1750. 
"  Yesterday  was  a  blessed  letter-day.     These  verses  were  sung  for  you, 
etc. ; — 

*  Thy  work  in  the  north, 
O  Saviour,  increase  ; 
And  kindly  send  forth 

The  preachers  of  peace  : 
Till  throughout  the  nation 

Thy  gospel  shall  ring, 
And  peace  and  salvation 
Each  village  shall  sing.' 
"Thousands  said,  'Amen,  and  amen  !'     Let  me  know  when  you  set  out 
for  Newcastle,  and  whether  the  books  shall  be  sent  by  land  or  water.     I 
get  very  little  by  them.    I  do  not  desire  it  should  be  otherwise.    I  believe, 
as  many  are  given  away  as  answer  to  the  profits  of  what  are  sold.     If 
souls  are  profited,  I  desire  no  more." 

The  reading  of  letters,  at  stated  times,  respecting  revivals 
of  the  work  of  God,  was  an  estabhshed  practice,  both  in 
Wliitefield's  Tabernacle  and  Wesley's  Foundery.  The  chief 
difference  between  the  two  places  was — in  the  Tabernacle, 
each  letter  was  followed  by  the  singing  of  hymns,  of  which 
the  lines  just  gi^en  are  too  good  a  specimen  ;  in  the 
Foundery,  the  hymns  sung  were  some  of  the  finest  that 
Charles  Wesley  ever  wrote. 

The  poor  Methodists  at  Cork  were  again  in  the  furnace 
of  affliction.  Butler,  the  ballad  singer,  was  as  violent  as 
ever ;  and,  until  the  Lent  assizes,  pursued  his  murderous 
career  with  increasing  zest.  Accompanied  by  his  mob,  he 
several  times  assaulted  the  house  of  William  Jewell,  a 
clothier  ;  and,  at  last,  took  forcible  possession  of  it,  swore 
he  would  blow  out  the  brains  of  the  first  who  resisted  him, 
beat  Jewell's  wife,  and  then  smashed  all  the  windows.  He 
abused  Mary  Philips  in  the  grossest  terms,  and  struck  her 
on  the  head.  Elizabeth  Gardelet  was  literally  almost  mur- 
dered by  him  and  his  ruffians  ;  and  others  were  similarly 
abused.      On  January  3,  1750,  Whitefield  wrote: — 

"  Mr.  Lunell  sends  me  dreadful  news  from  Cork.  Butler  is  there  again, 
making  havoc  of  the  people.      Mr.  Haughton,'  some  time  ago,  expected 

'  John  Haughton,  one  of  Wesley's  brave  itinerants,  who  afterwards 
became  an  ordained  clergyman  of  the  Church  of  England.  (Myles's 
'"Chronological  History  of  the  Methodists.") 

VOL.  IL  16 


242  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 


1750     to  be  murdered  every  minute.     I  have  been  with  some  who  will  go  to  the 
Speaker  of  the  House  of  Commons  and  represent  the  case.     I  hope  I 
'  ^    ^•'  have  but  one  common  interest  to  serve  ;  I  mean  that  of  the  blessed 
Jesus." 

On  January  5,  at  the  Tabernacle,  Whitefield  preached  a 
sermon  from  Ephes.  iv.  24.  The  sermon  was  taken  down 
in  shorthand,  and,  after  his  death,  was  published,  with  the 
title,  "  The  putting  on  of  the  New  Man  a  certain  mark  of 
the  real  Christian."  (8vo.  30  pp.)  The  sermon  is  not  in 
Whitefield's  collected  works,  but  furnishes  a  good  idea  of 
the  popular  style  he  adopted.  It  is  full  of  brief  illustrations, 
and  is  intensely  earnest ;  the  style  plain,  familiar,  and  pointed. 
Three  sentences  may  interest  the  reader.  "  Let  me  tell  you, 
no  matter  whether  you  are  Presbyterian  or  Independent, 
Churchman  or  Dissenter,  Methodist  or  no  Methodist,  unless 
you  are  new  creatures,  you  are  in  a  state  of  damnation" 
(p.  17).  "I  like  orthodoxy  very  well;  but  what  signifies 
an  orthodox  head  with  a  heterodox  heart.''"  (p.  19.)  "I 
tell  thee,  O  man  ;  I  tell  thee,  O  woman,  whoever  thou  art, 
thou  art  a  dead  man,  thou  art  a  dead  woman,  nay,  a  damned 
man,  a  damned  woman,  without  a  new  heart"  (p.  27). 

Whitefield,  about  this  time,  became  acquainted  with 
another  clergyman,  who  was  a  man  after  his  own  heart. 
The  Rev.  William  Baddiley  had  been  made  one  of  Lady 
Huntingdon's  domestic  chaplains.  He  soon  became  a  sort 
of  second  Grimshaw,  formed  a  number  of  Societies,  and 
employed  laymen  to  assist  him.^  To  him,  Whitefield  wrote 
as  follows  : — 

"London,  January  12,  1750. 

"  My  very  dear  Sir, — I  now  sit  down  to  answer  your  kind  letter. 
O  that  I  may  be  helped  to  write  something  that  may  do  you  service  in 
the  cause  in  which  you  are  embarked  ! 

"  I  see  you  are  like  to  have  hot  work,  for  I  find  you  have  begun  to 
batter  Satan's  strongest  hold — I  mean  the  self-righteousness  of  man. 
Here,  sir,  you  must  expect  the  strongest  opposition.  It  is  the  Diana  of 
every  age.  It  is  the  golden  image,  which  man  continually  sets  up  ;  and 
the  not  falling  down  to  worship  it,  much  more  to  speak,  write,  or  preach 
against  it,  exposes  one  to  the  fury  of  its  blind  votaries,  and  we  are  thrown 
directly  into  a  den  of  lions.     But  fear  not,  Mr.  Baddiley  ;  the  God  whom 

'  "Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  i.,  p.  120. 

^  Anniinan  Mao;aziiie,  1779,  p.  375. 


Dr.  Andrew    Gifford.  243 

we  serve  i'j  able  to  deliver  us.  If  any  one  need  give  way,  it  must  be  the  1750 
poor  creature  who  is  writing  to  you  ;  for,  I  believe,  there  is  not  a  person  ~~ 
living  more  timorous  by  nature  than  I  am.  But,  in  a  degree,  Jesus  has  ^  S  j5 
delivered  me  from  worldly  hopes  and  worldly  fears,  and  often  makes  me 
as  bold  as  a  lion.  Rut,  my  dear  sir,  at  first,  I  did  not  care  to  part  with 
this  pretty  character  of  mine.  It  was  death  to  be  despised,  and  worse 
than  death  to  think  of  being  laughed  at.  Blessed  be  God  !  now  contempt 
and  I  are  pretty  intimate,  and  have  been  so  for  above  twice  seven  years. 
The  love  of  Jesus  makes  it  an  agreeable  companion,  and  I  no  longer 
wonder  that  Moses  made  such  a  blessed  choice.  There  is  no  doing  good 
without  enduring  the  scourge  of  the  tongue ;  and  take  this  for  a  certain 
rule — '  The  more  successful  you  are,  the  more  you  will  be  hated  by  Satan, 
and  despised  by  those  who  know  not  God.'  What  has  the  honoured 
lady  suffered  under  whose  roof  you  dwell !  Above  all,  what  did  your 
blessed  Master  suffer  !  O  let  us  follow  Him,  though  it  be  through  a  sea 
of  blood." 

On  the  same  day  that  Whitefield  wrote  to  her  domestic 
chaplain,  he  wrote  to  the  Countess  herself.  Perhaps  it  ought 
to  be  premised  that,  at  this  time,  Wesle)-  had,  besides  the 
"  Old  Foundery,"  two  other  London  chapels — one  in  West 
Street,  Seven  Dials,  built  by  the  French  Protestants  ;  the 
other  in  Snowfields,  Bermondsey,  built  by  a  Unitarian.  The 
"  Mr.  GifFord,"  whom  Whitefield  mentions,  was  a  man  of 
some  importance.  Besides  being  the  respected  minister  of 
the  Baptist  Church,  in  Eagle  Street,  London,  he  was  chaplain 
to  Sir  Richard  Eliys,  the  learned  author  of  "  Fortuita  Sacra." 
He  had  a  private  collection  of  coins,  said  to  have  been  one 
of  the  most  curious  in  Great  Britain,  and  which  George  IL 
purchased  as  an  addition  to  his  own.  Through  Sir  Richard 
Ellys,  he  became  a  personal  friend  of  Lord  Chancellor 
Hardwicke,  Archbishop  Herring,  Sir  Arthur  Onslow,  the 
Speaker  of  the  House  of  Commons,  and  other  persons  of 
high  social  rank.  He  was  also  ultimately  appointed  librarian 
of  the  British  Museum,  and  was  made  a  doctor  by  the 
University  of  Aberdeen. 

"London,  January  12,  1750, 

"  Honoured  Madam, — Every  day  we  have  new  hearers,  and  persons 
are  almost  continually  brought  under  convictions,  or  are  edified,  at  the 
Tabernacle. 

"  I  have  offered  Mr.  Wesley  to  assist  occasionally  at  his  chapel,  and  I 
don't  know  but  it  may  be  accepted.  O  that  I  may  learn  to  think  it  my 
highest  privilege  to  be  an  assistant  to  all,  but  the  head  of  none  !     I  find 

love  of  power  sometimes  intoxicates  even  God's  own  dear  children,  and 


244  '^^^^  Life  of  Wliite field. 


1750     makes  them  to  mistake  passion  for  zeal,  and  an  overbearing  spirit  for  an 
~^      authority  given  them  from  above.    For  my  own  part,  I  find  it  much  easier 

^^  to  obey  than  to  govern,  and  that  it  is  much  safer  to  be  trodden  under 
foot  than  to  have  the  power  to  serve  others  so.  This  makes  me  fiee  from 
that  which,  at  our  first  setting  out,  we  are  too  apt  to  court.  Thanks  be 
to  God  for  taking  any  pains  with  me  !  I  cannot  well  buy  humility  at  too 
dear  a  rate. 

"  His  Majesty  seems  to  have  been  acquainted  with  some  things  about 
us,  by  what  passed  in  his  discourse  with  Lady  Chesterfield.'  The  par- 
ticulars are  these.  Her  ladyship  wore  a  suit  of  clothes,  with  a  brown 
ground  and  silver  flowers.  His  Majesty,  coming  round  to  her,  first 
smiled,  and  then  laughed  quite  out.  Her  ladyship  could  not  imagine 
•what  was  the  cause  of  this.  At  length,  His  Majesty  said,  '  I  know  who 
chose  that  gown  for  you — Mr,  Whitefield.  I  hear  that  you  have  attended 
on  him  this  year  and  a  half.'  Her  ladyship  answered,  '  Yes,  I  have,  and 
like  him  very  well.' 

"  I  have  been  with  the  Speaker  about  the  poor  people  in  Ireland.  Mr. 
Gifford  introduced  me,  and  opened  the  matter  well.  His  honour  expressed 
a  great  regard  for  your  ladyship,  and  great  resentment  at  the  indignities 
of  the  poor  sufferers  ;  but  said,  Lord  Harrington  and  the  Secretary  of 
State  were  the  most  proper  persons  to  apply  to  ;  and  he  did  not  doubt 
that  your  Irtdyship's  application  would  get  the  people's  grievances  re- 
dressed. I  wished  for  a  memorial  to  acquaint  him  with  particulars.  He 
treated  me  with  great  candour,  and  assured  me  no  hurt  was  designed  us 
by  the  State." 

Six  days  after  this,  Whitefield  wrote  to  Mr.  Lunell,  as 
follows  : — 

"London,  Jajiumy  18,  1750. 
"Very  dear  Sir, — Last  Monday,  I  waited  upon  the  Speaker  of  the 
House  of  Commons,  with  one  Mr.  Gifford,  a  Dissenting  minister,  who 
opened  the  case  of  our  poor  suffering  brethren  in  a  proper  manner.  The 
Speaker  said  that,  though  it  did  not  properly  belong  to  him,  he  would 
make  a  thorough  search  into  the  affair.  He  wondered  that  application 
had  not  been  made  to  Lord  Harrington,  the  king's  representative  in" 
Ireland  ;  and  wanted  to  be  informed  of  more  particulars.  For  want  of  a 
memorial,  I  could  only  shew  him  the  contents  of  your  letter.  Two  things, 
therefore,  seem  necessary.  Be  pleased  to  send  a  well-attested  narrative 
of  the  whole  affair  ;  and  wait  upon  Lord  Harrington  yourself.     A  friend 

of  mine  intends  writing  to  Baron  B .     Is  he  in  Dublin?     As  soon  as 

I  hear  from  you,  more  may  be  done.  Meanwhile,  the  dear  souls  have  my 
constant  prayers,  and  shall  have  my  utmost  endeavours  to  serve  them. 
I  count  their  sufferings  my  own.  Hearty  Aduhs  are  given,  when  our 
friends  are  mentioned  in  prayer  at  the  Tabernacle. 

'  Lady  Chesterfield  was  a  natural  daughter  of  King  George  the  First, 
and  therefore  half-sister  to  his  present  Majesty  George  the  Second.  Her 
mother  was  Melosina  de  Schulenberg,  Duchess  of  Kendal.  ("  Life  and 
Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  i-,  p.  462.) 


Persecntion    in  Irelmid.  245 

"To-morrow,  I  am  to  preach  at  Mr.  Wesley's  chapel.     O  that  it  may      1750 

be  for  the  Redeemer's  glory,  and  His  people's  good  !"  — 

Age  35 

To  avoid  a  recurrence  to  the  rioting  at  Cork,  the  following 

letter,  to  Mr.  Lunell,  is  added  : — 

"  London,  January  28,  1750. 

**  Very  dear  Sir, — I  am  glad  to  find  the  storm  is  a  little  abated  at 
Cork.  I  always  thought  it  was  too  hot  to  last  long.  I  see,  by  Mr. 
Haughton,  that  suffering  grace  is  always  given  for  suffering  times.  If 
they  have  honoured  him  so  far  as  to  give  him  some  lashes,  for  preaching 
the  everlasting  gospel,  I  shall  rejoice.  I  am  persuaded,  the  persecution 
will  stir  up  the  resentment  of  persons  in  power  on  this  side  the  water.  I 
beg,  for  the  dear  people's  sake,  you  will  continue  your  accounts.  They 
direct  me  in  my  prayers,  and  also  excite  the  prayers  of  others.  On  Monday, 
your  letter  shall  be  read,  and  we  will  besiege  the  throne  of  grace  once  more, 
on  our  dear  brethren's  behalf.  Surely,  we  shall  prevail.  I  will  use  all 
endeavours  to  extricate,  our  friends  out  of  their  troubles.  Enclosed,  you 
have  a  letter  to  the  judge.  You  may  send  or  deliver  it,  as  you  think 
proper.  I  hope  you  will  wait  on  Lord  Harrington,  and  let  me  hear  what 
he  says.  The  Duke"  (of  Newcastle)  "  v/as  spoken  to  ;  and,  last  post,  I 
wrote  to  Lady  Huntingdon  for  the  memorial,  which,  if  sent,  shall  be  put 
into  the  hands  of  some  who  are  very  near  His  Majesty.  Some  honourable 
women  are  much  your  friends.  Jesus  makes  them  so  ;  and,  when  His 
people  are  distressed,  if  needful,  a  thousand  Esthers  shall  be  raised  up. 

"  I  have  now  preached  three  times  in  Mr.  Wesley's  chapel  ;  and,  each 
time,  the  Lord  was  with  us  of  a  truth." 

.  The  result  of  all  this  correspondence  was  :  i.  A  well- 
attested  narrative  of  the  persecution  of  the  Methodists  at 
Cork  was  presented  to  Lord  Harrington,  the  king's  repre- 
sentative in  Ireland.  2.  A  memorial  was  presented  to  His 
Majesty  King  George  H.,  by  the   Countess  of  Chesterfield. 

3.  The  Duke  of  Newcastle,  then  Secretary  of  State,  was 
spoken  to  on  the  subject,  and  expressed  great  resentment  at 
the  proceedings  of  the  magistrates  and   clergymen  of  Cork. 

4.  At  the  Lent  assizes,  1750,  the  depositions  of  the  per- 
secuted Methodists  were  laid  before  the  grand  jury%  but  were 
all  rejected  ;  a  tme  bill,  however,  was  found  against  Daniel 
Sullivan,  one  of  Wesley's  hearers,  for  discharging  a  pistol, 
Avithout  a  ball,  over  the  heads  of  Butler  and  his  mob,  while 
they  were  pelting  him  with  stones  ;  and,  finally,  several  of 
the  preachers,  who,  together  with  Charles  Wesley,  had  been 
in  August,  I  749,  presented,  by  the  grand  jury  of  the  Cork 
assizes,  as   "  persons    of   ill-fame,  vagabonds,  and    common 


246  The  Life  of  Whit  (fie  Id. 

'750  disturbers  of  the  public  peace,"  were  ordered  into  the  dock 
Age  35  as  common  criminals  ;  but  were  all  "  acquitted,"  says  John 
Wesley,  "  with  honour  to  themselves,  and  shame  to  their 
persecutors."  It  is  somewhat  remarkable,  that,  though  the 
Methodists  of  Cork  were  all  followers  of  Wesley,  the  appli- 
cations to  Government  officials  on  their  behalf  were  all  made 
by  Whitefield  and  his  friends.  This  was  not  for  want  of 
sympathy  on  the  part  of  Wesley,  but  because  Whitefield,  by 
the  aristocratic  acquaintances  he  had  formed,  was  in  a  better 
position  to  render  help. 

Another  incident  must  be  noticed.  In  the  foregoing 
letters,  Whitefield  mentions,  with  seeming  emphasis,  his 
preaching  in  Wesley's  chapels.  This,  in  fact,  was  a  notable 
occurrence.  Except  for  a  few  months,  the  friendship  between 
Whitefield  and  Wesley  had  been  unbroken  ;  but,  up  to  the 
present,  Whitefield  had  but  rarely  preached  to  Wesley's 
congregations.  Indeed,  of  the  ten  or  eleven  years  that  had 
elapsed  since  the  first  formation  of  Wesley's  Societies,  White- 
field  had  spent  more  than  six  in  America  and  Scotland,  where 
Wesley  had  no  Societies  or  congregations  at  all  ;  and,  during 
the  remaining  four  or  five,  his  relationship  to  the  Welsh 
Calvinistic  Methodists  was  such  as  to  prevent  his  rendering 
fraternal  services  like  those  referred  to  in  his  letters  to  Mr. 
Lunell.  Now,  however,  he  was  in  a  new  position.  After 
considerable  correspondence  between  Wesley  and  himself,  it 
had  been  found  that  the  amalgamation  of  their  respective 
Societies  was  impracticable.  For  this  and  for  other  reasons, 
Whitefield  resigned  his  office  of  moderator  ;  and  openly  and 
repeatedly  declared  that  he  would  neither  found  a  sect,  nor 
be  at  the  head  of  one  founded  by  otiiers.  His  work  for  life 
was  to  be  an  evangelist  at  large, — the  friend  and  helper  of 
all  Christian  denominations,  and  the  enemy  of  none.  Hence, 
during  his  recent  visit  to  the  north  of  England,  Charles 
Wesley  introduced  him  to  the  Methodists  of  Newcastle  ; 
and  Wesley  himself  to  the  Metliodists  of  Leeds  ;  and,  for 
the  next  twenty  years,  as  opportunity  permitted,  Whitefield 
rendered  to  Wesley's  Societies  and  congregations,  throughout 
the  kingdom,  an  amount  of  valuable  service,  the  results  of 
which  cannot  now  be  rightly  estimated.  The  fraternal  co- 
operation, begun  at  Newcastle   and  Leeds  in  1749,  was  now 


Whitefield  Helping   Wesley.  247 


continued   in    London    in    1750,   greatly   to    the    delight    of    1750 
Whitefield    and    Wesley,    and    of    their    friends.      Wesley's    .~ 
memoranda    of   these    memorable    London    services    are    as 
follows  : — 

"  1750.  Friday,  January  19.  In  the  evening,  I  read  prayers  at  the 
chapel  in  West  Street,  and  Mr.  Whitefield  preached  a  plain,  affectionate 
discourse.  Sunday,  21st.  He  read  prayers,  and  I  preached:  so,  by  the 
blessing  of  God,  one  more  stumbling-block  is  removed.  Sunday,  28th.  I 
read  prayers,  and  Mr.  Whitefield  preached.  How  wise  is  God  in  giving 
different  talents  to  different  preachers  !  Even  the  little  improprieties  both 
of  his  language  and  manner  were  a  means  of  profiting  many,  who  would 
not  have  been  touched  by  a  moi'e  correct  discourse,  or  a  more  calm  and 
regular  manner  of  speaking."  ' 

This  was  a  new  fact  in  Methodist  history.  Partisans,  on 
both  sides,  had  done  their  utmost  to  keep  Whitefield  and 
Wesley  apart  from  each  other  ;  but  now  their  machinations 
were  utterly  and  finally  frustrated.  The  Methodist  chieftains 
were  united,  though  it  had  been  found  impossible  to  unite 
their  Societies.  The  event  afforded  satisfaction  to  others,  as 
well  as  to  themselves.  Hence  the  following,  addressed  to 
Mrs.  Jones,  widow  of  R.  Jones,  Esq.,  of  Fonmon  Castle,  a 
personal  friend  of  the  Wesleys,  on  the  occasion  of  whose 
death,  Charles  Wesley  composed  a  well-known  "  Elegy." 
The  writer  of  the  letter,  William  Holland,  had  been  a 
"  painter,  in  a  large  way  of  business,  in  Basinghall  Street." 
He  was  a  member  of  the  first  Moravian  "  congregation  " 
in  London,  and  was  one  of  its  "  elders."  He  became  a 
preacher,  and  removed  to  Yorkshire,  where  he  succeeded 
Viney  in  the  stewardship  ;  but,  in  1 746,  he  returned  to 
London,  resumed  his  trade,  left  the  Brethren,  and  died  in 
1761. 

"  Rolls  Buildings,  Fetter  Lane, 

"London,  Jamiary  27,  1750. 
"  Dear  Mrs.  Jones, — I  arrived  safe  and  well  last  Saturday,  and  found 
my  wife  and  family  well.  The  evening  before,  Mr.  Whitefield  preached 
in  Mr.  Wesley's  chapel,  and  Mr.  J.  Wesley  read  prayers.  On  Sunday, 
Mr.  Whitefield  read  prayers,  and  Mr.  J.  Wesley  preached  ;  and,  afterwards, 
they  and  two  more  clergymen  administered  the  sacrament  to  Mr.  Howell 
Harris  and  several  of  Mr.  Whitefield's  Society,  and  to  many  hundreds  of 
Mr.  Wesley's.    Monday  morning,  Mr.  H.  Harris  preached  in  the  Foundery; 


Wesley's  Journal.  ^  James  Hutton's  "  Memoirs.' 


248  The  Life  of  Whitefteld. 


1350     a  duke  and  another  nobleman  Aveie  there  to  hear  Mr.  J.  Wesley.     On 
Wednesday,  Thursday,  and  yesterday,  Mr.  Whitefield  preached  again  at 
^  gs  35   j]^g  chapel ;  as  also  he  is  to  do  to-morrow  morning,  and  Mr.  J.  Wesley  in 
the  afternoon. 

"  You  will  please  to  let  the  enclosed  be  delivered  as  directed.  They  and 
you  will  excuse  brevity  by  reason  of  the  frank.' 

"  My  wife  joins  me  in  respects  to  you  and  your  children.  I  am,  your 
friend  and  servant, 

"  William  Holland."  * 

To  return  to  Whitefield.  In  the  midst  of  his  benevolent 
endeavours  to  assist  the  poor  Methodists  at  Cork,  Whitefield, 
with  his  characteristic  kindliness,  was  caring  for  the  welfare 
of  persons  of  another  class.  The  following  was  written  to 
Mr.  Habersham,  formerly  his  manager  at  Bethesda,  and  who 
still  took  a  profound  interest  in  his  Orphan  House. 

To  understand  the  letter,  it  must  be  added,  that,  though, 
from  the  first  settlement  of  Georgia,  the  province  had  been 
under  a  military  government,  the  trustees,  about  this  period, 
established  a  kind  of  civil  government,  and  committed  the 
charge  to  a  president  and  four  councillors.  Mr.  Stephens 
was  now  the  president.  In  175  i,  the  province  was  divided 
into  eleven  districts  ;  a  colonial  assembly  of  sixteen  members 
was  inaugurated  at  Savannah  ;  Henry  Parker  was  made 
president ;  and  James  Habersham  provincial  secretary.  As 
yet,  slavery  was  not  formally  introduced,  but  it  practically 
existed.  The  term  for  which  European  servants  had  been 
engaged  being  now  generally  expired,  the  difficulty  of  pro- 
curing labour  was  met  by  permitting  the  colonists  to  hire 
negroes  from  their  owners  in  South  Carolina.^ 

"London,  January  18,  1750. 

"  My  very  dear  Mr.  Habersham, — Blessed  be  God,  for  dealing  so 
favourably  with  my  dear  families,  and  for  giving  the  prospect  of  such  a 
plentiful  crop  !  I  take  it  as  an  earnest,  that  the  Lord  Jesus  will  be  the 
Lord  God  of  Bethesda,  and  will  let  the  world  see  that  designs  founded  on 
Him  shall  prosper. 

"  I  shall  not  wonder  to  hear,  by-and-by,  that  you  are  president.  O  that 
you  and  I  may  be  clothed  with  humility,  and  that  the  more  we  are  exalted 
by  others,  the  more  we  may  be  abased  in  our  own  eyes  !  O  that  some- 
thing may  now  be  done  for  the  poor  negroes  !     A  good  beginning  is  of 

'  The  letter  was  franked  by  Martin  Madan. 
^  Wes/tyan  Mellwdist  Magazine,  1875,  p.  643. 
*  "  Memoirs  of  Oglethorpe,"  pp.  370,  371. 


Letter  to    Colonel   Gumky.  249 

VESt  consequence.     Pray  stir  in  it,  and  let  us  exert  our  utmost  efforts  in      1750 
striving  to  bring  some  of  them  to  the  knowledge  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour    ., 
Jesus  Christ.    This  night,  I  have  agreed  to  take  little  Joseph  and  his  sister.      ^     ■ 
All  their  relations  are  desirous  that  I  should  have  them,  as  they  will  be  but 
poorly  provided  for  here.     I  think  they  have  a  kind  of  natural  right  to  be 
maintained  at  Bethesda.     I  suppose,  in  your  next,  you  will  acquaint  me 
with  particulars  concerning  their  father,  and  how  he  has  left  his  affairs.     I 
hear  there  is  a  little  infant,  besides  the  other  two.     I  would  willingly  have 
that  likewise,  if  it  could  be  kept  till  it  is  about  three  years  old.     I  hope  to 
be  rich  in  heaVen,  by  taking  care  of  orphans  on  earth.     Any  other  riches, 
blessed  be  God  !  are  out  of  my  view.     If  the  crop  answers  expectation,  I 
would  have  the  poor  of  Savannah  reap  the  benefit.     Pray  let  one  barrel  of 
rice  be  reserved  for  them. 

"  We  have  had  a  blessed  winter  here.     I  am  pretty  well  in  health,  but 
my  wife  is  ill." 

On  Friday,  February  2nd,  Whitefield  arrived  at  Gloucester, 
where  he  spent  the  next  ten  days.  Daily,  he  preached  either 
in  the  city  or  in  its  vicinity.  "  Some  young  fellows,"  says 
he,  "  behaved  rudely  ;  but  that  is  no  wonder  ;  the  carnal 
mind  is  emnity  against  God."  To  Colonel  Gumley,  who 
had  been  converted  under  his  preaching  at  Lady  Huntingdon's, 
and  who  was  the  father  of  the  Countess  of  Bath,  he  wrote, 
on  February  8  th  : — 

"  Contrary  to  my  intentions,  I  have  been  prevailed  on  to  stay  all  this 
week  in  Gloucester;  so  that  1  do  not  expect  to  be  at  Bristol  till  the  12th 
instant.  I  am  sorry  to  hear  you  are  ill  of  an  ague.  Everything  we  meet 
with  here,  is  only  to  fit  us  more  and  more  for  a  blessed  hereafter.  Christ 
is  the  believer's  hollow  square  j  and  if  we  keep  close  in  that,  we  are  im- 
pregnable. Here  only  I  find  my  refuge.  Garrisoned  in  this,  I  can  bid 
defiance  to  men  and  devils.  O,  my  dear  sir,  what  did  I  experience  on  the 
road  this  day  !  How  did  I  rejoice  at  the  prospect  of  a  judgment  to  come, 
and  in  the  settled  conviction  that  I  have  no  designs  but  to  spend  and  be 
spent  for  the  good  of  precious  and  immortal  souls.  The  hand  of  the  Lord 
Jesus,  without  adding  our  carnal  policy  to  it,  will  support  His  own  cause. 
When  human  cunning  is  made  use  of,  what  is  it,  but,  like  Uzzah,  to  give  a 
wrong  touch  to  the  ark  of  God,  and  to  provoke  God  to  smite  us  "^  A 
bigoted,  sectarian,  party  spirit  conieth  not  from  above,  but  is  sensual, 
earthly,  devilish.  Many  of  God's  children  are  infected  with  it.  The 
are  sick  of  a  bad  distemper.  May  the  Spirit  of  God  convince  and  cure 
them  ! " 

On  arriving  at  Bristol,  Whitefield  wrote  to  the  Countess 
of  Huntingdon,  as  follows  : — 

"  Bristol,  February  12,  1750. 
"  Honoured  Madai\i,—  Since  I  wrote  last,  we  have  been  favoured  both 


250  The  Life  of  Whitejield. 


1750  in  Gloucester  city,  and  in  the  country,  with  very  pleasant  and  delightful 
seasons.     I  have  preached  about  twenty  times  within  these  eight  or  nine 

^^  "^^  days  ;  and,  though  frequently  exposed  to  rain  and  hail,  am  much  better 
than  when  I  left  London.  Everything  I  meet  with  seems  to  carry  this 
voice  with  it, — '  Go  thou  and  preach  the  gospel.  Be  a  pilgrim  on  earth. 
Have  no  party,  or  certain  dwelling-place ;  but  be  continually  preparing 
for,  and  labouring  to  prepare  others  for,  a  house  not  made  with  hands, 
eternal,  in  the  heavens.'  My  heart  echoes  back, — '  Lord  Jesus,  help  me 
to  do  or  suffer  Thy  will !  And,  when  Thou  seest  me  in  danger  of  nestling, 
in  pity,  put  a  thorn  in  my  nest,  to  preserve  me  from  it ! ' " 

On  his  way  to  Plymouth,  Whitefield  held  sweet  inter- 
course with  two  eminently  pious  Dissenting  ministers, — the 
well-known  Rev.  Richard  Pearsall,  of  Taunton,  and  the 
Rev.  Risdon  Darracott,  of  Wellington.  Writing  to  Lady 
Huntingdon,  he  said  : — 

"Plymouth,  Feb7-na7y  25,  1750. 
"  The  day  after  I  wrote  my  last  letter  to  your  ladyship,  I  preached  three 
times,  once  at  Kingswood,  and  twice  at  Bristol.  It  was  a  blessed  day. 
The  next  morning,  I  came  on  my  way  rejoicing.  At  Taunton,  I  met  with 
Mr.  Pearsall,  a  Dissenting  minister,  a  preacher  of  righteousness  before  I 
was  born.'  At  Wellington,  I  lay  at  the  house  of  one  Mr.  Darracott,  a 
flaming  successful  preacher  of  the  gospel,  and  who  may  justly  be  styled, 
*  the  star  in  the  West.'-  He  has  suffered  much  reproach  ;  and,  in  the 
space  of  three  months,  has  lost  three  lovely  children.  Two  of  them  died 
the  Saturday  evening  before  the  sacrament  was  to  be  administered  ;  but 
weeping  did  not  hinder  sowing.  He  preached  next  day,  and  administered 
as  usual ;  and,  for  his  three  natural,  the  Lord  has  given  him  above  thirty 
spiritual  children.  He  has  ventured  his  little  all  for  Christ  ;  and  last  week 
a  saint  died,  who  left  him  ^200  in  land.  At  his  place,  I  began  to  take 
the  field  for  this  spring.  At  a  very  short  warning,  a  multitude  assembled. 
The  following  evening,  I  preached  at  Exeter ;  and  last  night  and  this 
morning  I  have  preached  here.  This  afternoon,  God  willing,  I  am  to 
take  the  field  again." 

Mention  has  been  already  made  of  Benjamin  Franklin 
issuing  his  ''  Proposals  relating  to  the  Education  of  Youth  in 
Pennsylvania,"  a  step  which  led  to  the  founding  of  the 
present  university  of  Philadelphia.  This  was  a  subject  in 
which  Whitefield  took  a  profound  interest,  not  only  because 


'  Three  years  after  this,  Mr.  Pearsall  published  his  "  Contemplations  on 
the  Ocean,  Harvest,  Sickness,  and  the  Last  Judgment  "  (i2mo.  220  pp.), — 
a  work  written  in  the  same  style  as  Hervey's  ''  Meditations." 

''■  Sixty-three  years  after  this,  the  life  of  Darracott  was  published,  with 
the  title,  "  The  Star  of  the  West ;  being  Memoirs  of  the  Life  of  Risdon 
Darracott.     By  James  Bennett."     (i2mo.  172  pp.) 


Letter  to  Benjamin  Franklin.  251 

the  meeting-house  which  had  been  built  for  himself  was  175°^ 
likely  to  be  occupied  for  this  purpose  ;  but,  also,  because,  Age" 
knowing  the  principles  of  his  friend  Franklin,  he  was  afraid 
that,  in  the  proposed  academy,  religion  might  not  occupy 
the  position  which  it  ought  to  have.  Franklin  had  written 
him  on  the  subject ;  and  the  following  is  the  substance  of  his 
answer : — 

"Plymouth,  February  26,  1750. 

"  My  dear  Mr.  Franklin,— I  am  glad  that  the  gentlemen  of  Phila- 
delphia are  exerting  their  efforts  to  erect  an  academy.  I  have  often 
thought  such  an  institution  was  exceedingly  wanted  ;  and  I  am  persuaded, 
if  well  conducted,  it  will  be  of  public  service.  I  have  read  your  plan,  and 
do  not  wonder  at  its  meeting  with  general  approbation.  It  is  certainly 
well  calculated  to  promote  polite  literature  ;  but,  I.  think,  there  wants 
aliquid  Christi  in  it,  to  make  it  as  useful  as  I  would  desire  it  might  be. 

"  It  is  true  you  say,  '  The  youth  are  to  be  taught  some  public  religion, 
and  the  excellency  of  the  Christian  religion  in  particular  ;'  but  methinks 
this  is  mentioned  too  late,  and  too  soon  passed  over.  As  we  ai-e  all 
creatures  of  a  day,  as  our  whole  life  is  but  one  small  point  between  two 
eternities,  it  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  the  grand  end  of  every  Christian 
institution  for  forming  tender  minds  should  be  to  convince  them  of  their 
natural  depravity,  of  the  means  of  recovering  out  of  it,  and  of  the  neces- 
sity of  preparing  for  the  enjoyment  of  the  Supreme  Being  in  a  future  state. 
These  are  the  grand  points  in  which  Christianity  centres.  Arts  and 
sciences  may  be  built  on  this,  and  serve  to  embellish  the  superstructure, 
but  without  this  there  cannot  be  any  good  foundation. 

"  I  should  be  glad  to  contribute,  though  it  were  but  the  least  mite,  and 
to  promote  so  laudable  an  undertaking  ;  but  the  gentlemen  concerned  are 
so  superior  to  me,  in  respect  to  knowledge  of  both  books  and  men,  that 
anything  I  could  offer  would  be,  I  fear,  of  little  service.  The  main  thing 
will  be  to  get  proper  masters,  who  are  acquainted  with  the  world,  with 
themselves,  and  with  God,  and  who  will  consequently  care  for  the  welfare 
of  the  youth  that  shall  be  committed  to  them.  I  think,  also,  that,  in  such 
an  institution,  there  should  be  a  well-approved  Christian  orator,  who 
should  not  be  content  with  giving  a  public  lecture  upon  oratory  in  general, 
but  who  should  visit  and  take  pains  with  every  class,  and  teach  them 
early  how  to  speak,  and  read,  and  pronounce  well.  An  hour  or  two  in  a 
day,  1  think,  ought  to  be  set  apart  for  this.  It  would  serve  as  an  agree- 
able amusement,  and  would  be  of  great  service,  whether  the  youth  be 
intended  for  the  pulpit,  the  bar,  or  any  other  profession  whatsoever.  I 
should  also  like  the  youth  to  board  in  the  academy,  and,  by  that  means, 
to  be  always  under  the  masters  eye.  If  a  fund  could  be  raised,  for  the 
free  education  of  those  of  the  poorer  sort  who  appear  to  have  promising 
abilities,  I  think  it  would  greatly  answer  the  design  proposed.  It  has 
often  been  found,  that  some  of  our  brightest  men,  in  Church  anrl  State, 
have  arisen  from  an  obscure  condition. 


The  Life  of  Whitefield. 


1750  "When  I  heard  of  the  academy,  I  told  Mr.  B that  I  thought  the 

—  new  building'  would  admirably  suit  such  a  proposal  ;  and  I  then  deter- 
Age  35  j^jjjgj  ^Q  mention,  in  my  next,  some  terms  that  might  be  offered  to  the 
consideration  of  the  trustees  ;  but  I  now  find  that  you  have  done  this 
already,  and  that  matters  are  adjusted  agreeable  to  the  minds  of  the 
majority  of  them.  I  hope  your  agreement  meets  with  the  approbation 
of  the  inhabitants,  and  that  it  will  be  serviceable  to  the  cause  of  vital 
piety  and  good  education.  If  these  ends  are  answered,  a  free  school 
erected,  the  debts  paid,  and  a  place  preserved  for  public  preaching,  I  do 
not  see  what  reason  there  is  for  any  one  to  complain.  But  all  this  depends 
on  the  integrity,  disinterestedness,  and  piety  of  the  gentlemen  concerned. 
An  institution,  founded  on  such  a  basis,  God  will  bless  and  succeed  ;  but, 
without  these,  the  most  promising  schemes  will  prove  abortive,  and  the 
most  flourishing  structures  turn  out  Babels.  I  wish  you  and  the  gentle- 
men concerned  much  prosperity  ;  and  pray  the  Lord  of  all  lords  to  direct 
you  to  the  best  means  to  promote  the  best  end  ;  I  mean  the  glory  of  God 
and  the  welfare  of  your  fellow-creatures.  Be  pleased  to  remember  me  to 
them  and  to  all  friends  as  they  come  in  your  Vv'ay,  and  believe  me,  dear 
sir, 

"  Yours,  etc., 

"  George  Whitefield," 

This  long  letter  is  interesting,  as  revealing  Whitefield'f- 
views  of  youthful  education,  and  his  connection  with  the 
founding  of  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  important  colleges 
in  America.  It  is  difficult  to  determine  whether  his 
interest  in  England  or  in  America  was  greater.  He  was  a 
devoted  lover  of  his  native  land  ;  but  he  was  also  profoundly 
attached  to  those  transatlantic  colonies,  which,  since  his 
day,  have  been  developed  into  one  of  the  greatest  nations 
upon  earth.  On  the  same  day  that  he  wrote  his  letter  to 
Franklin,  respecting  the  college  at  Philadelphia,  he  also 
wrote  to  his  old  friend,  the  Honourable  Jonathan  Belcher, 
Governor  of  the  Province  of  New  Jersey  : — 

"  I  purpose  ranging  this  summer,  and  then  to  embark  for  my  beloved 
America.  Whether  I  shall  see  your  Excellency  is  uncertain.  You  are 
upon  the  decline  of  life  ;  but,  I  trust,  I  shall  meet  you  in  heaven,  where 
the  wicked  heart,  the  wicked  world,  and  the  wicked  devil,  will  cease 
from  troubling,  and  every  soul  enjoy  an  uninterrupted  and  eternal  rest. 
This  I  am  waiting  for  every  day.  O  that  death  may  find  me  either 
praying  or  preaching  !  " 

Having  preached  twelve  times,  in    six  days,  at   Plymouth, 


*  The  meeting-house  built  for  Whitefield  in  1740, 


In    Connvall.  253 


Whitefield  set  out  for  Cornwall,  accompanied  by  two  clergy-  ^75° 
men,  the  Rev.  G.  Thompson,  of  St.  Gennys,  and  the  Rev.  Age  35 
Mr.  Grigg,  who  had  come  to  Plymouth  purposely  to  be  his 
escort.  On  Sunday,  the  4th  of  March,  the  church  at  St. 
Gennys  presented  a  scene  such  as  was  not  often  witnessed. 
Whitefield  writes  :  "  Four  of  Mr.  Wesley's  preachers  were 
present,  and  also  four  clergymen  in  their  gowns  and  cassocks 
— Mr.  Bennet  ^  (aged  fourscore),  Mr.  Thompson,  Mr.  Grigg, 
and  myself.      It  was  a  glorious  day  of  the  Son  of  man." 

Six  days  later,  he  wrote  the  following  to  the  Countess  of 
Huntingdon  : — 

"Redruth,  March  10,  1750. 
"  Every  day,  since  I  left  St.  Gennys,  I  have  been  travelling  and  preach- 
ing. At  Port  Isaac,  the  Redeemer's  stately  steps  were  seen  indeed.  At 
Camelford,  I  preached  with  great  quietness  in  the  street.  At  St.  Andrew's, 
we  had  a  very  powerful  season.  Yesterday,  at  Redruth,  several  thousands 
attended.  Invitations  are  sent  to  me  from  Falmouth  and  several  other 
places.  I  want  more  tongues,  more  bodies,  more  souls,  for  the  Lord 
Jesus.  Had  I  ten  thousand,  He  should  have  them  all.  After  preaching, 
about  noon  I  am  to  go  to  St.  Ives  ;  and,  in  about  nine  days,  I  hope  to  be 
at  Exeter.  Mr.  Thompson  is  mighty  hearty,  and  is  gone  to  his  parish  in  a 
gospel  flame.'' 

The  account  of  Whitefield's  Cornish  labours  is  continued 
in  another  letter  to  her  ladyship,  dated  "Exeter,  March  21, 
1750,"  and  in  which  he  says  : — 

"  Immediately  after  writing  my  last,  I  preached  to  many  thousands  at 
Gwennap.  In  the  evening,  I  went  to  St.  Ives.  The  next  day,  Sunday, 
March  nth,  I  went  to  church  in  the  morning,  and  heard  a  virulent 
sermon  from  these  words,  '  Beware  of  false  prophets.'  The  preacher  had 
said,  on  the  day  before,  'Now  Whitefield  is  coming,  I  must  put  on  my  old 
armour.'"     I  preached  twice  to  large  auditories,  and  then  rode  back  to 


'  Mr.  Bennet,  of  Tresmere,  a  warm-hearted  friend  of  the  Methodists, 
and  who  had  been  an  acquaintance  of  Wesley's  father,  the  Rector  of 
Epworth.    (Charles  Wesley's  Journal,  vol.  i.,  p.  369.) 

-  The  preacher  here  resuming  his  "  old  armour "  was  probably  one 
of  the  two  mentioned  in  the  following  extract  from  Charles  Wesley's 
Journal  : — 

"  1743.  Sunday,  July  17.  At  St.  Ives,  I  heard  the  rector  preach  from 
Matt.  v.  20.  His  application  was  downright  railing  at  the  new  sect — 
those  enemies  to  the  Church,  seducers,  troublers,  scribes  and  Pharisees, 
liypocrites,  etc.  At  Wednock,  Mr.  Hoblin,  the  curate,  entertained  us 
with  a  curious  discourse  on  '  Beware  of  false  prophets.'  I  stood  up  over 
against  him,  within  two  yards  of  the  pulpit,  and  heard  such  a  hodge  podge 
ot  railing,  foolish  lies,  as  Satan  himself  might  have  been  ashamed  of." 


254  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 


1750  Gwennap  rejoicing.  On  Monday,  I  preached  again  at  Redruth,  at  ten  in 
the  morning,  to  near  ten  thousand.     Arrows  of  conviction  seemed  to  fly 

^^  ^^   fast.     In  the  evening,  I  preached  to  above  five  hundred,  at  a  place  twelve 

rniles  distant,  and  then  rode  about  sixteen  miles  to  one  Mr.  B 's,  a 

wealthy  man,  convinced  about  two  years  ago.  In  riding,  my  horse 
threw  me  violently  on  the  ground,  but  I  got  up  without  receiving  much 
hurt.  The  next  day,"  (Tuesday,  March  13,)  "we  had  a  most  delightful 
season  at  St.  Mewan  ;  and  the  day  following,  a  like  time  at  Port  Isaac. 
In  the  evening,  I  met  my  dear  Mr.  Thompson,  at  Mr.  Bennet's,  a 
friendly  minister  aged  fourscore  ;  and,  on  Thursday,  preached  in  both 
his  churches.  Blessed  seasons  both  !  On  Friday,  we  went  to  Bideford, 
where  there  is  perhaps  one  of  the  best  little  flocks  in  all  England.'  The 
power  of  God  so  came  down,  while  1  was  expounding  to  them,  that  Mr. 
Thompson  could  scarce  stand  under  it.  I  preached  twice.  On  Monday 
evening"  (March  19),  "  I  came  to  Exeter,  and,  with  great  regret,  shall  stay 
till  Friday  ;  for  I  think  every  day  lost  that  is  not  spent  in  field-preaching. 
An  unexpectedly  wide  door  is  opened  in  Cornwall,  so  that  I  have  some- 
times almost  determined  to  go  back  again." 

Thus  did  Whitefield  requite  his  abusive  foe,  the  Bishop  of 
Exeter.  Lavington,  in  the  most  scurrilous  language,  black- 
guarded Whitefield  and  the  Methodists  in  the  notorious 
pamphlets  which  he  was  now  writing  and  publishing,  with- 
out having  the  manliness  to  acknowledge  them  as  his  own  ; 
and  Whitefield,  in  return,  quietly  invaded  the  bishop's  diocese, 
and,  from  Land's  End  to  Exeter,  tried  to  revive  religion, 
where  it  was  almost,  if  not  entirely,  dead.  No  wonder  that 
the  bishop  raved  ! 

After  spending  about  a  month  in  London,  Whitefield 
made,  what  he  calls,  "  a  short  elopement  to  Portsmouth." 
His  supreme  work  was  preaching,  and  saving  souls  ;  but  he 
was  always  ready  to  throw  his  influence  and  energies  into 
any  scheme  that  would  be  subsidiary  to  the  great  object  of 
his  life.  For  this  purpose,  he  had  erected  his  Orphan  House 
in  Georgia,  and,  as  the  reader  has  already  seen,  wished  to 
have,  in  connection  with  it,  an  academy  or  college  for  the 
training  of  ministers.  At  this  very  time,  he  was  taking  an 
active  interest  in  founding  what  afterwards  became  the 
university    of    Philadelphia.      Added    to    all    this,    he    now 

For  an  account  of  the  horrible  persecutions  at  St.  Ives,  see  the  "  Life 
and  Times  of  Wesley."  In  those  days,  it  required  a  bold  heart  for  a 
Methodist  to  attempt  to  preach  in  this  part  of  tiie  peaceful  fold  of  Bishop 
Lavington. 

'  James  Hervey,  the  Oxford  Methodist,  har'  been  curate  here. 


New  yt7-sty  College.  255 


cheerily  devoted  himself  to  the  estabhshment  of  a  kindred  ^75^ 
institution  in  New  Jersey.  Three  years  ago,  his  friend,  Age  35 
Jonathan  Eelcher,  had  been  appointed  the  governor  of  that 
province.  The  governor  was  an  aged  man,  in  his  seventieth 
year  ;  but,  before  he  died,  he  wished  to  found  a  Presbyterian 
college  for  the  benefit  of  the  people  whom  he  ruled.  In 
1748,  he  had  obtained  a  royal  charter  from  George  II.,  but, 
to  carry  out  his  purpose,  he  needed  money.  To  collect  this, 
Mr.  Allen  and  Colonel  Williams  had  come  to  England, 
bringing  letters  of  introduction  from  Governor  Belcher  and 
the  Rev.  Aaron  Burr,  who  had  been  elected  president  of  the 
New  College.  Whitefield  presented  these  gentlemen  to  the 
Countess  of  Huntingdon.  A  statement  of  Belcher's  scheme, 
with  a  recommendation  of  it,  was  printed,  and  signed  by  her 
ladyship,  Whitefield,  Dr.  Doddridge,  and  others.  Whitefield 
preached  sermons  for  the  college  ;  and,  in  the  course  of  a  few 
months,  considerable  sums  were  collected,  and  transmitted  to 
America.'^  To  illustrate  Whitefield's  interest  in  this  im- 
portant matter,  two  extracts  from  his  letters  may  be  useful, 
while  at  Portsmouth,  he  wrote  to  Governor  Belcher,  as 
follows  : — 

*' Portsmouth,  ^/J;-// 27,  1750, 
*'  I  am  glad  your  Excellency  has  been  honoured,  by  Providence,  to  put 
New  Jersey  College  on  such  a  footing,  that  it  may  be  a  nursery  for  future 
labourers.  I  have  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  Mr.  Allen  and  Colonel 
Williams,  and  have  introduced  them  to  such  of  my  friends  as  I  believe 
may  serve  the  interest  in  which  they  are  engaged.  By  the  Divine  bless- 
ing, I  hope  that  something  considerable  will  be  done  in  England  and 
Scotland." 

A  few  days  afterwards,  he  wrote  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  McCulloch, 
Presbyterian  minister  of  Cambuslang  : — 

"  Mr.  Allen,  a  friend  of  Governor  Belcher,  is  come  over  with  a  com- 
mission to  negotiate  the  matter  concerning  the  Presbyterian  College  in 
New  Jersey.  He  has  brought  with  him  a  copy  of  the  letter  which  Mr. 
Pemberton  sent  you  some  time  ago.  This  letter  has  been  shewn  to  Dr. 
Doddridge  and  several  of  the  London  ministers,  who  all  approve  of  the 
thing,  and  promise  their  assistance.  Last  week,  I  conversed  with  Dr. 
Doddridge  concerning  it ;  and  the  scheme  that  was  then  judged  most 
practicalile  was  this—'  That   Mr.  Pemberton's  letter  should  be  printed, 


»  "L''^  HP'l  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  i.,  p.  140. 


256  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 


1750  and  that  a  recommendation  of  the  affair,  subscribed  by  Dr.  Doddridge  and 
—  others,  should  be  annexed  ;  and,  further,  that  a  subscription  and  collections 
■^^  35  should  be  set  on  foot  in  England,  and  that  afterwards  Mr.  Allen  should 
go  to  Scotland.'  I  think  it  is  an  affair  that  requires  despatch.  Governor 
Belcher  is  old,  but  a  most  hearty  man  for  promoting  God's  glory,  and  the 
good  of  mankind.  He  looks  upon  the  College  as  his  own  daughter,  and 
will  do  all  he  can  to  endow  her  with  proper  privileges.  The  present 
president,  Mr.  Burr,'  and  most  of  the  trustees,  I  am  well  acquainted  with. 
They  are  friends  to  vital  piety ;  and,  I  trust,  this  work  of  the  Lord  will 
prosper  in  their  hands.  The  spreading  of  the  gospel  in  Maryland  and 
Virginia,  in  a  great  measure,  depends  on  it." 

Thus,  in  more  respects  than  one,  was  America  greatly 
indebted  to  the  English  Whitefield.  The  effects  of  his 
services  on  behalf  of  that  country  cannot  be  estimated. 

After  a  few  days  spent  at  Portsmouth,  Whitefield  returned 
to  London,  and  then,  early  in  the  month  of  May,  set  out  on 
his  northern  tour.  On  Sunday,  May  6th,  he  preached  twice, 
to  great  multitudes,  at  Olney.  On  the  day  following,  he 
rode  to  Northampton,  and  "  had  a  private  interview  "  with 
Dr.  Stonehouse,  Dr.  Doddridge,  the  Rev.  James  Hervey, 
and  the  Rev.  Thomas  Hartley.'-^  On  Tuesday,  the  8th,  he 
preached,  in  the  morning,  "  to  Dr.  Doddridge's  family;"  and, 
in  the  afternoon,  to  above  two  thousand  in  a  field,  his  friends, 
with  whom  he  had  held  "a  private  interview,"  to  his  great 
gratification,  walking  with  him  along  the  street.  After 
preaching  twice,  "  to  several  thousands,"  at  Kettering,  he 
made  his  way  to  Ashby,  the  country  residence  of  the  Countess 
of  Huntingdon.  Here  he  remained  for  above  a  week, 
preaching  daily  in  the  house  of  her  ladyship,  and  also  in 
four  neighbouring  churches.  Resuming  his  journey,  on  May 
20,  he  preached  four  times  at  Nottingham,  where,  says  he, 
'*  several  came  to  me,  enquiring  what  they  should  do  to  be 
saved.      One  evening.  Lord   S and  several  gentlemen 


'  The  Rev.  Aaron  Burr  was  now  thirty-six  years  of  age.  He  had 
graduated  at  Yale  College,  and  had  been  the  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  at  Newark,  in  New  Jersey.  He  died  in  1757,  aged  forty-three. 
He  married  a  daughter  of  the  celebrated  Jonathan  Edwards;  and  his  son, 
Aaron  Burr,  became  vice-president  of  the  United  States.  The  College 
at  Princeton  was  greatly  indebted  to  its  first  president. 

■'-  Thomas  Hartley,  M.  A.,  was  rector  of  Winwick,  in  Northamptonshire. 
He  was  a  man  of  great  ability,  an  earnest  Christian,  a  millenarian,  and  a 
m/stic.  His  "Paradise  Restored"  is  one  of  the  ablest  books,  respecting 
the  millennium,  in  the  English  language,  and  deserves  attention. 


Ai  Rothtrliain  and  S'lcfficld.  257 

Avcre    present,    and    behaved    with    great    decency.       Many     ^751^ 
thousands  attended."      He  also  preached   at   Sutton  ;   thrice  Age  3- 
at  Mansfield  ;   and,  on  May  25,  arrived  at  Rotherham,  where 
he   met  with   an   adventure  worth  relating.      In   a  letter  to 
Lady    Huntingdon,    dated    "  Leeds,    May    30,     1750,"    he 
writes  : — 

"Satan  rallied  his  forces  at  Rotherham;'  but  I  preached  twice,  on  the 
Friday  evening  and  Saturday  morning.  The  crier  was  employed  to 
give  notice  of  a  bear-baiting.  Your  ladyship  may  guess  who  was  the  bear. 
About  seven  in  the  morning,  the  drum  was  heard,  and  several  watermen 
attended  it  with  great  staves.  The  constable  was  struck,  and  two  of  the 
mcbbcrs  were  apprehended,  but  were  rescued  afterwards.  I  preached  on 
these  words,  '  Fear  not,  little  flock.'  They  were  both  fed  and  feasted. 
After  a  short  stay,  I  left  Rotherham,  when  I  knew  it  was  become  more 
pacific." 

"  In  the  evening,  I  preached  at  Sheffield,  where  the  people  received  the 
wcrd  gladly.  A  great  alteration  was  discernible  in  their  looks,  since  I 
was  there  last.'   On  Sunday,  great  multitudes  attended,  and,  in  the  evening, 

'  It  was  about  this  period  that  John  Thorpe  was  converted.  Thorpe 
was  a  young  man  of  twenty,  and  a  most  virulent  opposer  of  the  Metho- 
dists. In  a  public-house,  he  and  his  convivial  companions,  for  a  wager, 
agreed  to  mimic  the  preaching  of  Whitefield,  the  Wesleys,  and  others. 
Each  performer  was  to  open  the  Bible,  and  hold  forth  from  the  first  text 
that  met  his  eye.  After  three,  in  their  turn,  had  mounted  the  table,  and 
exhausted  their  stock  of  buffoonery,  it  devolved  on  Thorpe  to  close  the 
irreverent  scene.  "  I  shall  beat  you  all,"  he  said,  as  he  ascended  the  table. 
He  opened  the  Bible,  and  the  text  his  eye  fell  upon  was,  "  Except  ye 
repent,  ye  shall  all  likewise  perish."  Conviction  of  sin  at  once  seized  him, 
and  he  proceeded  to  preach  a  sermon,  not  in  banter,  but  with  the  most 
serious  earnestness.  When  he  left  the  table,  not  a  syllable  was  uttered 
concerning  the  wager.  Profound  silence  pervaded  the  company.  Thorpe 
immediately  went  home.  This  was  his  last  bacchanalial  revel.  He  soon 
joined  Wesley's  Society,  at  Rotherham.  In  1752,  he  became  one  of 
Wesley's  itinerant  preachers,  and  continued  to  act  as  such  for  twelve 
years  afterwards.  He  then  turned  Calvinist.  The  Rotherham  Society 
was  rent  in  twain.  The  seceders  formed  themselves  into  a  Dissenting 
Church.  Thorpe  became  their  minister;  and,  in  1776,  died,  "  the  pastor 
of  the  Independent  Church  at  Masborough.  {Evangelical  Magazine, 
1794,  pp.  45— 50J 

•  William  Green,  a  schoolmaster,  was  the  principal  Methodist  at  Rother- 
ham. His  house  was  the  preachers'  home.  On  one  occasion,  the  mob 
caught  William  by  the  hair  of  his  head,  and  dragged  him  through  the 
streets.  On  another,  he  was  hunted  by  hounds,  and  escaped  by  climbing 
a  tree,  and  hiding  himself  among  its  foliage.  (Everett's  "  Methodism  in 
Sheffield,"  pp.  84—86.) 

'  Charles  Wesley,  under  the  date  of  "July  16,  1751,"  writes  :  "The 
door  at  Sheffield  has  continued  open  ever  since  Mr.  Whitefield  preached 
here,  and  quite  removed  the  prejudices  of  our  first  opposers.  Some  of 
them  were  convinced  by  him,  some  converted,  and  added  to  the  Church." 
(C.  Wesley's  Journal.) 

VOL.  II.  17 


258  The  Life  0/  WIntefield. 

1750    many  went  away,  who  could  not  get  near  enough  to  hear.    On  Monday, 
—      we  had  a  parting  blessing;  and,  in  the  evening,  the  Lord  Jesus  fed  us 
^^  ^^   plentifully,  with  the  bread  that   cometh   down  from  heaven,  at  Barley 
Hall. 

"  Last  night,  I  preached  in  Leeds,  to  many,  many  thousands  ;  and  this 
morning  also,  at  five  o'clock.  Methinks,  I  am  now  got  into  another 
climate.  It  must  be  a  warm  one,  where  there  are  so  many  of  God's 
people.  Our  Pentecost  is  to  be  kept  at  Mr.  Grimshaw's.  I  have  seen 
him  and  Mr.  Ingham." 

Concerning  the  "Pentecost"  kept  at  Haworth,  on  Sunday, 
June  3rd,  no  record  has  been  preserved,  except  a  mere  notice, 
which  will  be  found  in  a  subsequent  letter.  The  reader 
must  imagine  the  great  preacher,  standing  on  his  temporary 
scaffold,  by  the  side  of  Grimshaw's  church,  with  thousands 
upon  thousands  listening  to  his  impassioned  eloquence,  and 
the  surrounding  hills  and  dales  echoing  with  his  unequalled 
voice. 

Leaving  Haworth,  Whitefield  proceeded  to  Manchester, 
where  he  wrote,  as  follows,  to  Lady  Gertrude  Hotham, 
daughter  of  the  Earl  of  Chesterfield,  and  wife  of  Sir  Charles 
Hotham,  Bart : — 

"  Manchester,  7?^;/^  8,  1750, 
"  Honoured  Madam, — Thousands  and  thousands,  for  some  time  past, 
have  flocked  to  hear  the  word  twice  every  day,  and  the  power  of  God 
has  attended  it  in  a  glorious  manner.  I  left  good  Lady  Huntingdon, 
some  time  ago,  weak  in  body,  but  strong  in  the  grace  which  is  in  Christ 
Jesus.  The  good  people  of  Ashby  were  so  kind  as  to  mob  round  her 
ladyship's  door,  whilst  the  gospel  was  being  preached.  Alas  !  how  great 
and  irreconcilable  is  the  enmity  of  the  serpent  !  This  is  my  comfort — 
the  seed  of  the  woman  shall  be  more  than  conqueror  over  all.  I  hope  your 
ladyship,  every  day,  experiences  more  and  more  of  this  conquest  in  your 
heart.  This  is  the  Christian's  daily  employ  and  daily  triumph — to  die  to 
self  and  sin,  and  to  rise  more  and  more  into  the  image  of  the  blessed 
Jesus.     As  it  is  our  duty,  so  it  is  our  unspeakable  privilege." 

From  Manchester,  Whitefield  set  out  on  a  tour  through 
what  was  called  "  Ingham's  Circuit,"  a  large  mountainous 
tract  of  country  where  Ingham  had  preached  with  great 
success,  and  had  founded  Societies.  The  following,  ad- 
dressed to  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,  will  give  the  reader 
an  idea  of  Whitefield's  labours  : — 

"  Newby-Cote,  June  16,  1750. 
"  Honoured  Madam, — Blessed  be  God !    I  have  still  good  news  to 


^^  Ingham^ s  Citxtiity  259 

send  your  ladyship.     All  was  quiet  at  Manchester;  and,  I  humbly  hope,      1750 
the  Redeemer  will  gather  to  Himself  a  people  there.'      Kind   Captain  _^ 

Galatin  and  his  lady  will  acquaint  you  with  particulars.  I  hope  he  will  ^^ 
prove  a  good  soldier  of  Jesus  Christ.  We  had  sweet  seasons  at  places 
adjacent  to  Manchester.  Only,  at  Bolton,  a  drunkard  stood  up  to  preach 
behind  me;  and  a  woman  attempted  twice  to  stab_  the  person  who  was 
putting  up  a  stand,  for  me  to  preach  on,  in  her  husband's  field.  Since 
that,  we  have  had  very  large  and  powerful  meetings,  where  formerly  were 
the  most  violent  outrages.^  Perhaps,  within  these  three  weeks,  sixty 
thousand  souls  have  heard  the  gospel.  I  am  now  in  Mr.  Ingham's  circuit, 
and  purpose  being  at  Kendal  next  Thursday." 

To  this  Whitefield  appends  the  followhig  postscript : — 

"June  17th,  seven  in  the  morning.  Last  night  Satan  shewed  his  teeth. 
Some  persons  got  into  the  barn  and  stable,  and  cut  my  chaise,  and  one 
of  the  horse's  tails.     What  would  men  do,  if  they  could?" 

Whitefield  arrived  at  Kendal  four  days  after  this,  where 
he  wrote  the  following  to  his  friend  Hervey  : — 

"  Kendal,  yujte  21,  1750. 

"Rev.  and  very  dear  Sir, — I  arrived  at  Kendal  this  morning, where 
I  shall  preach  this  evening.  An  entrance  is  now  made  into  Westmore- 
land. Pen  cannot  well  describe  the  glorious  scenes  that  have  opened  in 
Yorkshire,  etc.  Perhaps,  since  I  saw  you,  seventy  or  eighty  thousand 
have  attended  the  word  preached,  in  divers  places.  At  Haworth,  on 
Whit- Sunday,  the  church  was  almost  thrice  filled  with  communicants  ; 
and,  at  Kirby-Stephen,  the  people  behaved  exceedingly  well 

"  In  my  way,  I  have  read  Mr.  Law's  second  part  of  '  The  Spirit  of 
Prayer.'  His  scheme  about  the  fall  is  quite  chimerical ;  but  he  says 
many  noble  things.  The  sun  has  its  spots,  and  so  have  the  best  of  men. 
I  want  to  see  my  own  faults  more,  and  those  of  others  less.  It  will  be  so, 
when  I  am  more  humble.  If  mercies  would  make  a  creature  humble,  I 
should  be  a  mirror  of  humility.  But  I  am  far  from  the  mind  that  was  in 
Jesus.  You  must  pra)-,  while  I  go  on  fighting.  Next  week,  I  hope  to  reach 
Edinburgh.  You  shall  have  notice  of  my  return.  Glad  shall  I  be  to  meet 
such  a  friend  upon  the  road." 

On  the  same  day,  he  wrote  to  the  Rev.  William  Baddiley, 
domestic    chaplain    to    the    Countess    of   Huntingdon.      Mr. 

'  Methodism  in  Manchester  was  begun  in  1747,  when  a  few  young  men 
formed  themselves  into  a  Society,  and  hired  a  garret  in  which  to  hold 
their  services,  Christopher  Hopper  speaks  of  preaching  in  this  attic 
meeting-house,  in  1749,  when  his  "congregation  consisted  of  not  more 
than  from  twenty  to  thirty  persons." 

'^  Wesley  and  his  preachers  had  encountered  violent  persecutions  at 
Lolton.     (.See  "Life  and  Times  of  Wesley.") 


26o  The  Life  of  Wliifefield. 

^75°  Eaddiley  was  now  in  London,  and  his  place  at  Ashby  was 
Age  35  supplied  by  the  Rev.  Charles  Caspar  Graves  and  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Simpson,  the  former  a  brave-hearted  Oxford  Methodist, 
who,  in  I  742,  had  accompanied  Charles  Wesley  to  Newcastle- 
upon-Tyne,  and  helped  him  in  forming  the  Methodist  Society 
in  that  important  town,  and  who,  in  the  year  following, 
preached,  for  months,  among  the  almost  incarnate  fiends  in 
Wednesbury,  and  in  other  parishes  adjacent,  but  who  now 
had  a  church  not  far  from  Lady  Huntingdon's  country 
residence.  Mr,  Simpson,  also,  was  one  of  the  Oxford 
Methodists,  and  had  been  ordained,  and  presented  to  a 
living  of  considerable  value  in  Leicestershire.  This,  how- 
ever, he  resigned,  and,  having  left  the  Church  of  England, 
was  now  a  Moravian  minister  at  Ockbrook. 

"Kendal,  y/^;/^  21,  1750. 

"Rev.  and  very  dear  Sir, —  I  am  glad  you  have  sounded  the  silver 
trumpet  in  London.  ^  Crescit  eimdo'  must  be  your  motto  and  mine- 
There  is  nothing  like  keeping  the  wheels  oiled  by  action.  The  more  we 
do,  the  more  we  may  do  ;  every  act  strengthens  the  habit ;  and  the  best 
preparation  for  preaching  on  Sundays,  is  to  preach  every  day  in  the 
week. 

"  I  am  glad  there  is  peace  at  Ashby.  What  a  fool  is  Satan  always  to 
overshoot  his  mark  !  I  hope  Mr.  Graves,  as  well  as  Mr.  Simpson,  will 
hold  on.  They  will  be  glorious  monuments  of  free  grace.  I  am  like- 
minded  with  you  in  respect  to  Dr.  Doddridge's  Commentary.  He  is  a 
glorious  writer.  May  the  Lord  Jesus  strengthen  him  to  finish  the 
work  ! 

"  My  dear  Mr.  Baddiley,  what  blessed  opportunities  do  you  enjoy  for 
meditation,  study,  and  prayer  !  Now  is  your  time  to  get  rich  in  grace. 
Such  an  example,  and  such  advantages,  no  one  in  England  is  favoured 
■with  but  yourself.  I  do  not  envy  you.  I  am  called  forth  to  battle.  O 
remember  a  poor  cowardly  soldier,  and  pray  that  I  may  have  the  honour 
to  die  fighting.  I  would  have  all  my  scars  in  my  breast.  I  would  not  be 
wounded  running  away,  or  skulking  into  a  hiding-place.  It  is  not  for 
ministers  of  Christ  to  flee,  or  be  afraid." 

Five  days  afterwards,  Whitefield  wrote  to  the  Countess  of 
Huntingdon: — 

"  Kendal,  yuiie  26,  1750. 
"  Honoured  Madam,— Still  the  Lord  vouchsafes  to  prosper  the  gospel 
plough.     Such  an  entrance  has  been  made  into  Kendal,  as  could  not  have 
been  expected.     I  preached  twice,  to  several  thousands,  last  week ;  and 

'  "  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon." 


/;/  Edi7ibiirgh,  261 


the  people  were  so  importunate,  that  I  was  prevailed  on  to  return  last     1750 

night.     The  congregation  was  greatly  increased,  and  the  power  of  the 

Lord  was  displayed  in  the  midst  of  them.  '  ^^  ^^ 

Last  Saturday  evening,  and  on  the  Lord's-day,  I  preached  at  Ulvcr- 
stonp.  There  Satan  made  some  resistance.  A  clergyman,  who  looked 
more  like  a  butcher  than  a  minister,  came  with  two  others,  and  charged  a 
constable  with  me  ;  but  I  never  saw  a  poor  creature  sent  off  in  such  dis- 
grace. I  believe  good  was  done  in  the  town.  How  1  am  to  succeed  at 
Whitehaven,  your  ladyship  shall  know  hereafter.  I  hear  Mr.  Wesley 
has  been  much  abused  in  Ireland,  but  that  the  mayor  of  Cork  has  quite 
overshot  himselfl  I  have  some  thoughts  of  seeing  Ireland  before  my 
return." ' 

Whitefield  reached  Edinburgh  on  Friday,  July  6th,  having 
preached,  since  he  left  London,  two  months  before,  above 
ninety  times,  and,  as  he  estimated,  to  a  hundred  and  forty 
thousand  people.  He,  at  once,  commenced  preaching  in  his 
open-air  cathedral,  the  Orphan  Hospital  Park  ;^  and,  on  July 
I  2th,  wrote,  as  follows,  to  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon  : — 

"  Though  I  am  burning  with  a  fever,  and  have  a  violent  cold,  I  must 
send  your  ladyship  a  few  lines.  They  bring  good  news.  People  flock 
rather  more  than  ever,  and  earnestly  entreat  me  not  to  leave  them  soon. 
I  preach  generally  twice  a  day, — early  in  the  morning,  and  at  six  in  the 
evening.  Great  multitudes  attend.  Praise  the  Lord,  O  my  soul !  Mr. 
Nimmo  and  his  family  are  in  the  number  of  those  who  are  left  in  Sardis, 
and  have  not  defiled  their  garments.  Your  ladyship's  health  is  drunk 
every  day." 

James  Nimmo,  Esq.,  Receiver-General  of  the  Excise,  was 
connected  with  some  of  the  first  families  in  Scotland. 
His  mother  Avas  a  daughter  of  Henry,  Lord  Cardross. 
His  wife,  Lady  Jane  Hume,  was  third  daughter  of  the 
Earl  of  Marchmont,  and  sister  of  Hugh,  fourth  Earl  of 
Marchmont,  one  of  the  executors  of  Pope  the  poet,  and  also 
of  Sarah,  Duchess  of  Marlborough.  Mr.  Nimmo's  house  was 
Whiteficld's   Edinburgh  home  ;   and,  during  his  visit.  Lady 

'  Wesley  had  been  in  Ireland  since  April  7th.  At  Cork,  the  mayor,  the 
town  drummers,  and  his  Serjeants,  followed  by  an  innumerable  mob,  had 
marched  to  Wesley's  m.eeting-house.  The  rabble  peited  Wesley  with 
whatever  came  to  hand.  Many  of  the  congregation  were  roughly  handled. 
All  the  seats  and  benches  of  the  chapel,  the  floor,  the  door,  and  the  frames 
of  the  windows,  were  burnt.  The  mob  patrolled  the  streets,  abusing  all 
who  were  called  Methodists.  The  windows  of  Mr.  Stockdale's  house  were 
smashed  to  atoms.  At  length,  the  soldiers  appeared,  and  the  mayor  and 
his  myrmidons  turned  cowards. 

•  Scots'  Magasine,  1750,  p.  302. 


262  The  Lije  of  While/it ta. 

'75°     Jane   Nimmo,   in   a   letter  to   the   Countess  of  Huntingdon, 
Age  35   remarked  : — 

"  Greater  crowds  than  ever  flock  to  hear  Mr.  Whitefield.  Dear  Lady 
Frances  Gardiner  is  very  active  in  bringing  people  to  hear  him,  to  some 
of  whom,  there  is  reason  to  beheve,  the  word  has  been  blessed.  Tnere  is 
a  great  awakening  among  all  classes.  Truth  is  great,  and  will  prevail, 
though  all  manner  of  evil  is  spoken  against  it.  The  fields  are  more  than, 
white,  and  ready  unto  harvest,  in  Scotland."  ' 

Having  preached  twenty  times  in  Edinburgh,  Whitefield, 
on  the  19th  of  July,  set  out  for  Glasgow,^  where,  on  the  23rd, 
he  wrote  : — 

"  Friends  here  received  me  most  kindly,  and  the  congregations,  1  think, 
are  larger  than  ever.  Yesterday  "  (Sunday),  "besides  preaching  twice  in 
the  field,  I  preached  in  the  College  Kirk,  being  forced  by  Mr.  Gillies.  It 
was  a  blessed  season.  I  have  met  and  shaken  hands  with  Mr.  Ralph 
Erskine.     Oh,  when  shall  God's  people  learn  war  no  more  ?" 

On  July  27,  he  returned  to  Edinburgh;^  and,  two  days 
later,  wrote  to  Lady  Huntingdon  : — 

"  No  one  can  well  describe  the  order,  attention,  and  earnestness  of  the 
Scotch  congregations.  They  are  unwearied  in  hearing  the  gospel,  i  left 
thousands  sorrowful  at  Glasgow  ;  and  here  I  was  again  most  gladly 
received  last  night.  By  preaching  always  tAvice,  and  once  thrice,  and 
once  four  times  in  a  day,  I  am  quite  weakened  ;  but  I  hope  to  recruit 
again,  and  get  fresh  strength  to  work  for  Jesus." 

On  August  3rd,  Whitefield  set  out  for  London,*  and,  at 
Berwick,  wrote  again  to  the  Countess  : — 

"  Berwick,  August  4,  1750. 
"  I  have  taken  a  very  sorrowful  leave  of  Scotland.  The  longer  I  con- 
tinued there,  the  more  the  congregations,  and  the  power  that  attended  the 
word,  increased.  I  have  reason  to  think  that  many  are  under  convictions, 
and  am  assured  that  hundreds  have  received  great  benefit  and  consolation. 
I  shall  have  reason  to  bless  God  to  all  eternity  for  this  last  visit  to  Scot- 
land. Not  a  dog  moved  his  tongue  all  the  while  I  was  there,  and  many 
enemies  were  glad  to  be  at  peace  with  me.  Pleaching  so  frequently,  and 
paying  so  many  religious  visits,  weakened  me  very  much  ;  but  I  am  already 
better  for  my  riding  thus  far.  One  of  the  ministers  here  has  sent  me  an 
offer  of  his  pulpit,  and  I  hear  of  about  ten  more  round  the  town  who  would 
do  the  same.  I  came  here  this  evening  "  (Friday),  "  and  purpose  to  set 
out  for  Newcastle  on  Monday  morning." 

'  "  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  i.,  p.  186. 
*  Scots  Magazine,  1750,  p.  348.  ^  ibid.  ^  Ibid. 


Old  JFriends  vieet  again.  263 

Such  extracts  as  these  are   fragments  ;   but,   put  together,     1750 
they  form  a  sort  of  diary,  and  exhibit  Whitefield's  enormous   Age^sc 
labours,  and  his  marvellous  popularity  and  success. 

When  Whitefield  arrived  in  London,  Hervey  had  become  an 
inmate  of  his  house,  and  wrote  :  "  Great  care  is  taken  of  me. 
The  house  is  very  open  and  airy,  and  has  no  bugs,  a  sort  of 
city  gentry  for  which  I  have  no  fondness."  "^  The  two  friends 
visited  Lady  Gertrude  Hotham,  one  of  whose  daughters  was 
dying  ;  and,  by  their  joint  instrumentality,  the  sufferer  was  led 
to  the  Saviour.  Hervey  attended  Whitefield's  ministry  at  the 
Tabernacle,  and  speaks  of  him  as  being  "  in  labours  more 
abundant,"  "  a  pattern  of  zeal  and  ministerial  fidelity."  '^ 

Though  Whitefield  had  been  four  months  from  home, 
the  time  had  not  come  for  him  to  settle  in  his  "  winter 
quarUrs."  First  of  all,  he  ran  off  to  Portsmouth,  and  was 
there  when  Miss  Hotham  died.  At  his  return  to  London,  he 
wrote  : — 

"  September  14.  I  was  received  with  great  joy,  and  our  Lord  has 
manifested  His  glory  in  the  great  congregation.  I  have  preached  in  Mr. 
Wesley's  chapel  several  times.  Mr.  Wesley  breakfasted  and  prayed 
with  me  this  morning  ;  and  Mr.  Hervey  was  so  kind  as  to  come  up  and 
be  with  me  in  my  house.  He  is  a  dear  man  ;  and,  I  trust,  will  yet  be 
spared  to  write  much  for  the  Redeemer's  glory." 

On  the  same  day,  Charles  Wesley  wrote,  in  his  Journal  ; 
"  I  met  James  Hervey  at  the  Tabernacle,  and  in  the  fellow- 
ship of  the  spirit  of  love." 

Never  since  they  had  left  Oxford  had  the  four  old  friends 
met  together  till  now.  Fifteen  years  had  elapsed  since 
then, — years  full  of  strange  and  unforeseen  adventures. 

Two  other  clergymen  were  now  introduced  into  the  circle 
of  Whitefield's  friends. 

Martin  Madan, — tall  in  stature,  robust  in  constitution,  his 
countenance  open  and  majestic,  his  voice  musical  and  strong, 
his  delivery  gracefijl,  and  his  language  plain  and  nervous, — 
was  the  eldest  son  of  Colonel  Madan,  and  bred  to  the  study 
of  the  law.  While  in  a  coffee-house,  with  some  of  his  gay 
companions,  he  was  requested  to  go  and  hear  Wesley  preach. 
He  went,  and,  on  his  return  to  the  coffee-room,  was  asked, 


The  Oxford  Methodists,"  p.  260.  ■  Hervey 's  Letters. 


2^4  7 he  Life  of  VVhiteJield. 

1750  "  if  he  had  taken  off  the  old  Methodist  ? "  "  No,"  said  the 
Age  35  young  barrister,  "  No,  gentlemen,  but  he  has  taken  me  off." 
From  that  time,  he  abandoned  his  old  companions,  formed 
an.  acquaintance  with  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,  and 
embraced  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  Possessed  of  a  private 
fortune  of  i^i  800  a  year,  he  renounced  his  legal  profession,  and 
was  now  an  ordained  clergyman  of  the  Church  of  England. 
He  soon  became  immensely  popular  ;  but  ultimately  died,  in 
1 790,  beneath  the  dark  cloud  of  his  chimerical  and  mischievous 
"  Thelypthora." 

Moses  Browne,  afterwards  well  known  as  vicar  of  Olney, 
and  chaplain  of  Morden  College,  Blackheath,  had  never  been 
at  either  of  the  universities,  had  a  large  family,  and  a  slender 
purse.  For  twenty  years,  he  had  been  a  constant  contributor 
to  the  Gentleman  s  Magazine,  and  had  obtained  some  of  the 
prizes  offered  by  Mr.  Cave  for  the  best  poems  sent  to  that 
periodical.  He  had  enjoyed  the  friendship  of  Dr.  Watts,  by 
whose  kindness  he  was  introduced  to  Lady  Huntingdon ;  and, 
at  her  house,  met  many  of  the  poets  and  literati  of  the  day. 
Moses  was  passionately  fond  of  dancing  and  of  theatrical 
amusements  ;  but,  under  the  preaching  of  the  Methodists,  he 
had  been  converted,  and  now  wanted  to  be  a  clergyman. 
Testimonials  were  signed  by  Hervey,  Hartley,  and  Baddiley. 
Lady  Huntingdon  asked  Hoadley,  Bishop  of  Winchester,  to 
ordain  him ;  but  his  lordship  politely  refused  the  application. 
She  requested  the  same  favour  of  the  Bishop  of  Worcester; 
and  ultimately,  through  the  interest  of  the  Hon.  Welbore 
Ellis,  then  one  of  the  Lords  of  the  Admiralty,  ordination 
was  obtained,  and  the  poor  poet  became  a  successful  parish 
priest.^ 

Both  of  these  gentlemen  are  mentioned  in  the  following 
letter  to  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon  : — 

"London,  Septetnber  17,  1750. 

"Ever-honoured  Madam, — Yesterday  afternoon,  I  returned  from 
Chatham,  where,  J^think,  there  is  as  promising  a  work  begun  as  almost 
in  any  part  of  England.  Last  night,  the  Redeemer's  glory  was  seen  in 
the  Tabernacle  ;  and  your  ladyship's  letter  revived  my  heart,  and  gave 
me  fresh  hopes  for  ungrateful  Ashby. 

"  I  am  glad  Mr.   Madan  is  ordained  ;  and  hope  Mr.  Browne  will  be 

'  "Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,'  vol.  i.,  p.  164. 


Age  35 


"  To  Live  at  Court.''''  265 

soon.     I  find  your  ladyship  has  acted  in  the  affair  like  yourself.     Mr.     175° 

Browne  is  much  for  embarking  in  the  cause  of  Christ,  and,  if  the  D • 

would  help  him  at  this  juncture,  he  might  be  a  useful  and  happy  man. 
Roth  he  and  Mr.  Hervey  have  a  grateful  sense  of  your  ladyship's  great 
*kindness.  The  latter,  I  believe,  intends  to  winter  with  me  in  London. 
If  possible,  I  will,  prevail  on  Mr.  Hartley  to  come  and  pay  him  a  visit. 
To-morrow  morning,  I  set  out  for  Gloucester,  and  intend  coming  to  Bir- 
mingham, and  so  to  your  ladyship's." 

Whitefield  reached  the  Countess's  residence  on  October  4th, 
and  remained  there  the  next  eleven  days.  His  past  and  his 
present  proceedings  may  be  learnt  by  the  following  extracts 
from  his  letters  : — 

"  Ashby,  October  9,  1750.  I  am  now  at  the  house  of  her  ladyship,  with 
four  other  clergymen,  who,  I  believe,  love  and  preach  Christ  in  sincerity; 
but  Ashby  people  reject  the  kingdom  of  God  against  themselves.  At 
Portsmouth,  Chatham,  Gloucestershire,  Birmingham,  Wednesbury,  Eve- 
sham, Nottingham,  etc.,  our  infinite  High  Priest  has  given  us  pleasant 
seasons.  I  am  now  waiting  every  day  for  my  wife's  being  delivered  of 
her  present  burden,  and  hope,  ere  long,  to  rejoice  that  a  child  is  born 
into  the  world.  O  that  it  may  be  born  again,  and  be  made  an  heir  of  the 
Redeemer's  kingdom  !" 

"Ashby,  October  11."  (To  the  Countess  Delitz.)  "Good  Lady 
Huntingdon  goes  on  acting  the  part  of  a  mother  in  Israel  more  and 
more.  For  a  day  or  two,  she  has  had  five  clergymen  under  her  roof, 
which  makes  her  ladyship  look  like  a  good  archbishop  with  his  chaplains 
around  him.  Her  house  is  indeed  a  Bethel.  To  us  in  the  ministry,  it 
looks  like  a  college.  We  have  the  sacrament  every  morning,  heavenly 
consolation  all  day,  and  preaching  at  night.  This  is  to  live  at  court 
indeed.  Your  ladyship,  and  the  other  elect  ladies,  are  never  forgotten 
by  us." 

In  reference  to  this  memorable  visit,  the  Countess  of 
Huntingdon  wrote  to  Lady  Fanny  Shirley,  as  follows  : — • 

"  It  was  a  time  of  refreshing  from  the  presence  of  our  God.  Several  of 
our  little  circle  have  been  wonderfully  filled  with  the  love  of  God,  and 
have  had  joy  unspeakable  and  full  of  glory.  Lady  Frances"  (Hastings) 
"is  rejoicing  in  hope  of  the  glory  of  God.  It  is  impossible  to  conceive  a 
more  real  happiness  than  she  enjoys.  Dear  Mr.  Whitefield's  sermons 
and  exhortations  were  clo^e,  searching,  experimental,  awful,  and  awakening. 
Surely  God  was  with  him.  He  appeared  to  speak  of  spiritual  and  divine 
things  as  awful  realities.  Many  of  us  could  witness  to  the  truth  of  what 
he  uttered.  HiS  discourses  in  the  neighbouring  churches  were  attended 
with  power  from  on  high,  and  the  kingdom  of  darkness  trembled  before 
the  gospel  of  Christ."' 

*  "  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  i.,  p.  163. 


266  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

'75°  On  Monday,  October  15,  Whitefield  set  out  for  what  he 
_^cre -5  called  his  "winter  quarters,"  in  London  ;  but,  a  month  after- 
wards, he  was  at  Canterbury,  preaching  with  his  characteristic 
zest  and  power.  Despite  great  opposition,  one  of  Wesley 's^ 
Societies  had  been  formed  in  this  venerable  city,  and  here 
Wesley  himself  had  spent  three  days  at  the  beginning  of  the 
year.  Now  Whitefield  came,  and  wrote  :  "  The  work  in- 
creases at  Canterbury.      I  find  several  souls  are  awakened." 

The  visit  of  two  of  the  Methodist  chieftains  to  this  archi- 
episcopal  city,  in  the  same  year,  was  too  serious  an  effrontery 
to  be  allowed  to  pass  unnoticed.  The  Rev.  John  Kirkby  was 
rector  of  Blackmanstone,  but  a  rector  almost  without  a  flock, 
Blackmanstone,  in  i  83  i,  containing  only  five  parishioners! 
Mr.  Kirkby's  parochial  work  was — what }  He  had  ample 
leisure  to  chastise  the  Methodists.  Accordingly,  he  pub- 
lished an  8vo.  pamphlet  of  fifty-five  pages,  with  the  elaborate 
title,  "  The  Impostor  Detected  ;  or,  the  Counterfeit  Saint 
turned  inside  out.  Containing  a  full  discovery  of  the  horrid 
blasphemies  and  impieties  taught  by  those  diabolical  seducers 
called  Methodists,  under  colour  of  the  only  real  Christianity. 
Particularly  intended  for  the  use  of  the  city  of  Canterbury, 
where  that  ministry  of  iniquity  has  lately  begun  to  work. 
By  John  Kirkby,  Rector  of  Blackmanstone,  in  Kent.  '  By 
their   fruits  ye   shall   know  them'  (Matt.  vii.  20).      London, 

1750." 

Mr.  Kirkby's  pamphlet  was  even  more  rancorous  than  its 
title.  He  could  hardly  have  been  more  vulgarly  abusive  if, 
instead  of  Blackmanstone,  he  had  been  rector  of  Billingsgate. 

While  at  Canterbury,  Whitefield  wrote  a  letter  to  Mr, 
S ,  in  L"cland,  which  is  too  characteristic  to  be  omitted.^ 

"Canterbury,  November  20,  1750. 

*'  My  dear  Mr.   S ,  As    far  as  I  can  judge  of  the  circumstances 

you  related  to  me,  settling-,  as  you  propose,  would  not  hinder,  but  rather 

'  The  letter  was  probably  addressed  to  Robert  Swindells,  against  whom 
the  notorious  grand  jury  at  Cork,  in  1749,  made  a  presentment,  and 
prayed  for  his  transportation.  For  more  than  forty  years,  Robert 
Swindells  was  one  of  Wesley's  itinerant  preachers.  "  He  died,"  says 
Atmore,  in  his  "  Methodist  Memorial,"  "in  1783,  full  of  days,  riches,  and 
honour."  Wesley  writes  :  "  In  all  those  years,  I  never  knew  him  to  speak 
a  word  which  he  did  not  mean  ;  and  he  always  spoke  the  truth  in  love. 
One  thing  he  had  almost  peculiar  to  himself, — he  had  no  enemy." 


Whitejield  III.  r67 


further,  you  in  your  present  work.  Only  beware  of  nestling.  If  you  do,  1750 
and  God  loves  you,  you  shall  have  thorns  enough  put  into  your  nest.  O 
that  I  may  be  enabled,  even  to  the  end,  to  evidence  that  nothing  but  a  ^^  ^ 
pure  disinterested  love  to  Christ  and  souls  caused  me  to  begin,  go  on,  and 
hold  out,  in  pursuing  the  present  work  of  God  !  I  have  seen  so  many 
r-ho  once  bid  exceedingly  fair,  and  afterwards,  Demas-like,  preferred  the 
rvorld  to  Christ,  that  I  cannot  be  too  jealous  over  myself,  or  others  whom 
I  profess  to  love.  This  is  my  motive  in  writing  to  you.  O  let  no  one  take 
jiway  your  crown.  If  you  marry,  let  it  be  in  the  Lord,  and  for  the  Lord, 
.md  then  the  Lord  will  give  it  His  blessing.  Only  remember  this,  marry 
when  or  whom  you  will,  expect  trouble  in  the  flesh.  But  I  spare  you. 
Seven  years  hence,  if  we  should  live  and  meet,  we  can  talk  better  of  these 
things.  Meanwhile,  let  us  go  on  leaning  on  our  Beloved.  He,  and  He 
alone,  can  keep  us  unspotted  from  the  world."  * 

Shortly  after  this,  Whitefield  had  a  serious  illness,  which 
he  called  a  "  violent  fever,"  and  which  kept  him  confined  to 
his  room  nearly  a  fortnight.  As  soon  as  he  was  able,  he 
resumed  his  preaching,  and  also  his  correspondence.  To  one 
of  his  friends,  he  wrote  :  "  December  1 7th.  Yesterday,  I 
entered  upon  my  seven-and-thirtieth  year.  I  am  ashamed 
to  think  I  have  lived  so  long,  and  done  so  little."  To 
another  :  "  December  21.  I  have  been  near  the  gates  of 
death,  which  has  hindered  my  answering  your  kind  letter  as 
soon  as  I  proposed.  .  I  shall  be  glad  to  know  your  friend's 
answer  about  Georgia.  If  the  Lord  raises  up  a  solid, 
heavenly-minded,  learned  young  man  for  a  tutor,  I  shall  be 
glad.  Nothing,  I  believe,  but  sickness  or  death,  will  prevent 
my  going  over  next  year.  Methinks  the  winter  is  long.  I 
want  to  take  the  field  again." 

Whitefield  longed  to  be  in  America  ;  and,  notwithstanding 
past  revivals,  America  was  in  need  of  him.  Hence  the  fol- 
lowing extract  from  a  hitherto  unpublished  letter,  kindly  lent 
by  Mr.  Stampe,  of  Grimsby: — 

"Philadelphia,  December  15,  1750. 

"  Reverend  and  dear  Brother, — Religion,  at  present,  is  very  low 
in  general  in  this  country.  A  great  deadness  prevails,  and  few  appear  to 
be  converted  ;  but  the  Church  of  Christ,  I  trust,  is,  in  some  measure, 
edified  by  the  word  of  God.  We  wish  and  hope  for  better  times.  I  am 
glad  that  you  are  able  to  continue  your  itinerancy,  and  that  with  such 
encouragement  and  success.  May  your  life  and  labours  be  long  con- 
tinued, and  be  blessed  to  the  great  increase  of  Christ's  kingdom  on  earth, 
and  the  brightening  of  your  own  crown  in  heaven  ! 

''  I  am  much  obliged  to  you.  dear  sir,  for  the  hope  you  gave  me,  in  a 


268  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1 75 J  letter  I  received  from  you,  of  doing  something  among  your  friends  to 
~"  assist  us  in  completing  the  new  house  of  public  worship,  which  we  are 
Age  30  gj.g(;tjpg_  Some  time  ago,  I  told  you  of  the  difficult  and  necessitous  state 
of  our  case  ;  and  I  may  now  add,  that  we  are  likely  to  lose  many  hundreds 
of  pounds  that  were  promised.  This  is  very  discouraging.  However,  we 
have  got  the  house  covered,  and  hope  to  have  the  pleasure  of  hearing  you 
preach  in  it  next  fall.  Dear  sir,  as  I  know  your  hearty  good-will  towards 
the  interests  of  religion  in  general,  and  towards  us  in  particular,  I  cannot 
but  believe  that  you  will  compassionate  us,  and  will  use  your  best  en- 
deavours for  us.  I  forbear  incitements  to,  a  mind  that  needs  them  not.  I 
salute  yourself  and  your  consort  with  cordial  respect  ;  and  remain  yours 
as  formerly, 

"  Gilbert  Tennent." 

Whitefield  was  always  ready  to  assist  his  friends,  both  at 
home  and  abroad.  Just  at  this  juncture,  Moses  Browne, 
with  his  large  family,  was  in  pecuniary  embarrassment.  Lady 
Fanny  Shirley  took  great  interest  in  his  case,  and  applied 
to  the  Duchess  of  Somerset  ^  and  others  to  afford  him  help? 
Whitcricld  refers  to  this  in  the  following  letter  to  Lady 
Fanny  : — 

"London,  Dccanbcr  25,  1750. 
"  Honoured  Madam, — Poor  Mr.  Browne  is  much  obliged  to  your 
ladyship  for  speaking  in  his  behalf.  He  happened  to  be  v/itli  me  when 
your  ladyship's  letter  came.  The  reception  your  kind  motion  met  with, 
convinces  me  more  and  more  that,  '  Be  ye  warmed,  and  be  ye  filled,' 
without  giving  anything  to  be  warmed  and  filled  with,  is  the  farthest  that 
most  professors  go.  Words  are  cheap,  and  cost  nothing.  I  often  told 
the  poor  man  that  his  dependence  was  too  strong,  and  that  I  was  afraid 
help  would  not  come  from  the  quarter  where  he  most  expected.  He  sends 
ten  thousand  thanks  for  what  your  ladyship  has  done  already.  Surely  he 
is  worthy.  He  is  a  lover  of  Christ,  and  his  outward  circumstances  are 
very  pitiable.  Your  ladyship  will  not  be  offended  at  the  liberty  I  take. 
You  love  to  help  the  distressed  to  the  utmost  of  your  power  ;  and  your 
ladyship  shall  find  that  good  measure,  pressed  down  and  running  over, 
shall  be  returned  into  your  bosom." 

To  Whitefield,  the  year  175  i  opened  sadly.  It  is  true,  he 
speaks  of  having  had  "  blessed  seasons  "  in  London,  and  of 
many  beirg  awakened  to  a  consciousness  of  their  sins  and 
danger  ;    but    his    own    health    was    shaken,    his    wife    was 

'  The  Duke  of  Somerset,  who  died  in  1748,  entertained  a  high  opinion 
of  Mr.  Browne.  When  his  grace  was  not  able  to  lead  the  prayers  of  his 
family  himself,  he  was  accustomed  to  employ  the  poet  as  his  chaplain. 
("  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  i.,  p.  127.) 

*  "  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  i.,  p.  167. 


"^  House  of  Mourning.''''  269 

"expecting  an  hour  of  travail,"  and  death  was  entering  the  ^75^ 
mansion  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon.  During  the  whole  Age  36 
of  December,  the  Countess  had  been  dangerously  ill  ;  and, 
at  the  beginning  of  1751,  her  health  declined  so  rapidly, 
that  Whitefield  was  requested  to  hasten  to  Ashby  with  all 
the  speed  he  could.  He  obeyed  the  summons  ;  but,  before 
his  arrival,  death  had  claimed  a  victim, — -not,  however, 
Whitefield's  honoured  patroness  ;  she  was  spared  to  the 
Church  and  the  world  forty  years  longer  ;  but  Lady  Frances 
Hastings,  sister  of  her  late  husband,  was  taken  to  the  rest  of 
the  righteous  ;  and  Lady  Selina,  the  Countess's  daughter, 
was  extremely  ill,  though  slowly  recovering  from  a  fever. 
Extracts  from  two  of  Whitefield's  letters  will  tell  all  that 
it  is  needful  to  relate  : — 

"Ashby,  January  29,  175 1.  I  rode  post  to  Ashby,  not  knowing  whether 
I  should  see  good  Lady  Huntingdon  alive.  Blessed  be  God  !  she  is 
somewhat  better.  Entreat  all  our  friends  to  pray  for  her.  Her  sister-in- 
law,  Lady  Frances  Hastings,  lies  dead  in  the  house.  She  was  a  retired 
Christian,  lived  silently,  and  died  suddenly,  without  a  groan.  May  my 
exit  be  like  hers  !  Whether  right  or  not,  I  cannot  help  wishing  that  I  may 
go  off  jn  the  same  manner.  To  me  it  is  worse  than  death,  to  live  to  be 
nursed,  and  see  friends  weeping  about  one.  Sudden  deatK  is  sudden  glory. 
But  all  this  must  be  left  to  our  heavenly  Father." 

Strangely  enough,  Whitefield's  wish,  so  often  uttered,  was 
literally  fulfilled.  To  Lady  Mary  Hamilton,  Whitefield 
wrote : — 

"Ashby,  January  30,  175 1.  I  found  good  Lady  Huntingdon  very  sick, 
though,  I  trust,  not  unto  death.  The  death  of  Lady  Frances  was  a  trans- 
lation. Almost  all  the  family  have  been  sick.  Lady  Selina  has  had  a  fever, 
but  is  better.  Lady  Betty  is  more  affected  than  ever  I  saw  her.  Lady 
Ann  bears  up  pretty  well,  but  Miss  Wheeler  is  inconsolable.  It  is  a  house 
of  mourning  ;  that  is  better  than  a  house  of  feasting.  The  corpse  is  to  be 
interred  on  Friday"  February  i)  "evening.  May  all  who  follow  it,  look 
and  learn  !     I  mean  learn  to  live,  and  learn  to  die." 

Whitefield  remained  some  days  after  the  funeral,  and  then 
returned  to  London,  where,  to  use  his  own  expression,  his 
wife  was  "  exceeding  bad."  Three  weeks  afterwards,  he 
wrote  the  following  to  Lady  Huntingdon  ;  but  makes  no 
mention,  in  any  of  his  letters,  of  the  accouchement  of  his 
wife.  It  is  probable,  that,  like  her  last,  the  present  child  was 
dead  ; — 


270  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1751  "  London,  February  26,  1751. 

A  "r,5  "  Ever-honoured  Madam, — It  would  rejoice  your  ladyship  to  see 
what  has  been  doing  here.  I  have  not  known  a  more  considerable  awaken- 
ing for  a  long  time.  The  Lord  comes  down  as  in  the  days  of  old,  and  the 
shout  of  a  king  is  amongst  us.  Praise  the  Lord,  O  my  soul !  To-morrow, 
I  purpose  to  leave  London  ;  but  whether  the  rain  and  wind  will  permit 
me  is  uncertain.  At  present,  I  am  feverish,  by  my  late  hurry  and  fatigue. 
"  Underneath  your  ladyship  are  the  everlasting  arms.  You  cannot  sink 
with  such  a  prop.  He  is  faithful,  who  has  promised,  that  we  shall  not  be 
tempted  above  what  we  are  able  to  bear.  This  is  my  daily  support.  To 
explain  God's  providence  by  His  promise,  and  not  His  promise  by  His 
providence,  I  find  is  the  only  way  both  to  get  and  to  keep  our  comforts." 

Whitefield  was  detained  in  London  a  few  days  longer ; 
but,  early  in  the  month  of  March,  set  out  for  Bristol,  where 
the  Countess  of  Huntingdon  was  then  staying  for  the  benefit 
of  her  health. 

Hervey's  health  was  such  that  he  was  unable  to  accom- 
pany his  friend  ;  and,  hence,  Whitefield  applied  to  the  Rev. 
Thomas  Hartley,  and,  as  a  persuasion  to  come,  told  him  that 
the  Countess  would  be  benefited  by  his  visit,  he  would  have 
access  to  some  of  the  Bristol  pulpits,  and,  perhaps,  would 
"catch  some  great  fish  in  the  gospel  net."^ 

After  about  a  fortnight's  stay  in  Bristol,  he  started  for 
Plymouth,  preaching  at  Taunton  and  Wellington  on  his 
way.  On  his  return,  he  wrote  to  Hervey,  dating  his  letter, 
"Exeter,  April  11,  1751."  He  tells  the  amiable  invalid 
that  he  would  count  it  "  a  great  honour  and  privilege"  to 
have  him  as  his  guest  for  the  remainder  of  his  life.  During 
the  last  month,  he  had  had  "  some  trying  exercises  ;"  but  he 
had  "  preached  about  foily  times,"  and,  in  several  instances, 
had  ridden  forty  miles  a  day.  He  had  been  among 
Hervey's  old  friends  at  Bidcford  ;  and  had  been  blessed 
with  "  sweet  seasons  at  Plymouth." 

It  is  impossible  to  determine  what  were  the  "trying 
exercises,"  which  Whitefield  mentions.  One  was  the  afflic- 
tion of  his  wife.  Perhaps,  another  was  occasioned  by  the 
insertion  of  a  letter  in  the  Gciitlcmans  Magazine,  proposing 
that,  because  "  Whitefield  preached  that  man,  the  chief  work 
of  God  in  this   lower  world,  by  nature  is  Jialf  brute  and  half 

'   Whitcficld's  Works,  vol.  ii.,  p.  406. 


Trying  Exercises ^  271 


devil''  the   following  lines    should   be   inscribed  on   the  door     ^75^ 
of  Whitefield's  house,  and   should   not  be   removed   until  he  Age  36 
"  recanted  his   shocking    account  of  human   nature,  and  de- 
clared that  man  is  the  offspring  of  God,  and  formed  by  nature 
to  approve  and  love  what  \s  j?/st  a.nd  good": — 

"  Here  lives  one  by  nature  half  brute  and  half  devil. 
Avoid  him,  ye  wise,  though  he  speak  kind  and  civil. 
The  devil  can  seem  like  an  aitgel  of  light, 
And  dogs  look  deviure,  the  better  to  bite." 

It  is  rather  surprising  that  a  squib  so  paltry  was  admitted 
into  Mr.  Cave's  respectable  magazine  ;  and  yet  it  gave  birth 
to  a  controversy,  in  that  periodical,  which  lasted  until  the 
month  of  October  next  ensuing,  not  fewer  than  six  different 
articles,  for  and  against,  being  published  on  the  subject. 

Probably,  another  cause  of  Whitefield's  "  trying  exercises" 
was  the  publication,  about  this  period,  of  the  third  part  of 
Lavington's  "  Enthusiasm  of  Methodists  and  Papists  com- 
pared," an  8vo.  volume  of  four  hundred  and  twenty  pages. 
This  was  the  bishop's  big  gun,  pointed  at  Wesley  almost 
altogether,  but  discharging  a  few  stray  shots  at  White- 
field.  It  was  not  pleasant,  for  instance,  to  find  the  author 
perverting  Whitefield's  honest  acknowledgment  of  the 
errors  into  which  he  had  unwittingly  fallen,  by  declaring, 
"  Whitefield  has  confessed  that  he  has  imposed  upon  the  world  ^ 
by  many  ujitrnths"  (p.  263).  Whitefield  never  confessed 
anything  of  the  sort  ;  and  Dr.  Lavington,  Bishop  of  Exeter, 
knew,  when  he  wrote  these  words,  that  he  himself  was  writing 
an  untnitJi. 

Lampoons,  and  episcopal  mendacity  like  this,  were,  without 
doubt,  annoying.  It  was  also  a  matter  of  profound  grief,  that, 
in  the  bulky  volume  just  mentioned,  his  friend  Wesley  should 
be  made  the  butt  of  all  the  sneering  sarcasm  which  Laving- 
ton could  bring  to  bear  against  him.  There  were  likewise 
other  annoyances,  as  may  be  gathered  from  the  title  of  a 
pamphlet  of  sixteen  pages,  which  was  at  this  time  published: 
"  A  Vindication  of  the  Methodists  and  Moravians  from  an 
Assertion  in  a  Sermon  lately  printed.  Also  some  Thoughts 
on  the  Latter  Times."  The  "  Assertion  "  was,  that,  at  least, 
some  of  the  Methodists  and  Moravians  were  endeavouring 
"to   encourage   and  increase  the    Romish    religion;"    that 


272  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1751  it  was  certain  that  Methodism  and  Moravianism  would  "at 
A-Tc'sG  l^^t  issue  in  Popery ;"  and  that  some  of  the  present  preachers 
would  be  employed  in  spreading  it  "  both  here,  and  in  all 
our  colonies  and  plantations  abroad."  The  author  of  the 
pamphlet  did  his  best  to  vindicate  Whitefield  and  his  friends; 
but  he  was  so  full  of  millenarianism,  that  his  defence  was 
worthless,  and,  instead  of  serving  the  Methodists,  was  likely 
to  injure  them. 

In  the  midst  of  all  this  worry  and  vexation,  Whitefield 
found  comfort  and  cause  of  exultation  in  a  fact  which  ought 
to  have  augmented  the  severity  of  his  "  trying  exercises  : " 
slavery  was  authorised  in  Georgia  !  Read  in  the  light  of 
the  last  hundred  years,  the  following  letter,  addressed  to  a 
minister  in  America,  is,  to  say  the  least,  a  curious 
production  : — 

"  Bristol,  March  22,  1751. 

"Reverend  and  very  dear  Sir, — Mywife  has  been  in  pitiable  circum- 
stances for  some  time.  The  Lord  only  knows  what  will  be  the  issue  of  them. 
This  is  my  comfort,  '  All  things  work  together  for  good  to  those  that  love 
•  God.'  He  is  the  Father  of  mercies,  and  the  God  of  all  consolation.  He 
can  bring  light  out  of  darkness,  and  cause  the  barren  wilderness  to  smile. 
"  This  will  be  verified  in  Georgia.  Thanks  be  to  God  !  that  the  time 
for  favouring  that  colony  seems  to  be  come.  Now  is  the  season  for  us  to 
exert  ourselves  to  the  utmost  for  the  good  of  the  poor  Ethiopians.  We 
are  told,  that,  even  they  are  soon  to  stretch  out  their  hands  unto  God. 
And  who  knows  but  that  their  being  settled  in  Georgia  may  be  over-ruled 
for  this  great  end  ? 

"  As  to  the  lawfulness  of  keeping  slaves,  I  have  no  doubt,  since  I  hear 
of  some  that  were  bought  with  Abraham's  money,  and  some  that  were 
born  in  his  house.  I,  also,  cannot  help  thinking,  that  some  of  those 
servants  mentioned  by  the  apostles,  in  their  epistles,  were  or  had  been 
slaves.  It  is  plain  that  the  Gibeonites  were  doomed  to  perpetual  slavery; 
and,  though  liberty  is  a  sweet  thing  to  such  as  are  born  free,  yet  to  those 
who  never  knew  the  sweets  of  it,  slavery  perhaps  may  not  be  so  irksome. 

"  However  this  be,  it  is  plain  to  a  demonstration,  that  hot  countries 
cannot  be  cultivated  without  negroes.  What  a  flourishing  country  might 
Georgia  have  been,  had  the  use  of  them  been  permitted  years  ago  !  How 
many  white  people  have  been  destroyed  for  want  of  them,  and  how  many 
thousands  of  pounds  spent  to  no  purpose  at  all  !  Had  Mr.  Henry  been 
in  America,  I  believe  he  would  have  seen  the  lawfulness  and  necessity  of 
having  negroes  there.  And,  though  it  is  true  that  they  are  brought  in  a 
wrong  way  from  their  native  country,  and  it  is  a  trade  not  to  be  approved 
of,  yet,  as  it  wiU  be  carried  on  whether  we  will  or  not,  I  should  think 
myself  highly  favoured  if  I  could  purchase  a  good  number  of  them,  to  make 


In  Ireland.  273 

their  lives  comfortable,  and  lay  a  foundation  for  breeding  up  their  pos-     175' 
terity  in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord.  — 

"  You  know,  dear  sir,  that  I  had  no  hand  in  bringing  them  into  Georgia.  ^^^  ' 
Though  my  judgment  was  for  it,  and  so  much  money  was  yearly  spent  to 
no  purpose,  and  I  was  strongly  importuned  thereto,  yet  I  would  have  no 
negro  upon  my  plantation,  till  the  use  of  them  was  publicly  allowed  in 
the  colony.  Now  this  is  done,  let  us  reason  no  more  about  it,  but  dili- 
gently improve  the  present  opportunity  for  their  instruction.  The  Trustees 
favour  it,  and  we  may  never  have  a  like  prospect.  It  rejoiced  my  soul,  to 
hear  that  one  of  my  poor  negroes  in  Carolina  was  made  a  brother  in 
Christ.  How  know  we  but  we  may  have  many  such  instances  in  Georgia 
before  long.?  By  mixing  with  your  people,  I  trust  many  of  them  will  be 
brought  to  Jesus  ;  and  this  consideration,  as  to  us,  swallows  up  alL  tem- 
poral inconveniences  whatsoever." 

Whitefield's  letter  is  a  distracting  compound  of  good  and 
evil  principles.  Probably  it  will  lower  his  character  in  the 
estimation  of  not  a  few  who  read  it.  Be  it  so.  The  letter 
exists,  and  it  would  not  be  honest  to  withhold  it. 

From  April  iith,  to  May  24th,  when  he  arrived  in 
Dublin,  nothing  is  known  of  Whitefield's  work,  except  that, 
on  leaving  Exeter,  he  passed  through  Wales,  and  that,  "  in 
about  three  weeks,"  he  "rode  above  five  hundred  miles,  and 
generally  preached  twice  a  day,  and  that  his  congregations 
were  as  large  as  usual."  ^  At  Dublin,  he  became  the  guest 
of  Mr.  Lunell,  the  banker.  The  following  extracts  from 
his  letters  will  furnish  an  idea  of  his  work  in  Ireland  : — • 

"  Dublin,  June  i,  175 1. 
"  After  being  about  five  days  on  the  water,  I  arrived  here  on  the  24th 
ult.  I  have  now  preached  fourteen  times.  Congregations  are  large,  and 
hear  as  for  eternity.  Last  Lord's-day,  upwards  of  ten  thousand  attended. 
It  much  resembled  a  Moorfields  auditory.  I  lodge  at  a  banker's,  a 
follower  of  Christ." 

On  Monday,  June  4th,  Whitefield  set  out  for  Athlone, 
and  thence  proceeded  to  Limerick  and  Cork.  To  Lady 
Huntingdon  he  wrote  as  follows  : — 

'■'  Athlone,  June  10.  As  the  weather  grows  warmer,  my  body  grows 
weaker,  and  my  vomitings  follow  me  continually.  For  this  week  past,  I 
have  been  preaching  twice  almost  every  day  in  country  towns  ;  and 
)  csterday,  I  sounded  the  gospel-trumpet  here.     Everywhere  there  seems 


'  Whitefield's  Works,  vol.  ii.,  p.  410. 
VOL.  II. 


274  ^^^^  ^^f^  ^f  Whitejieid. 


1751       to  be  a  stirring  among  the  dry  bones.      Through  the  many  offences  that 
—       have  been  lately  given,  matters  were  brought  to  a  low  ebb  ;  but  the  cry 
Age  36   j^Q^  jg^  i  Methodism  is  revived  again.'"  ' 

A  week  later  he  says  : — 

"  Limerick,  June  14.  At  Athlone,  I  preached  four  times,  and  last  night 
was  gladly  received  here  at  Limerick.  Everywhere,  our  Lord  has  vouch- 
safed us  His  blessed  presence.  This  supports  me  under  the  heat  of  the 
weather,  the  weakness  of  my  body,  and  the  various  trials  which  exercise 
my  mind." 

In  other  letters  to  Lady  Huntingdon,  he  wrote  : — 

"Cork,  June  19.  Since  my  last  from  Athlone,  I  have  been  at 
Limerick,  where  I  preached  seven  times  to  large  and  affected  auditories. 
Yesterday,  I  came  to  Cork,  the  seat  of  the  late  persecution.  I  have 
preached  twice,  to  a  great  body  of  people,  with  all  quietness.  Both  the 
mayor  and  sheriff  have  forbidden  all  mobbing.  Now  have  the  people  of 
God  rest.     Next  week,  I  shall  return  to  Dublin. 

"  Dubhn,  June  28.  My  last,  from  Cork,  informed  your  ladyship  of  my 
having  preached  twice  in  that  city.  From  thence,  I  went  to  Bandon 
and  Kinsale,  where  a  like  blessing  attended  the  word.  At  my  return  to 
Cork,  I  preached  five  or  six  times  more,  and,  every  time,  the  power  of  the 
word  and  the  number  of  hearers  increased.  On  Sunday  evening,  there 
might  be  more  than  three  thousand  people  present.  Hundreds  prayed 
for  me  when  I  took  my  leave  ;  and  many  of  the  papists  said,  if  I  would 
stay,  they  would  leave  their  priests.  After  preaching  twice  in  the  way,  I 
came  here  on  Wednesday  evening,  where  I  have  again  published  the 
everlasting  gospel.     Next  Monday,  I  set  out  for  Belfast. 

"  Belfast,  July  7,  Sunday.  On  Wednesday  evening,  I  came  hither,  and 
intended  immediately  to  embark  for  Scotland,  but  the  people  prevailed  on 
me  to  stay.  In  about  an  hour's  time,  thousands  were  gathered  to  hear  the 
word.  I  preached  morning  and  evening  ;  and,  since  then,  have  preached 
at  Lisburn,  Lurgan,  the  Maize,  and  Lambeg,  towns  and  places  adjacent. 
So  many  attend,  and  the  prospect  of  doing  good  is  so  promising,  that  I 
am  grieved  I  did  not  come  to  the  north  sooner.  The  country  round  about 
is  like  Yorkshire  in  England,  and  quite  different  from  the  most  southern 
parts  of  Ireland.  I  am  now  waiting  for  a  passage  to  Scotland.  From 
thence  your  ladyship  shall  hear  from  me  again," 

'  The  reference  here  is  not  to  anything  done  by  Wesley,  as  Southey 
and  Philip  imagined,  but  to  the  fact  that,  during  the  previous  year,  an 
immense  amount  of  mischief  had  been  effected  by  an  infamous  man, 
named  Roger  Ball,  who  had  gained  access  to  the  pulpits  of  the  Metho- 
dists, and  had  even  been  domiciled  as  a  member  of  Wesley's  Dublin 
family.  The  man  was  an  Antinomian  of  the  worst  description,  a  crafty 
debauchee,  full  of  deceit,  and  teaching  the  most  dangerous  errors.  (See 
"  Life  and  Times  of  Wesley,") 


Wes/ey^s  Socidies  in  Ireland.  275 


This  was  enormous  labour  for  a  man  in  feeble  health  ;     ^75i 
but  Whitefield  loved  his  work,  and  that  helped  to  make  hard   Age  36 
things  easy. 

It  is  only  fair  to  add,  that,  except  at  Belfast  and  the 
adjacent  towns,  Whitefield  was  treading  in  the  steps  of  his 
old  friend  Wesley.  At  Dublin,  Wesley  had  had  a  Society 
since  1 747.  He  had  preached  at  Athlone  with  great  suc- 
cess as  early  as  1748.  He  had  a  Society  in  Limerick  in 
1 749.  Methodism  in  Cork  has  been  already  noticed.  At 
Bandon,  Wesley  speaks  of  having  had  "  by  far  the  largest 
congregations  he  had  seen  in  Ireland."  And,  at  Kinsale, 
he  had  preached  in  the  Exchange,  "  to  a  few  gentr}^,  many 
poor  people,  and  abundance  of  soldiers."  ^ 

The  following  hitherto  unpublished  letter,^  by  Whitefield's 
wife,  belongs  to  this  period.  It  was  addressed  to  the 
Countess  of  Huntingdon. 

"London,  July  13,  1751. 
"  Honoured  Madam, — I  am  almost  ashamed  to  write  to  your  lady, 
ship  now ;  but  have  not  been  able  to  write  sooner.  I  have  been  so  ill 
since  I  came  home,  that  Dr.  Lobb  and  Dr.  Nisbett  have  attended  me 
more  or  less,  ever  since.  I  was  in  bed  when  I  received  your  ladyship's 
letter,  and  was  nqt  able  to  read  it.  I  had  a  pleuritic  fever,  and  was  so 
low  that  the  doctor  durst  not  bleed  me.  I  am  glad  to  hear,  by  Mr.  Smith 
that  your  ladyship  is  so  well.  God  be  praised  !  O  may  the  good  Lord 
give  your  ladyship  a  prosperous  soul  in  a  healthy  body,  to  His  own  glory, 
and  the  good  of  very  many  poor  souls  ! 

"Your  ladyship  has  heard  of  God's  goodness  to  my  dear  honoured 
master  in  Ireland.  A  gentleman  writes  me  thus  :  'Dear  Mr.  Whitefield 
has  left  Dublin  very  sorrowful.  His  going  away  is  lamented  by  many  of 
all  denominations,'  etc.,  etc.  My  master  left  Dublin  on  the  2nd  inst. ;  but 
I  have  not  heard  from  him  since  the  22nd  of  June.  Here  are  letters  from 
Georgia,  bringing  good  and  bad  news  ;  the  good,  they  are  all  well  ;  the 
bad,  they  run  him  behind  very  much.  But  all  is  well.  The  Lord  has 
been  and  is  exceedingly  good  to  us  at  the  poor  Tabernacle,  and  lets  it 
often  be  filled  with  His  glory.  O,  dear  madam,  what  am  I,  and  what  my 
father's  house,  that  I  am  so  highly  favoured  to  be  called  a  child  of  God  ! 
Oh,  to  be  a  childl  Dear,  dear  madam,  I  am  almost  lost  in  thought. 
What !  to  have  the  great  Jehovah,  the  God  of  heaven  and  earth,  to  be  my 
Father  ;  to  make  my  bed  in  my  sickness  ;  to  be  afflicted  in  all  my  afflic- 
tion ;  to  support  me  in  and  under  all  my  trials  and  temptations,  and  to 
make  His  abode  with  me  !    Thinking  of  this  has  sometimes  been  too  much 

'  Wesley's  Journals. 

*  Kindly  supplied  by  Mr.  Stampe,  of  Grimsby. 


276  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 


J751  for  my  weak  nature  to  bear.  Oh  for  the  time  when  we  shall  be  dissolved, 
—  and  be  for  ever  with  the  Lord  ! 
Age  36  ,,  J  j^^p^  y^^jj.  ladyship  will  excuse  the  length  of  this  ;  but  I  could  not 
help  it,  I  have  not  been  able  to  write  to  or  see  the  Countess  Delitz,  or 
any  friend  ;  but  hope  to  get  strength.  I  beg  a  share  in  your  ladyship's 
prayers  ;  and  hope  this  will  find  your  ladyship,  Lady  Betty,  and  Lady 
Selina  in  health  of  body  and  soul,  rejoicing  in  the  Lord.  This  is  and 
shall  be  the  prayer  of,  honoured  madam,  your  ladyship's  most  obliged  and 
dutiful  servant,  in  our  dear  Lord  Jesus, 

"E.  Whitefield." 

A  beautiful  letter,  and  worthy  of  the  woman  who  had  the 
honour  to  be  the  wife  of  Whitefield.  Her  husband  arrived 
at  Glasgow  on  Wednesday,  July  loth  ;i  and,  two  days  after- 
wards, wrote  as  follows,  to  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon  : — - 

"  Glasgow,  July  12,  1751. 
"  Ever-honoured  Madam, — My  last  was  from  Belfas^t,  -where  I 
preached  twice  on  yesterday  sevennight,  and  immediately  after  took 
shipping,  and  arrived  the  next  evening  at  Irvine.  At  the  desire  of  the 
magistrates,  I  preached  to  a  great  congregation.  Since  then,  I  have 
been  preaching  twice  a  day  in  this  city.  Thousands  attend  every  morn- 
ing and  evening.  Though  I  preached  near  eighty  times  in  Ireland,  and 
God  was  pleased  to  bless  His  word,  yet  Scotland  seems  to  be  a  new 
world  to  me.  To  see  the  people  bring  so  many  Bibles,  and  turn  to  every 
passage,  when  I  am  expounding,  is  very  encouraging.  My  body  is  kept 
pretty  healthy,  and  my  voice  greatly  strengthened." 

Having  reached  Edinburgh  on  Thursday,  July  i8th,  he 
wrote  again  to  Lady  Huntingdon  : — 

"Edinburgh,  July  ^o,  175 i. 
"  Ever-honoured  Madam, — I  think  it  a  long  time  since  I  last  wrote 
your  ladyship.  Continual  preaching  twice  a  day,  and  paying  and  re- 
ceiving visits,  quite  prevented  me  putting  pen  to  paper  as  I  would  have 
done.  The  parting  at  Glasgow  was  very  sorrowful.  Numbers  set  out 
from  the  country,  to  hear  the  word,  by  three  or  four  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing. Congregations  here  increase  greatly.  I  now  preach  twice  daily  to 
many  thousands.  Many  of  the  best  rank  attend.  My  body  is  almost 
worn  out.  I  have  been  to  Musselburgh,  to  see  Captain  Galatin  and  his 
lady.  They  hold  on,  Mr,  Wesley  has  been  there,  and  intends  setting  up 
Societies,  which  I  think  imprudent,'' 


'  The  Scots'  Magazine  for  1751  (p.  356)  says  :  "  Mr.  George  Whitefield 
arrived  at  Glasgow,  from  Ireland,  July  loth  ;  preached  there  some  days, 
and  came  to  Edinburgh  on  the  i8th,  where  he  preached  generally  twice  a 
day  in  the  Orphan  Hospital  Park,  He  set  out  for  England  on  the  6th  of 
August." 


Leaving  England.  277 

Whitefield  left  Edinburgh  on  August  6th,  and  at  Kendal,     *75i 
on  his  way  to  London,  wrote  to  her  ladyship  again  : —  Age  36 

"KiENDAL,  Aus^usf  10,  175 1. 
"  Ever-honoured  Madam, — The  longer  I  stayed  at  Edinburgh,  the 
more  eagerly  both  rich  and  poor  attended  on  the  word  preached.  For 
near  twenty-eight  days,  in  Glasgow  and  Edinburgh,  I  preached  to  near 
ten  thousand  souls  every  day.  Ninety-four  pounds  were  collected  for  the 
Edinburgh  orphans,  and  I  heard  of  seven  or  eight  students,  awakened 
about  ten  years  ago,  who  are  likely  to  turn  out  excellent  preachers.  To 
the  Lord  of  all  lords  be  all  the  glory  !  I  am  now  on  my  way  to  London, 
in  order  to  embark  for  America.  1  threw  up  much  blood  in  Edinburgh, 
but  riding  recruits  me." 

For  the  present,  Whitefield's  work  in  England  was  nearly 
ended.  On  August  29,  he  went  on  board  the  Antelope, 
bound  for  Georgia  with  Germans,  and  took  several  destitute 
children  with  him.  "  Parting  seasons,"  said  he,  "  have  been 
to  me  dying  seasons.  They  have  broken  my  very  heart ; 
but  it  is  for  Jesus,  and,  therefore,  all  is  well." 

It  was  fortunate  that  he  got  away.  Without  this,  he 
probably  would  have  died.  The  man  was  fast  becoming  a 
sort  of  religious  suicide.  Humanly  speaking,  his  voyage  to 
America  saved,  or  rather  prolonged,  his  life.  On  August 
30th,  his  intimate  friend,  Robert  Cruttenden,  in  a  letter 
to  the  wife  of  Dr.  Doddridge,  wrote  :  "  Yesterday  I  took 
leave  of  Mr.  Whitefield,  who  is  embarked  for  America, 
with  little  prospect  of  my  ever  seeing  him  again.  His 
constitution  is  quite  worn  out  with  labour."^ 

*  Doddridge's  Diary  and  Correspondence,  vol.  v.,  p.  217. 


FOURTH  VISIT  TO  AMERICA,  AND  RETURN  TO 
ENGLAND. 

September   175 i   to  March   1754. 

1751  T  T  /"HITEFIELD'S  sojourn  in  America  was  of  short 
Age  36  '  '  duration.  He  landed  in  October,  1751,  and  seven 
months  afterwards  was  again  in  England.  His  time  on  land 
seems  to  have  been  spent  chiefly  in  Georgia  and  South 
Carolina.  Very  little,  however,  is  known  of  his  proceedings. 
There  was  urgent  need  to  recruit  his  health.  His  business 
affairs,  also,  required  attention.  Still,  he  preached,  at  least, 
occasionally.  With  him,  preaching  was  almost  an  element 
of  life.  His  departure  from  England  was  abrupt  ;  and 
his  return  was  unexpected.  All  that  is  known  of  his  brief 
visit  is  contained  in  half  a  dozen  letters. 

On    October  6th,    when    within    a  few  hundred    miles    of 
America,  he  wrote,  almost  impatiently  : — 

"  O  that  I  could  do  something  to  promote  the  glory  of  God  !  Alas  ! 
alas  !  how  little  have  I  done  !  My  sluggish  soul,  stir  up,  and  exert 
thyself  for  Jesus  1" 

In  a  letter,  dated    "  Bethesda,  in  Georgia,  November  20th, 
175  1,"  he  says  : — 

"Blessed  be  God  !  1  found  the  children  at  the  Orphan  House  much 
improved  in  learning  ;  and  1  hope  a  foundation  is  now  laid  for  a  uselul 
seminary." 

In    another,    dated     "  Charleston,    December     26th,"    he 
writes  : — 


Ages; 


In  America.  279 

"What  mercies,  signal  mercies,  has  the  Lord  Jesus  conferred  on  you  1752 
and  me  !  What  shall  we  render  unto  the  Lord  ?  Shall  we  not  give  Him 
our  whole  hearts?  O  let  His  love  constrain  us  to  a  holy,  universal, 
cheerful  obedience  to  all  His  commands.  I  am  now  returning  to  the 
Orphan  House,  which  I  trust  will  be  like  the  burning  bush.  My  poor 
labours  are  accepted  here.  In  the  spring,  I  purpose  going  to  the  Ber- 
mudas.    Jesus  is  very  good  to  me.     Help  me  to  praise  Him." 

To  Mr.  Lunell,  of  Dublin,  he  wrote  : — 

"  Bethesda,  Jajtuary,  25,  1752. 

"  Very  dear  Sir, — Man  appoints,  but  God  disappoints.  Though  we 
missed  seeing  each  other  on  earth,  yet,  if  Jesus  Christ  be  our  life,  we  shall 
meet  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  Your  kind  letter  found  me  employed  for 
the  fatherless  in  this  wilderness.  I  am  now  almost  ready  to  enter  upon 
my  spring  campaign.  The  news  from  Ireland  does  not  at  all  surprise  me. 
Weak  minds  soon  grow  giddy  with  power ;  and  then  they  become  pests, 
instead  of  helps,  to  the  Church  of  God." 

To  his  friend  Hervey,  Whitefield  addressed  the  following: — • 

"  Charleston, /Vi5r««ry,  i,  1752. 

"  The  Orphan  House  is  in  a  flourishing  way ;  and,  I  hope,  will  yet 
become  a  useful  seminary.  My  poor  labours,  in  this  place,  meet  with 
acceptance.  After  one  more  trip  to  Georgia,  I  purpose  setting  out  upon 
my  spring  campaign.  I  wish  Lisbon  may  be  blessed  to  Dr.  Doddridge. 
O,  how  I  wish  that  dear  Dr.  Stonehouse  was  fully  employed  in  preaching 
the  everlasting  gospel !  I  hope  you  both  see  our  good  Lady  Huntingdon 
frequently.  I  was  rejoiced  to  hear,  from  my  dear  yoke-fellow,  that  her 
ladyship  was  bravely." 

Dr.  Doddridge  had  embarked,  for  Lisbon,  a  month  after 
Whitefield  embarked  for  America.  For  three  months  past, 
he  had  been  in  heaven.  Immediately  after  writing  the 
foregoing  letter,  Whitefield  became  acquainted  with  the  fact. 
Hence  the  following  : — 

"  Charleston,  February  5,  1752. 

"  Part  of  your  first  letter — I  mean  that  respecting  the  Tabernacle  House 
—gave  me  uneasiness  ;  but  your  last  removed  it,  and  made  me  thankful 
to  our  Redeemer,  who,  in  spite  of  all  opposition,  will  cause  His  word  to 
run  and  be  glorified.  Poor  Mr.  Wesley  is  striving  against  the  stream.' 
Strong  assertions  will  not  go  for  proofs,  with  those  who  are  sealed  by  the 
Holy  Spirit  even  to  the  day  of  redemption.     They  know  that  the  covenant 

'  Wesley  had  just  published  his  "  Serious  Thoughts  upon  the  Per- 
severance of  the  Saints."     (i2mo,  24  pp.) 


i8o  The  Life  of  Whifefeld. 


1752  of  grace  is  not  built  upon  the  faithfulness  of  a  poor  fallible,  changeable 
creature,  but  upon  the  never-failincr  faithfulness  of  an  unchancfeable  God. 
This  is  the  foundation  whereon  I  build.  '  Lord  Jesus,  I  believe,  help  my 
unbelief!  Having  once  loved  me,  Thou  wilt  love  .Tie  to  the  end.  Thou 
wilt  keep  that  safe,  which  I  have  committed  unto  Thee.  Establish  Thy 
people  more  and  more  in  this  glorious  truth  ;  and  gi-ant  that  it  may  have 
this  blessed  effect  upon  us  all,  that  we  may  love  Thee  more,  and  serve 
Thee  better  ! '  All  truths,  unless  productive  of  holiness  and  love,  are  of 
no  avail.  They  may  float  upon  the  surface  of  the  understanding  ;  but 
this  is  to  no  purpose,  unless  they  transform  the  heart.  I  trust,  the  dear 
Tabernacle  preachers  will  always  have  this  deeply  impressed  upon  their 
minds.  Let  us  not  dispute,  but  love.  Truth  is  great,  and  will  prevail. 
I  am  quite  willing  that  all  our  hearers  shall  hear  for  themselves.  The 
spirit  of  Christ  is  a  spirit  of  liberty.  Let  us  look  above  names  and 
parties.  Let  Jesus,  the  ever-loving,  the  ever-lovely  Jesus,  be  our  all  in 
all.  So  that  He  be  preached,  and  His  Divine  image  stamped  more  and 
more  upon  people's  souls,  I  care  not  who  is  uppermost.  I  know  my 
place,  (Lord  Jesus,  enable  me  to  keep  it  !)  even  to  be  the  servant  of  all. 
I  want  not  to  have  a  people  called  after  my  name,  and,  therefore,  I  act 
as  I  do.  The  cause  is  Christ's,  and  He  will  take  care  of  it.  I  rejoice 
that  you  go  on  so  well  at  the  Tabernacle.  May  the  shout  of  a  king  be 
always  in  the  midst  of  you  !  I  am  apt  to  believe  you  will  pray  me  over. 
But  future  things  belong  to  Him,  whose  I  am,  and  whom  I  endeavour 
to  serve.  After  one  more  trip  to  the  Orphan  House,  I  purpose  going 
northward. 

"Thanks  be  to  God!  all  is  well  at  Bethesda.  A  most  excellent  tract 
of  land  is  granted  to  me,  very  near  the  house,  which,  in  a  few  years,  I 
hope,  will  make  a  sufficient  provision  for  it.  Dr.  Doddridge,  I  find,  is 
gone.     Lord  Jesus,  prepare  me  to  follow  after !" 

Whitefield  did  not  go  to  "  the  Bermudas,"  nor  yet  "  north- 
ward," as  he  intended.'  About  two  months  after  the  date 
of  the  foregoing  letter,  he  suddenly  set  sail  for  England. 
Why  was  this  }  Nothing  has  yet  been  published  to  explain 
it.  The  following  letter,  now  for  the  first  time  printed, 
solves  the  difficulty.  It  was  addressed,  "To  Mr.  Blackwell, 
banker,  in  Lombard  Street,  London": — 

"Portsmouth,  May  21,  1752. 
"  My  dear  Mr.  Blackwell, — I  fully  purposed  to  have  written  to  you 
when  I  was  at  Charleston,  in  South  Carolina  ;  but  my  sudden  resolution 
to  embark  for  England  prevented  me.  God  has  vouchsafed  to  bless  me, 
in  respect  to  the  Orphan  House,  in  a  very  unexpected  manner.  To  put 
it  upon  a  proper  footing,  and  to  apply  for  some  privileges,  before  the  time 
of  the  Trustees'   Charter  be  expired,   is  what  has  called  me  home  so 


See  Whitefield's  Works,  vol.  ii.,  p.  462. 


Arrival  i?i  London,  281 

speedily.     Home,  did  I  say?     I  trust  heaven  is  my  home  ;  and  it  is  my     '752 
comfort  that  it  is  not  far  off.     Surely  this  body  will  not  hold  out  always.    .        _ 
Yet  a  little  while,  and  our  Lord  will  come,  and  take  us  to  Himself,  that 
where  He  is,  there  we  may  be  also. 

*  There  pain  and  sin  and  sorrow  cease, 
And  all  is  calm  and  joy  and  peace.' 

"  I  wish  you  and  yours  much  of  this  heaven  upon  earth.  Looking  unto 
Jesus  is  the  only  way  of  drawing  it  down  into  our  souls.  Out  of  His 
fulness,  we  all  receive  grace  for  grace.  We  have  an  open-handed,  an 
open-hearted  Redeemer.  He  giveth  liberally,  and  upbraideth  not.  O  for 
power  from  on  high  to  set  forth  the  riches  of  redeeming  love  !  In  a  few 
days  I  hope  to  attempt  a  little  of  this  in  London.  I  beg  your  prayers. 
I  thank  you  heartily  for  all  favours  ;  and,  with  cordial  salutations  to  your 
whole  self,  subscribe  myself,  dear  sir,  yours  most  affectionately  in  our 
common  Lord, 

"  G.  Whitefield." 

During  his  absence,  Whitefield's  beloved  mother  had  ex- 
changed mortahty  for  Hfe  ;  but  this  was  not  the  reason  of 
his  sudden  return  to  England.  The  affairs  of  his  Orphan 
House  brought  him  back — affairs  which  will  often  be  intro- 
duced to  the  reader's  notice  in  succeeding  letters. 

On  reaching  London,  one  of  his  first  efforts  was  to  pro- 
cure a  minister  for  a  Dissenting  church  at  Charleston.  On 
May  26th,  he  wrote  : — 

"  People  have  received  me  with  great  affection  ;  and  I  never  saw  the 
work  of  God  go  on  in  a  more  promising  way.  Thousands  and  thousands 
hear  the  word  gladly. 

"  I  wish  I  could  send  you  good  news  about  your  minister  ;  but,  alas  ! 
I  now  almost  despair  of  procuring  one.  I  waited  upon  Dr.  G im- 
mediately after  my  arrival  ;  but  he  gave  me  no  hopes.  Several  of  the 
large  congregations  in  London,  besides  many  more  in  the  country,  are 
without  pastors  ;  and  are  obliged  to  make  use  of  our  preachers.  O  that 
the  Lord  of  the  harvest  may  thrust  out  more  labourers  !  Who  can  tell 
but  some  ministers  may  be  raised  up  at  Bethesda  ? 

"  At  midsummer,  the  king  takes  Georgia  into  his  own  hands.  Blessed 
be  God!  for  sending  me  over  at  such  a  juncture.  I  am  come  to  a 
determination,  if  I  can  dispose  of  Providence  plantation,  (in  South 
Carolina,)  to  carry  all  my  strength  to  the  Orphan  House." 

Besides  endeavouring  to  provide  a  minister  for  Charles- 
ton, Whitefield  was  requested  to  render  another  service,  for 
which  he  had  no  adaptation.  His  friend  Hervey,,  who  was 
writing  "  Theron  and  Aspasio,"  sent  him  some  of  the  manu- 


282  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

"752    scripts  for  his  revision,  at  the  same  time  promising  him  £'^0 
Age  37  for  the  purchase  of  a  negro  slave  !      Whitefield  repHed  : — 

"June  9,  1752. 
"  I  have  read  your  manuscripts  ;  but  for  me  to  play  the  critic  on  them, 
would  be  like  holding  up  a  candle  to  the  sun.    I  think  to  call  your  intended 
purchase  Westo7t,  and  shall  take  care  to  remind  him  by  whose  means  he 
was  brought  under  the  everlasting  gospel." 

Having  employed  about  a  month  in  London,  Whitefield,  in 
the  third  week  of  June,  set  out  for  Portsmouth  ;  and  thence 
to  Bath,  where  he  spent  about  three  weeks  with  the  Countess 
of  Huntingdon,  and  preached  every  evening  to  great  numbers 
of  the  nobility.  Here  also  he  became  acquainted  with  Mrs. 
Grintield,  a  lady  of  high  position,  who  attended  on  Queen 
Caroline.  "  The  Court,"  says  Whitefield,  "  rings  of  her ; 
and,  if  she  stands,  I  trust  she  will  make  a  glorious  martyr 
for  her  blessed  Lord."  ^ 

Four  days  were  employed  at  Bristol,  where  he  preached 
nine  times.      He  writes  : — 

"Very  near  as  many  as  attended  at  Moorfclds  ;ame  out  every  evening 
to  hear  the  word.  I  have  reason  to  believe  much  good  was  done.  Old 
times  seemed  to  be  revived  again.  The  last  evening,  it  rained  a  little, 
but  few  moved.  I  was  wet,  and  contracted  a  cold  and  hoarseness  ;  but  I 
trust  preaching  will  cure  me.     This  is  my  grand  catholicon." 

On  July  17,  Whitefield  went  to  Wales,  where  he  spent  a 
-   fortnight,  preached   twenty  times,  and  travelled  about   three 
hundred  miles. 

Though  Whitefield  had  resigned  his  office  of  moderator 
of  the  Calvinistic  Methodists,  and  though  he  had  often 
declared  his  determination  not  to  form  a  sect,  he  still,  occa- 
sionally, attended  "  Associations."  Howell  Harris  had  re- 
cently seceded  from  his  old  friends,  and,  in  the  month  of 
April  of  this  selfsame  year,  had  laid  the  foundation  of  his 
unique  establishment  at  Trevecca.  The  schism  had  thrown 
affairs  into  great  confusion  ;  and,  perhaps,  this  was  the 
reason  why  Whitefield  attended  conferences,  of  which,  strictly 
speaking,  he  was  not  a  member.  In  a  letter,  dated  "Bristol, 
August  I,  1752,"  he  writes  : — 

"  In  my  way  hither,  we  held  an  Association.     There  were  present  about 
'  "Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  i.,  p.  453. 


Letter  to  Franklin,  283  ^ 

nine  clergy,  and  near  forty  other  labourers.     I  trust  all  of  them  are  born     1752 

of  God,  and  desirous  to  promote  His  glory,  and  His  people's  good.     All 

was  harmony  and  love."  ^   ^' 

On  his  way  back  to  London,  he  held  another  Association, 
in  Gloucestershire.^  After  so  many  declarations  that  he  would 
not  attach  himself  <o  any  party,  Methodist  or  Moravian, 
there  is  considerable  inconsistency  in  these  proceedings,  and 
the  only  way  to  explain  the  difficulty  is  to  suppose,  that,  in 
the  largeness  of  his  heart,  he  was  acting  the  part  of  a  peace- 
maker among  his  old  associates,  and  endeavouring  to  put 
an  end  to  their  hurtful  strifes. 

Benjamin  Franklin  was  now  acquiring  a  European  repu- 
tation. He  had  satisfactorily  explained  the  phenomena  of 
the  Leyden  jar,  and,  in  this  year  of  1752,  had  established 
the  identity  between  lightning  and  the  electric  fluid.  Up  to 
the  present,  electricity  was  a  science  which  could  hardly  be 
said  to  consist  of  more  than  a  collection  of  unsystematized 
and  ill-understood  facts.  Franklin's  discoveries  led  to  re- 
markable results,  and  his  fame  was  established.  The  long- 
continued  friendship,  existing  between  Whitefield  and 
Franklin,  was  an  odd  incident  in  the  great  preacher's  life. 
In  addressing  Franklin,  Whitefield  never  fawned  ;  he  was 
always  faithful.  Franklin  disbelieved  the  chief  doctrines 
Whitefield  preached  ;  but  he  respected  the  good  intentions, 
the  zeal,  the  benevolence,  the  honesty  of  the  man.  On  his 
return  from  Wales,  to  London,  Whitefield  wrote  to  Franklin 
the  following  characteristic  letter  : — 

"  London,  August  17,  1752. 

"  Dear  Mr.  Franklin, — I  find  that  you  grow  more  and  more  famous 
in  the  learned  world.  As  you  have  made  a  pretty  considerable  progress 
in  the  mysteries  of  electricity,  I  would  now  humbly  recommend  to  your 
diligent  unprejudiced  pursuit  and  study  the  mystery  of  the  new  birth. 
It  is  a  most  important,  interesting  study,  and,  when  mastered,  will  richly 
repay  you  for  all  your  pains.  One,  at  whose  bar  we  are  shortly  to  appear, 
hath  solemnly  declared,  that,  without  it  '  we  cannot  enter  into  the  king- 
dom of  heaven.'  You  will  excuse  this  freedom.  I  must  have  aliquid 
Christi  in  all  my  letters. 

"  I  am  yet  a  willing  pilgrim  for  His  great  name's  sake,  and  I  trust  a 
blessing  attends  my  poor  feeble  labours.  To  the  giver  of  every  good  gift 
be  all  the  glory  !     My  respects  await  yourself  and  all  enquiring  friends  ; 

'  Whitefield's  Works,  vol.  ii.,  p.  438. 


.184  The  Life  of  WhiLfeld. 

1752     and  hoping  to  see  you  once  more  in  the  land  of  the  hving,  I  subscribe 

myself,  dear  sir,  your  very  affectionate  friend,  and  obliged  servant, 
^^^^  "  George  Whitefield." 

Two  or  three  days  after  writing  this,  Whitefield  set  out 
for  Scotland.  On  Sunday,  August  23rd,  he  preached  twice 
at  Lutterworth,  "  the  famous  John  Wydiffe's  parish."  Next 
day,  he  "began,  in  the  name  of  the  Almighty  Husbandman, 
to  break  up  fallow  ground  at  Leicester."  Several  thou- 
sands attended.  Turnips  were  thrown  at  Whitefield  during 
the  first  sermon  ;  but  at  the  second  all  was  hushed.  The 
next  Sunday  was  spent  at  Newcastle-on-Tyne,  where  he 
preached  four  times,  "  and  a  shower  of  Divine  blessing  de- 
scended on  the  great  congregations."  Early  in  September,  he 
arrived  at  Edinburgh,  where,  for  a  fortnight,  he  "  preached 
twice  every  day"  to  great  multitudes  of  "  polite  as  well  as  of 
common  people."  He  wrote,  "  Many  young  ministers  and 
students  were  close  attendants,  and  I  trust  good  was  done." 
A  week,  also,  was  spent  at  Glasgow,  where  his  home,  for 
many  years,  was  at  the  house  of  "  Mr.  James  Niven,  mer- 
chant, above  the  Cross."  ^  Five  more  days  were  employed 
in  Edinburgh  ;  and  then,  on  October  loth,^  he  began  his 
journey  back  to  London.  In  a  letter  to  the  Countess  of 
Huntingdon,  he  wrote  :  "  For  about  twenty-eight  days,  I 
suppose,  I  did  not  preach,  in  Scotland,  to  less  than  ten 
thousand  every  day.  This  has  weakened  my  body  ;  but 
the  Redeemer  knows  how  to  renew  my  strength.  I  am  as 
well  as  a  pilgrim  can  expect  to  be.  About  ^70  were  col- 
lected for  the  Edinburgh  Orphans  ;  and  I  heard  of  near  a 
dozen  young  men,  who  were  awakened  about  ten  years  ago, 
and  have  since  entered  the  ministry,  and  are  likely  to  prove 
very  useful.      Praise  the  Lord,  O  my  soul  !  " 

The  Rev.  John  Gillies,  one  of  his  constant  hearers,  re- 
marks : — - 

"Though,  after  the  years  1741  and  1742,  there  were  no  such  extensive 
awakenings,  Mr.  Whitefield's  coming  to  Scotland  was  always  refreshing 

'  Gillies'  "  Memoirs  of  Whitefield." 

'  The  Scots'  Magazine ior  1752  (pp.  414  and  462),  says :  "  Mr.  George 
Whitefield  arrived  at  Edinburgh  on  September  2nd,  and  preached, 
morning  and  evening,  every  day,  in  the  Orphan  Hospital  Park.  He  made 
a  tour  to  the  west  on  September  27th  ;  returned  to  Edinburgh,  October 
5th  ;  and,  on  the  loth,  set  out  for  England." 


Usefulness  in  Scotland.  285 

to  serious  persons,  and  seemed  to  put  new  life  into  them,  and  also  to  be  1752 
a  means  of  increasing  their  number.  In  various  respects,  his  preaching  ~ 
was  still  eminently  useful.  It  had  an  excellent  tendency  to  destroy  bigotry,  S^  ^"^ 
and  to  turn  men's  attention,  from  smaller  matters,  to  the  great  and  sub- 
stantial things  of  religion.  It  drew  several  persons  to  hear  the  gospel, 
who  seldom  went  to  hear  it  from  other  ministers.  Young  people  were 
much  benefited  by  his  ministry,  and  particularly  young  students,  who 
became  af(erwards  serious  evangelical  preachers.  His  morning  discourses, 
which  were  mostly  intended  for  sincere,  but  disconsolate,  souls,  were  pe- 
culiarly fitted  to  direct  and  encourage  all  such  in  the  Christian  life.  His 
adckesses  in  the  evening  were  of  a  very  alarming  character.  There  was 
something  exceedingly  striking  in  the  solemnity  of  his  evening  congrega- 
tions, in  the  Orphan  Hospital  Park  at  Edinburgh,  and  in  the  High-Church- 
yard at  Glasgow,  especially  towards  the  conclusion  of  his  sermons,  (which 
Avere  commonly  very  long,  though  they  seemed  short  to  the  hearers,)  when 
the  whole  multitude  stood  fixed,  and  hung  upon  his  lips,  many  of 
them  under  deep  impressions  of  the  great  objects  of  religion.  These 
things  will  not  soon  be  forgotten.  His  conversation  was  no  less  reviving 
than  his  sermons.  Many  in  Edinburgh  and  Glasgow  are  witnesses 
of  this,  especially  at  Glasgow,  where,  in  company  with  his  good  friends 
Mr.  McLaurin,  Mr.  Robert  Scott,  and  others,  one  might  challenge  the 
sons  of  pleasure,  with  all  their  wit,  good  humour,  and  gaiety,  to  furnish 
entertainment  so  agreeable.  At  the  same  time,  every  part  of  it  was  not 
more  agreeable  than  it  was  useful  and  edifying." 

Such  a  testimony,  from  a  minister  living  at  the  time,  and 
one  of  Whitefield's  faithful  friends,  is  possessed  of  more  than 
ordinary  value. 

On  leaving  Edinburgh,  Whitefield  preached  at  Berwick, 
Alnwich,  and  Morpeth.  The  people  of  Newcastle  were 
again  favoured  with  his  ministry  ;  and  also  those  of  Sun- 
derland. At  length,  on  reaching  Sheffield,  he  wrote  as 
follows  : — 

"Sheffield,  November  i,  1752, 
"  My  very  dear  Friend,— Since  I  left  Newcastle,  I  have  sometimes 
scarce  known  whether  I  was  in  heaven  or  on  earth.  At  Leeds,  Birstal, 
Haworth,  Halifax,  etc.,  thousands  and  thousands  have  flocked  twice  and 
thrice  a  day  to  hear  the  word  of  life.  A  gale  of  Divine  influence  has 
everywhere  attended  it.  I  am  now  come  from  Bolton,  Manchester, 
Stockport,  and  Chinley.  Yesterday,  I  preached  in  a  church,  where  I 
believe  execution  was  done.  Four  ordained  ministers,  friends  to  the 
Avork  of  God,  have  been  with  me.  The  word  has  run  so  swiftly  at 
Leeds,  that  friends  are  come  to  fetch  me  back  ;  and  I  am  now  going  to 
Rotherham,  Wakefield,  Leeds,  York,  and  Epworth,and  purpose  returning 
to  this  place  next  Lord's-day.  God  favours  us  with  weather,  and  I  would 
fain  make  hay  while  the  sun  shines.  Fain  would  I  spend  and  be  spent 
lor  the  good  of  souls.     This  is  my  meat  and  drink." 


286  The  Life  oj    Whifefield. 

'752  In  another  letter,  written  two  days  afterwards,  and  dated 

Age 37  "Wakefield,  November  3,  1752,"  he  wrote: — 

"  I  have  been  upwards  of  three  weeks  from  Scotland,  and  scarce  ever 
had  more  encouragement  in  preaching  the  everlasting  gospel.  At  New- 
castle, Sunderland,  and  several  places  in  Yorkshire,  Lancashire,  and 
Cheshire,  thousands  and  thousands  have  daily  attended  on  the  word 
preached.  I  hear  that  arrows  have  stuck  fast  in  many  hearts.  I  am  re- 
turning to  Leeds  ;  and,  from  thence,  I  shall  go  to  York,  and  to  several 
places  in  Lincolnshire,  and  am  to  preach  at  Sheffield  next  next  Lord's- 
day.  My  return  to  London  must  be  determined  by  the  weather.  It  has 
been  uncommonly  favourable  ;  and  it  is  a  pity  to  go  into  winter  quarters, 
so  long  as  work  can  be  done  in  the  fields.  O  that  I  had  as  many  tongues 
as  there  are  hairs  upon  my  head  !    Jesus  should  have  them  all." 

On  November  lOth,  Whitefield  arrived  in  London,  where 
he  wrote  : — 

"My  Sunday's  work"  (at  Sheffield),  "sickness,  the  change  of  weather, 
and  parting  from  friends,  so  enfeebled  me,  that  I  was  in  hopes,  on  the 
road  my  imprisoned  soul  would  have  been  set  at  liberty,  and  fled  to  the 
blissful  regions. 

"  I  found  my  poor  wife  an  invalid.  Our  Lord  can  restore  her,  for  He 
came  to  heal  our  sicknesses,  and  to  bear  our  infirmities." 

Whitefield  was  resolved  not  to  be  the  founder  of  a  sect, 
and  yet  he  had  some  difficulty  in  fulfilling  his  resolve.  His 
hearers  in  Dublin  had  procured  a  meeting-house  in  Skinner 
Street,  and  had  formed  themselves  into  a  public  Society. 
John  Edwards,  in  former  years  one  of  Whitefield's  assistants, 
had  become  their  preacher  ;  and  his  ministry  was  highly 
acceptable.  A  sort  of  circuit  had  been  formed,  and  many 
were  the  perils  which  Edwards  encountered.  On  one  occa- 
sion, when  returning  from  a  village,  where  he  had  been 
preaching,  the  Onnond  Boys  seized  him,  and  threatened 
to  throw  him  into  the  Liffey.  The  Liberty  Boys,  residing  on 
the  other  side  of  the  river,  being  political  opponents  of  the 
Onnond  Boys,  rushed  to  his  assistance,  rescued  him,  and 
carried  him  home  in  triumph.  At  another  time,  the  White 
Boys  beset  a  house  into  which  he  had  entered,  and  threatened 
to  burn  it,  if  he  were  permitted  to  continue  in  it.  He 
escaped  by  a  window,  being  let  down,  like  the  apostle  Paul, 
in  a  basket.^      The   Dublin   Society  informed  Whitefield  of 

*  *'  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  152. 


The  Orphan  House.  287 


their    position    and    prospects  ;     and    Whitefield    wrote    to     1752 
Edwards,  their  preacher,  as  follows  : —  A~^7 

"  London,  November  11,  1752. 
"My  dear  Friend,— Last  night,  the  glorious  Fmmanuel  brought  me 
hither  ;  and,  this  morning,  I  have  been  talking  with  Mr.  Adams,  and  can- 
not help  thinking,  that  you  have  run  before  the  Lord,  in  forming  yourselves 
into  a  public  Society.  Mr.  Adams's  visit  was  designed  to  be  transient,  and 
I  cannot  promise  you  any  settled  help  from  hence.  I  am  sincere,  when  I 
profess  that  I  do  not  choose  to  set  myself  at  the  head  of  any  party. 
When  I  came  last  to  Ireland,  my  intention  was  to  preach  the  gospel  to 
all ;  and,  if  it  should  please  the  Lord  to  send  me  there  again,  I  purpose 
to  pursue  the  same  plan.  For  I  am  a  debtor  to  all,  of  all  denominations, 
and  have  no  design  but  to  promote  the  common  salvation  of  mankind. 
The  love  of  Christ  constrains  me  to  this.  Accept  it  as  written  from  that 
principle." 

When  "  ranging  for  souls,"  Whitefield  had  little  time  to 
attend  to  business  ;  when  he  got  into  his  winter  quarters,  he 
was  obliged  to  recognise  its  claims.  The  following  was 
addressed  to  one  of  the  residents  in  his  Orphan  House  : — 

"London,  November  21,  1752. 
"  My  dear  Nat, — Your  letters  have  all  been  brought  safe  to  hand,  and 
have  given  me  satisfaction.  I  know  not  of  a  more  profitable  situation  that 
you  could  be  in,  than  that  you  occupy  at  present.  Next  year,  God  willing, 
you  will  have  a  fellow-student.  I  have  agreed  with  him,  as  I  wrote  you 
from  Edinburgh,  for  three  years  at  least.  I  am  of  your  mind  in  respect 
to  boarders.  As  affairs  stand,  I  think  that,  at  present,  the  less  the  family 
is,  the  better.  Nothing  seems  to  be  wanted  but  a  good  overseer,  to  in- 
struct the  negroes  in  sowing  and  planting.  Let  me  know  whether  the 
lumber  trade  is  begun.  Pray  make  George  and  the  children  to  write 
often.  He  should  not  have  written  to  me.  Honoured  Master,  but  Sir.  I 
am  glad  to  hear  that  some  of  the  children  promise  well.  Surely  some  ■ 
good  will,  in  the  end,  come  out  of  that  institution.  I  am  only  afraid  of 
its  growing  too  great  in  a  worldly  way.  O  that  I  maybe  directed  to  such 
managers  as  will  act  with  a  single  eye  to  God's  glory  and  His  people's 
good  !  I  have  great  confidence  in  you.  I  shall  be  glad  to  live  to  see  you 
a  preacher.  It  is  a  delightful  employment,  when  done  out  of  love  to  Jesus  : 
that  sweetens  all.  O  that  Georgia's  wilderness  may  blossom  like  a  rose  ! 
It  will,  when  God's  set  time  is  come.  Never  mind  a  few  evil  reports. 
No  one  need  be  ashamed  of  Bethesda  children." 

Whitefield,  in  his  "  winter  quarters,"  was  as  jubilant  as 
ever.  In  a  letter,  ddted  December  9,  he  writes  :  "  The 
shout  of  a  king  is  amongst  us.  Every  day,  we  hear  of 
persons  brought  under  fresh  awakenings,  and  of  God's  people 


The  Life  of  Wiiitefield, 


^752    being  comforted.    We  have  had  two  most  awful  sacramental 
Age  38  occasions." 

To  Wesley,  the  year  1752  was  one  of  trial.  Several  of 
his  itinerants  began  to  give  him  trouble.  At  the  beginning 
of  the  year,  he,  his  brother,  and  eleven  of  their  principal 
assistants,  signed  a  document,  which  shewed  that  suspicion 
had  taken  the  place  of  confidence.^  During  the  year,  some 
of  the  preachers  informed  Wesley,  that  his  brother  Charles 
did  not  enforce  discipline  so  strictly  as  himself,  and  that 
Charles  agreed  with  Whitefield,  "touching  perseverance,  at 
least,  if  not  predestination  too."  The  latter  accusation  was 
utterly  untrue  ;  but,  as  Charles,  at  this  period,  was  living  on 
terms  of  the  most  intimate  friendship  with  the  Countess  of 
Huntingdon,  and  was  frequently  preaching  and  administering 
the  sacrament  in  her  house,  it  is  not  surprising  that  his 
brother  deemed  it  his  duty  to  write  to  him  concerning  it. 
The  result  was  the  creation  of  a  temporary  distrust  and 
shyness  between  the  two  loving  brothers.  Charles  took 
counsel  with  Y^hitefield  ;  and  Whitefield's  answer  must  be 
given. 

"London,  December  22,  1752.  . 
"  My  dear  Friend, — I  have  read  *nd  pondered  your  kind  letter,  and 
now  sit  down  to  answer  it.  What  shall  I  say  ?  Really,  I  can  scarce  tell. 
The  connection  between  you  and  your  brother  has  been  so  close  and  con- 
tinued, and  your  attachment  to  him  so  necessary  to  keep  up  his  interest, 
that  I  would  not  willingly,  for  the  world,  do  or  say  anything  that  may 
separate  such  friends.  I  cannot  help  thinking,  that  he  is  jealous  of  me 
and  my  proceedings  ;  but,  I  thank  God,  I  am  quite  easy  about  it.  Having 
the  testimony  of  a  good  conscience,  that  I  have  a  disinterested  view  to 
promote  the  common  salvation  only,  I  can  leave  all  to  Him,  who,  I  am 
assured,  will,  in  the  end,  speak  for  me,  and  make  my  righteousness  clear 
as  the  light,  and  my  just  dealing  as  the  noonday.  I  more  and  more  find, 
that  he  who  believeth  doth  not  make  haste  ;  and  that,  if  we  will  have 
patience,  we  shall  find  that  every  plant  which  our  heavenly  Father  hath 
not  planted,  shall  be  plucked  up.  As  I  wrote  to  good  Lady  Huntingdon, 
so  I  write  to  you.  I  bless  God  for  my  stripping  seasons.  I  have  seen 
an  end  of  all  perfection,  and  expect  it  only  in  Him,  in  whom  I  am  sure  to 
find  it,  the  ever-loving,  ever-lovely  Jesus.  He  knows  how  I  love  and 
honour  you  and  your  brother,  and  how  often  I  have  preferred  your  in- 
terest to  my  own.  This,  by  the  grace  of  God,  I  shall  continue  to  do.  My 
reward  is  with  the  Lord.  If  He  approves,  it  is  enough.  More  might  be 
said,  were  we  face  to  face.     When  this  will  be,  I  cannot  tell.     Several 

'  "  Life  and  Times  of  Wesley,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  138. 


A  Moie  of  Discord,  289 

ihmgs,  especially  our  design  of  building  a  new  Tabernacle,  which  I  hope 
will  succeed,  detain  me  in  town  this  winter.  God  only  knows  what  course 
I  am  to  steer  in  the  spring.  I  would  be  a  blank  :  let  my  heavenly 
Father  fill  it  up  as  seemeth  Him  good. 

*'  I  am  glad  you  are  with  our  elect  lady.  O  how  amiable  is  a  truly 
catholic  spirit !  Lord,  make  us  all  partakers  of  it  more  and  more  !  I  beg 
the  continuance  of  your  prayers.  I  need  them  much.  You  shall  have 
mine  in  return.  That  you  and  yours  may  increase  with  all  the  increase  of 
God,  is  the  earnest  request  of,  my  dear  friend, 

"Yours,  etc., 

"  George  Whitefield." 

On  the  same  day,  Whitefield  wrote  as  follows  to  the 
Countess  of  Huntingdon,  with  whom  Charles  Wesley  was 
staying  : — 

"  I  shall  observe  your  ladyship's  hints  about  Mr.  Wesley.  I  believe 
our  visits  will  not  be  veiy  frequent.'  But  I  am  easy,  having  no  scheme, 
no  design  of  supplanting  or  resenting,  but,  I  trust,  a  single  eye  to  promote 
the  common  salvation,  without  so  much  as  attempting  to  set  up  a  party 
for  myself.  This  is  what  my  soul  abhors.  Being  thus  minded,  I  have 
peace  ;  peace  which  the  world  knows  nothing  of,  and  which  all  must 
necessarily  be  strangers  to,  who  are  fond  either  of  power  or  numbers.  God 
be  praised  for  the  many  strippings  I  have  met  with  !  It  is  good  for  me 
that  I  have  been  supplanted,  despised,  censured,  maligned,  and  separated 
from  my  nearest,  dearest  friends.  By  this,  I  have  found  the  faithfulness 
of  Him,  who  is  the  Friend  of  friends.  By  this,  I  have  been  taught  to  wrap 
myself  in  the  glorious  Emmanuel's  everlasting  righteousness,  and  to  be 
content  that  He,  to  whom  all  hearts  are  open,  now  sees,  and  will  let  all 
see  hereafter,  the  uprightness  of  my  intentions  towards  all  mankind." 

It  is  unpleasant  to  end  the  year  with  a  note  of  discord  ; 
but  it  cannot  honestly  be  avoided. 

For  the  present,  Whitefield  had  one  enjoyment,  which 
was  almost  new  to  him.  He  was  no  longer  harassed  with 
literary  persecution,  The  only  exception  was  an  8vo.. 
pamphlet  of  fifty-one  pages,  entitled  "  Candid  Remarks  on- 
some  particular  passages  in  the  fifth  edition  of  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Whitefield's  Volume  of  Sermons,  printed  in  the  year 
1750.  In  a  Letter  to  a  Gentlem.an.  Reading,  1752."  The 
author,  in  a  gentlemanly  way,  criticizes  some  of  Whitefield's 
doctrines,  especially  that  of  "  imputed  righteousness  ;"  and 
concludes  by  saying,  though  "  a  zeal  for  God  appears  through- 
out the  whole  of  Whitefield's  performance,"  yet  "  his  method 
of   treating  his  subject,  and   his   manner  of  dictating  to   his 


Ago 


'  '^  *-h  were  now  in  London. 

VOL.  ;r.  19 


2go  The  Lifi.  cf  WhHeJ'eld. 

1753  audience,  have  something  in  them  that  may  probab'y  work 
AgTsS  upon  the  passions,  but  can  never  improve  the  understanding ; 
that  may  occasion  them  to  affect  a  superficial  appearance  of 
piety,  but  can  hardly  incite  in  them  the  power  ;  and  may 
induce  them  to  acquiesce  so  much  in  the  imputative  rigJiteoiis- 
iiess  of  Christ,  as  to  forget  that  they  themselves  are  to  be 
righteous,  and  ready  to  every  good  work,  which  is  an  indis- 
pensable part  of  the  covenant  of  grace." 

One  of  Whitefield's  first  anxieties,  in  1/5  3,  was  to  sell  his 
plantation  in  South  Carolina.  Writing  to  a  friend  there,  on 
January  7,  he  says :  "  By  this  conveyance,  I  send  you  a  power 
of  attorney  to  dispose  of  Providence  plantation.  I  leave  :t 
to  your  discretion  to  sell  at  what  price  you  please.  I  would 
only  observe,  that  I  had  rather  it  should  be  sold  for  less  than 
its  real  value,  than  to  keep  it  any  longer  in  my  hands.  I 
do  not  choose  to  keep  two  families  longer  than  is  necessary. 
The  money  you  receive  from  Providence  will  be  immediately 
wanted  to  buy  more  lavid,  and  to  pay  for  opening  Bethesda's 
new  plantation." 

Another  was  the  erection  of  a  new  Tabernacle.  The 
wooden  meeting-house,  ?n  Moorfields,  had  now  stood  the 
storms  of  a  dozen  wintcrj.  At  the  best,  it  was  but  a  huge, 
ugly  shed  ;  and,  of  course,  signs  of  decay  were  becoming 
visible.  Still,  the  uncouth  fabric  was  a  sacred  one.  Many 
were  the  mighty  sermons  preached  by  Whiteficld  beneath  its 
roof;  and  countless  were  the  blessings  which  had  fallen  upon 
its  crowds  of  worshippers.  A  more  durable  edifice,  however, 
was  greatly  needed  ;  and,  in  the  summer  of  175  i,  while  at 
Lady  Huntingdon's  residence  at  Ashby-de-la-Zouch,  the 
project  had  been  discussed,  in  the  presence  of  her  ladyship, 
Doddridge,  Hervey,  Hartley,  and  Stonehouse,  all  of  whom 
were  "  most  cordial  in  their  approval  and  promise  of  support." 
Towards  the  end  of  1752.  the  subject  was  renewed  at  the 
house  of  Lady  Frances  Shirley,  in  South  Audley  Street; 
and,  in  compliance  with  the  urgent  entreaties  of  her  ladyship 
and  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,  Whitefield  now  began 
to  exert  himself  in  collecting  money.  He  resolved  not  to 
begin   building  till   he  had  i^iooo  in  hand.i      That  amount 

.'  Whitefield's  Works,  vol.  iL,  '^3.  £,^^, 


New   Tubcniade.  291 


he  soon  obtained  ;  the  first  brick  was  laid  on  the  1st  of  *7S3 
March,  1753  ;  and,  within  fifteen  weeks  afterwards,  the  A^r- 38 
structure  was  opened  for  pubHc  worship  ;  the  congregations, 
during  that  interval,  still  continuing  to  assemble  in  the 
wooden  tabernacle,  which  was  left  standing  within  the  shell 
of  the  building  in  course  of  erection.^  The  new  Tabernacle 
needs  no  description  ;  for,  though  a  third  has  within  the  last 
few  years  been  built  upon  its  site,  there  are  thousands  still 
living  who  have  often  gazed  with  reverence  at  the  low, 
unpretentious  edifice  where  Whitefield  so  often  mounted  his 
pulpit  throne,  and  not  a  few  who  found  salvation  within  its 
walls.  It  will  frequently  be  mentioned  in  ensuing  extracts 
from  Whitefield's  letters.^^ 

There  was  a  third  affair,  in  which  Whitefield,  at  this 
period,  took,  perhaps,  a  more  active  interest  than  was  neces- 
sary. Within  the  last  four  years,  the  Moravians  had  made 
themselves  more  prominent  than  was  consistent  with  Chris- 
tian modesty.  It  was  not  until  the  year  1737,  that  the 
first  Moravian  services  were  held  in  England.  Since  then, 
several  of  their  Societies  had  been  torn  by  faction.  In 
many  instances,  they  had  been  the  subjects  of  bitter  persecu- 
tion. Many  of  their  religious  rites  were  silly  and  objection- 
able. Their  hymns  and  their  literature  were,  to  a  great 
extent,  jargon,  luscious  and  irreverent.  But,  despite  all,  they 
had  increased  in  numbers  ;  and,  above  all,  they  had  at  their 
head  an  ambitious  German  count,  who  had  considerable  in- 
fluence in  the  court  of  the  German  who  then  sat  on  the 
British  throne.  Count  Zinzendorf,  in  1749,  had  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  the  English  parliament  to  pass  a  bill  to  the 
following  effect:  i.  That  the  Moravians  were  an  ancient 
Protestant  Episcopal  Church.  2.  That  those  of  them  who 
scrupled  to  take  an  oath,  should  be  exempted  doing  so, 
on  making  a  declaration  in  the  presence  of  Almighty  God, 
as  witness  of  the  truth.  3.  That  they  should  not  be 
liable  to  serve  upon   juries,      4,   That,   in  the  colonies,  they 

'  "  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  i.,  p.  203. 

-  Tlie  Rev.  W.  Grigsby,  the  present  minister  of  the //^/Vv/  rabeinacie, 
writes  :  "June  13,  1876.  The  only  thing,  besides  the  name  and  memory 
of  Whitefield,  at  the  Tabernacle,  is  the  pulpit  in  which  he  preaclied  ; 
xvhich,  when  the  old  place  was  taken  down,  was  transferred  to  the  new 
oi.c,  unaltered  in  form  or  size,  but  not  in  outward  appearance.'' 


292  The  Life  of  WhUcfield. ' 

'753  should  be  exempted  from  military  service,  under  reasonable 
Age  38  conditions,  5.  That  the  verbal  declaration  of  the  individual, 
together  with  the  certificate  of  a  bishop  or  minister  of  the 
Brethren,  should  be  regarded  as  sufficient  proof  of  member- 
ship in  the  Moravian  community.  Besides  this,  the  Count 
was  no  longer  satisfied  with  "  hired  lodgings,"  in  Bloomsbury 
Square,  for  ''^  the  Congregation  House,"  h\xt,  in  175  i,  removed 
to  James  Hutton's  house  and  two  adjoining  ones,  "in  West- 
minster. The  premises  were  large  and  pleasant,  overlooking 
the  Abbey  Gardens  ;  but  even  they  were  not  good  enough  to 
serve  as  the  offices  a  body,  on  whose  behalf  the  whole 
machinery  of  parliamentary  legislation  had  been  set  in 
motion.  Accordingly,  the  Count  bought,  of  Sir  Hans  Sloane, 
a  large  mansion,  in  Chelsea,  formerly  the  property  of  the 
ducal  family  of  Ancaster,  with  beautiful  grounds  bordering 
on  the  Thames.  In  connection  with  this  imposing  "  Con- 
gregation House,"  a  chapel  was  fitted  up,  and  a  burial  ground 
laid  out.  These  were  costly  proceedings  ;  and  the  result  of 
parliamentary  negotiations,  the  purchase  of  Lindsey  House, 
Chelsea,  and  other  expenditures,  was,  Count  Zinzendorf  and 
the  Moravians  in  England  were  in  debt  to  the  amount  of 
nearly  ;^  140,000,  and  knew  not  how  to  pay  it. 

As  will  soon  be  seen,  these  facts,  put  in  the  briefest  form 
possible,  and  others,  which  might  be  mentioned,  induced 
Whitefield,  both  privately  and  publicly,  to  censure  the  pro- 
ceedings of  his  old  friends,  the  Unitas  Fratrum. 

Whitefield's  plantation  at  Bethesda,  in  Georgia,  and  his 
slave-cultivated  plantation  in  Carolina,  made  him  anxious. 
The  latter  he  wished  to  sell,  because,  despite  all  his  ex- 
pectations, it  had  failed  to  afford  him  help  in  his  benevolent 
designs.      Hence  the  following  : — 

"London,  February  1,  1753. 
"  I  am  glad  to  hear  that  Ephratah  plantation'  is  in  some  degree  opened, 
and,  thereby,  a  preparation  made  for  future  progress.  Mr.  Fox's  not; 
coming,  and  going  upon  lumber,  has  been  a  great  loss  to  my  poor  family; 
but  I  hope,  ere  now,  all  is  settled,  and  the  sowing  carried  on  with  vigour. 
That  seems  to  be  the  thing  which  Providence  points  out  at  present.  As  so 
many  negroes  are  ready,  it  will  be  a  pity  if  Bethesda  does  not  do  some- 
thing, as  well  as  the  neighbouring  planters.    If  I  were  not  erectini^  a  larsje 


'  The  new  plantation  at  Bethesda, 


Lindsey  House  and  the  A'ezv   Tabernacle.        293 

plnco  for  public  worship,  eighty  feet  square,  I  would  come  over  imme-     1753 
diatcK-  myself;  but,  perhaps,  it  will  be  best  to  stay  till  the  new  governor 
embarks,  or  to  come  a  little  before  him. 

"  With  this,  I  send  your  brother  a  power  to  dispose  of  Providence 
plantation.  I  hope  to  hear  shortly  that  you  have  purchased  more  negroes. 
My  dear  friend,  do  exert  yourself  a  little  for  me  in  this  time  of  my 
absence.  I  trust  the  Orphan-house  affairs  will  soon  be  so  ordered,  that 
no  one  will  be  troubled  respecting  them,  but  my  own  domestics.      As 

Natha'niel  P has  behaved  so  faithfully,  I  have  sent  him  a  full  power, 

in  conjunction  with  Mrs.  W ,  to  act  under  you.     The  man  and  woman 

who  bring  this,  are,  with  their  son,  indentured  to  me  ;  and  I  have  an  excel- 
lent schoolmistress,  and  a  young  student,  engaged  to  come  over  shortly. 
Before  long,  I  suppose,  we  shall  have  a  large  family.  Lord,  grant  it  may 
be  a  religious  one  !  I  would  have  nothing  done  to  the  buildings,  besides 
repairing  the  piazza,  and  what  else  is  absolutely  necessary,  till  I  come. 
Perhaps  I  may  bring  a  carpenter  with  me,  who  will  stay  some  years. 

''  I  cannot  tell  what  induces  me  to  take  care  of  a  place,  where  the  gospel 
is  so  little  regarded,  unless  it  be  a  principle  of  faith.  What  a  difference  is 
there  between  Georgia  and  several  parts  of  England  !  Here,  thousands 
and  tens  of  thousands  run,  and  ride  miles  upon  miles,  to  hear  the  gospel. 
There^but  I  do  not  love  to  think  of  iL  I  see  there  is  no  happiness  but 
in  keeping  near  to  Jesus  Christ." 

The  next,  addressed  to  Lady  Huntingdon,  refers  to  the 
Moravians  at  Lindsey  House,  Chelsea,  and  to  the  collections 
for  Whitefield's  new  Tabernacle. 

"London,  February  9,   1753. 

*'  I  am  apt  to  believe  that  the  Moravians'  scheme  will  soon  be  discon- 
certed. Strange  !  Why  do  God's  children  build  Babels?  Why  do  they 
flatter  themselves  that  God  owns  and  approves  of  them,  because  He  suffers 
them  to  build  high.'*  In  mercy  to  them,  such  buildings,  of  whatever  kind, 
m  I  St  come  down. 

''  I  hope  our  intended  Tabernacle  is  not  of  this  nature.  It  would  have 
pleased  your  ladyship  to  have  seen  how  willingly  the  people  gave  last 
Lord's-day.  At  seven  in  the  morning,  we  collected  ^50  ;  in  the  evening, 
£^l^(i.  We  have  now  near  ;^9oo  in  hand.  Our  Lord  still  continues  to 
work  ill  our  old  despised  place.  I  trust  it  has  been  a  Bethel  to  many, 
many  souls.  This,  your  ladyship  knows,  may  be  anywhere,  Clifton  is  a 
Bethel  when  God  is  there."  ■* 

The  following  seems  to  have  been  written  to  Grimshaw,  of 
Haworth,  and  refers  to  Gillies'  preparation  of  his  "  Historical 
Collections,"  respecting  revivals.  Grimshaw  complied  with 
Whitefield's  suggestion  ;  but  his  long  letter,  being  too  late 
to  be  inserted  in  Gillies'  l^ulky  volumes,  was  not  published  till 
176 1,  when  it  found  a  place   in   the  "Appendix   to  the  His- 


291-  TJie  Life  of  WJiifefield. 

»753    torical   Collections,"  a    i2mo.   book   of  250  pages,  and   now 

\.,^T$,  extremely  rare. 

"London,  February  19,  1753. 
"  Reverend  and  very  dear  Sir, — At  present,  I  have  a  cold  and 
fever  upon  me  ;  but  I  preach  on,  hoping  one  day  or  another  to  die  in  my 
work.  We  have  had  a  blessed  winter.  Many  have  been  added  to  our 
flock.  Next  week,  I  intend  to  lay  the  first  brick  of  our  new  Tabernacle. 
I  am  looking  up  for  direction  about  my  removal.  Which  are  the  best 
seasons  for  the  north  ?     I  should  be  glad  to  know  speedily. 

"  Have  you  the  first  account  you  wrote  of  your  conversion?  Or  have 
you  leisure  to  draw  up  a  short  narrative  of  the  rise  and  progress  of  the 
work  of  God  in  your  parts?  A  dear  Christian  minister,  in  Scotland,  is 
about  to  publish  two  volumes,  relative  to  the  late  awakenings  in  various 
places.  Such  things  should  be  transmitted  to  posterity  ;  in  heaven,  all 
will  be  known.  Thanks  be  to  God,  that  there  is  such  a  rest  remaining  for 
His  people  !  I  am  too  impatient  to  get  at  it ;  but  who  can  help  longing 
to  see  Jesus  ?  I  wish  you  much,  yea,  very  much  prosperity.  I  am  glad 
you  have  received  the  books.  I  am  now  publishing  two  more  sermons, 
and  a  small  collection  of  hymns  for  public  worship." 

Whitefield's  hymn-book  was  entitled  "  Hymns  for  Social 
Worship,  collected  from  various  Authors,  and  more  particu- 
larly designed  for  the  use  of  the  Tabernacle  congregation  in 
London.  By  George  Whitefield,  A.B.,  late  of  Pembroke 
College,  Oxford,  and  Chaplain  to  the  Right  Hon.  the 
Countess  of  Huntingdon.  London  :  printed  by  William 
Strahan,  and  to  be  sold  at  the  Tabernacle,  near  Moorfields. 
1753."      (i6mo.  !44  pp.) 

The  hymns  arc  a  hundred  and  seventy  in  number,  besides 
several  short  doxologies.  At  least  tvv^enty-one  of  them  are 
hymns  by  John  and  Charles  Wesley.  The  largest  number 
are  by  Watts.  Most  of  the  others  v/ere  written  by  Cen- 
nick,  Seagrave,  Hammond,  and  Humphreys.  Mr.  Daniel 
Sedgwick,  a  high  authority  on  such  a  subject,  says,  between 
the  years  1753  and  1796,  Whitefield's  Iiymn-book  passed 
through  thirty-six  editions,  a  good  number  of  them  con- 
taining additions  to  the  hymns  published  in  1753-  Want 
of  space  renders  it  impossible  to  give  a  minute  description 
of  Whitefield's  collection  ;  but  the  following  preface  is  too 
characteristic  to  be  omitted  : — 

"Courteous  Reader, — If  thou  art  acquainted  with  the  divine  life,  I 
need  not  inform  thee  that,  although  all  the  acts  and  exercises  of  devotion 
are  sweet  and  delightful,  yet  we  never  resemble  the  blessed  worshippers 


Wkite/leld'' s  Hyinn-  Book.  295 

above  more  than  when  we  are  joining  together  in  pubhc  devotions,  and,     1753 
with  hearts  and  Hps  unfeigned,  singing  praises  to  Him  who  sitteth  upon         "" 
the  throne  for  ever.    Consequently,  hymns,  composed  for  such  a  purpose,        ^^  ^ 
ought  to  abound  much  in  thanksgiving,  and  to  be  of  such  a  nature,  that 
all  who  attend  may  join  in  them,  without  being  obliged  to  sing  lies,  or  not 
sing  at  all. 

"  Upon  this  plan,  the  following  collection  of  hymns  is  founded.  They 
are  intended  purely  for  social  worship,  and  so  altered,  in  some  particulars, 
that  I  think  all  may  safely  concur  in  using  them.  They  are  short,  because 
I  think  three  or  four  stanzas,  with  a  doxology,  are  sufficient  to  be  sung  at 
one  time.  I  am  no  great  friend  to  long  sermons,  long  prayers,  or  long 
hymns.  They  generally  weary,  instead  of  edifying,  and,  therefore,  I  think, 
should  be  avoided  by  those  who  preside  in  any  public  Avorshipping 
assembly.  Besides,  as  the  generality  of  those  who  receive  the  gospel  are 
commonly  the  poor  of  the  flock,  I  have  studied  cheapness,  as  well  as  con- 
ciseness. Much  in  a  little  is  what  God  gives  us  in  His  word  ;  and  the 
more  we  imitate  such  a  method,  in  our  public  performances  and  devotions, 
the  nearer  we  come  up  to  the  pattern  given  us  in  the  Mount. 

"  I  think  myself  justified  in  publishing  some  hymns,  by  way  of  dialogue, 
for  the  use  of  the  Society,  because  something  like  it  is  practised  in  our 
cathedral  churches,  but  much  more  so  because  the  celestial  choir  is  repre- 
sented, in  the  Book  of  the  Revelation,  as  answering  one  another  in  their 
heavenly  anthems. 

"  That  we  all  may  be  inspired  and  warmed  with  a. like  divine  fire,  whilst 
singing  below,  and  be  translated,  after  death,  to  join  with  them  in  singing 
the  song  of  Moses  and  the  Lamb  above,  is  the  earnest  prayer  of,  courteous 
reader, 

"  Thy  ready  servant,  for  Christ's  sake, 

"  G.  W." 

The  publication  of  Whitefield's  hymn-book  was,  doubtless, 
owing  to  the  erection  of  his  new  Tabernacle  ;  but  it  is 
somewhat  singular,  that,  in  the  same  year,  Wesley  published 
his  "  Hymns  and  Spiritual  Songs,  intended  for  the  use  of 
real  Christians  of  all  Denominations  ;  "  and  that,  in  the  year 
following,  the  Moravians  published  two  volumes,  of  380  and 
399  pages  respectively,  with  the  title,  "  A  Collection  of 
Hymns  for  the  Children  of  God  of  all  Ages,  from  the  begin- 
ning till  now.  Designed  chiefly  for  the  use  of  the  Congre- 
gations in  union  with  the  Brethren's  Church."  The  curious 
reader  may  speculate  how  far  Whitefield's  little  book  led  to 
the  publication  of  the  other  two. 

The  "sermons,"  mentioned  in  Whitefield's  foregoing  letter, 
were  entitled,  "  The  true  nature  of  beholding  the  Lamb  of 
God,  and  Peter's  Denial  of  his  Lord,  opened  and  explained,  in 


296  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

T"53  two  Sermons,  by  George  Whitefield,  late  of  Pembroke  College, 
,.38  Oxford,  and  Chaplain  to  the  Right  Hon.  the  Countess  of 
Huntingdon.  London,  175  3."  (i2mo.  48  pp.)  In  the  former 
of  these  sermons,  there  seems  to  be  an  unworthy  fling  at  his 
friend  Wesley.  Whitefield  ought  to  have  known  that 
Wesley  never  taught  the  possibility  of  any  one  attaining  to 
a  sinlessness  equal  to  that  of  Christ  ;  and  yet  he  indulged  in 
the  following  remarks  : — 

"  There  was  no  corruption  in  the  heart  of  this  immaculate  Lamb  of 
God  for  Satan's  temptations  to  lay  hold  on  ;  but  this  property  belongeth 
only  to  Him.  For  any  of  His  followers,  though  arrived  at  the  highest 
pitch  of  Christian  perfection,  much  less  for  young  converts,  mere  novices 
in  the  things  of  God,  to  presume  that  they  either  have  arrived,  or  ever 
shall,  while  on  this  side  of  eternity,  arrive  at  such  a  sinless  state,  argues 
such  an  ignorance  of  the  spiritual  extent  of  the  moral  law,  of  the  true 
interpretation  of  God's  word,-  of  the  universal  experience  of  God's  people 
in  all  ages,  as  well  as  of  the  remaining  unmortified  corruptions  of  their 
own  desperately  wicked  and  deceitful  hearts,  that  I  venture  to  tell  the 
preachers  and  abettors  of  any  such  doctrine,  however  knowing  they  may 
be  in  other  respects,  they  know  not  the  true  nature  of  gospel  holiness, 
nor  the  completeness  of  a  believer's  standing  in  the  unspotted  imputed 
righteousness  of  Jesus  Christ,  as  they  ought  to  know,  or  as  I  trust  they 
themselves,  through  Divine  grace,  will  be  made  to  know  before  they  die. 
Surely,  it  is  high  time  to  awake  out  of  this  delusive  dream  !  Pardon  this 
short  (would  to  God  there  was  no  occasion  for  adding),  though  too  neces- 
sary, a  digression." 

Whitefield,  most  assuredly,  Avas  in  a  "  delusive  dream,"  if 
he  thought  such  remarks  applicable  to  Wesley. 

It  was  now  seventeen  years  since  Whitefield  preached 
his  first  sermon,  and  he  lived  to  preach  seventeen  years  after 
this.  He  was  in  the  middle  of  his  marvellous  ministry. 
Numerous  specimens  of  his  early  discourses  have  been 
already  given  ;  and  it  may  be  useful  to  furnish  two  extracts 
from  the  sermons  now  in  question,  to  assist  the  reader  in 
forming  an  idea  of  the  great  preacher's  style  of  address,  at 
the  present  period  of  his  life.  The  first  is  from  the  sermon 
on  "  Beholding  the  Lamb  of  God." 

"  If  you  can  bear  to  be  spectators  of  such  an  awful  tragedy,  I  must  now 
entreat  you  to  enter  the  garden  of  Gethsemane.  But,  stop  !  What  is  that 
we  see  ?  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God  undergoing  the  most  direful  tortures 
of  vindictive  wrath  !  Of  the  people,  even  of  His  disciples,  tliere  is  none 
with  Him.  Alas  !  was  ever  sorrow  like  unto  that  sorrow,  wherewith  His 
innocent  soul  was  afflicted  in  this  day  of  His  Father's  fierce  anger  ?  Before 


AgeaS 


Specimens  of  Prejching.  297 

He  entered  into  this  bitter  passion,  out  of  the  fuhiess  of  His  heart,  He  said,  1753 
'■Now  is  my  soul  troubled.'  But  how  is  it  troubled  now?  His  agony 
bespealis  it  to  be  '  exceeding  sorrowful,  even  unto  death.''  It  extorts  sweat, 
yea,  a  bloody  sweat.  His  face,  His  hands,  His  garments,  are  all  stained 
with  blood.  It  extorts  strong  cryings,  and  many  tears.  See  how  the  incar- 
nate Deity  lies  prostrate  before  His  Father,  who  now  laid  on  Him  the 
iniquities  of  us  all !  See  how  He  agonizes  in  prayer  !  Hark  !  Again  and 
again  He  addresses  His  Father  with  an  '  if  it  be  possible,  let  this  cup  pass 
from  me  ! '  Tell  me,  ye  blessed  angels,  tell  me,  Gabriel  (or  whatsoever 
thou  art  called),  who  wast  sent  from  heaven  in  this  important  hour,  to 
strengthen  our  agonizing  Lord, — tell  me,  if  ye  can,  what  Christ  endured 
in  this  dark  and  doleful  night  !  And  tell  me,  tell  me  what  you  yourselves 
felt,  when  you  heard  this  same  God-man,  whilst  expiring  on  the  accursed 
tree,  breaking  forth  into  that,  dolorous,  unheard-of  expostulation,  '  My 
God,  my  God,  why,  or  how  hast  Thou  forsaken  me  ? '  Were  you  not  all 
struck  dumb  ?  And  did  not  an  awful  silence  fill  heaven  itself,  when  God 
the  Father  said  unto  His  sword,  '  Sword,  smite  thy  fellow  ! '  Well  might 
nature  put  on  its  sable  weeds.  Well  might  the  rocks  rend,  to  shew  their 
sympathy  with  a  suffering  Saviour.  And  well  might  the  sun  withdraw  its 
light,  as  though  shocked  and  confounded  to  see  its  Maker  die." 

The  next  extract  is  from  the  sermon  on  "  Peter's  Denial 
of  his  Lord,"  and  describes  Peter  repenting'. 

"  Methinks  I  see  him  wringing  his  hands,  rending  his  garments,  stamp- 
ing on  the  ground,  and,  with  the  self-condemned  publican,  smiting  upon 
his  breast.  See  how  it  heaves  !  O  what  piteous  sighs  and  groans  are 
these  which  come  from  the  very  bottom  of  his  heart.  Alas  !  it  is  too  big 
to  speak  ;  but  his  tears,  his  briny,  bitter,  repenting  tears,  plainly  bespeak 
this  to  be  the  language  of  his  awakened  soul.  'Alas  !  where  have  I  been.? 
On  the  devil's  ground.  With  whom  have  I  been  conversing.?  The  devil's 
children.  What  is  this  that  I  have  done.?  Denied  the  Lord  of  glory  ; — - 
with  oaths  and  curses,  denied  that  I  ever  knew  Him.  And  now  whither 
shall  I  go?  or  where  shall  I  hide  my  guilty  head?  I  have  sinned  against 
light.  I  have  sinned  against  repeated  tokens  of  His  dear,  distinguishing, 
and  heavenly  love.  I  have  sinned  against  repeated  warnings,  resolutions, 
promises,  and  vows.  I  have  sinned  openly  in  the  face  of  the  sun,  and  in 
the  presence  of  my  Master's  enemies  ;  and,  thereby,  have  caused  His 
name  to  be  blasphemed.  How  can  I  think  of  being  suffered  to  behold 
the  face  of,  much  less  to  be  employed  by,  the  ever-blessed  Jesus  any 
more  ?  O  Peter  !  thou  hast  undone  thyself.  Justly  mayest  thou  be 
thrown  aside  like  a  broken  vessel.     God  be  merciful  to  me  a  sinner  ! " 

Even  if  he  had  wished,  John  Wesley  would  have  found  it 
difficult  to  preach  in  a  style  like  this.  Let  the  taste  be 
good  or  bad,  there  cannot  be  a  doubt  that,  with  Whitefield's 
dramatic   action   and  unequalled   voice,    the    effect   of  such 


2gS  The  Life  of  Whiteficld. 

'753     eloquence  would   be   next   to   overpowering.      We  return   to 
Age  38  Whitefield's  correspondence. 

One  of  the  London  ministers,  who  had  been  benefited 
by  Whitefield's  ministry,  was  the  Rev.  Mr.  Steward.  He 
had  been  invited  to  the  house  of  the  Countess  of  Hunting- 
don to  hear  Whitefield  preach,  and  had  been  one  of  the 
first  converts  there.  His  own  preaching  had  become  popu- 
lar and  successful,  not  only  at  her  ladyship's,  but  on  Garlick 
Hill,  where,  among  others  saved  by  his  instrumentdlity,  was 
Mrs.  Kent,  at  the  age  of  a  hundred  and  four.  Mr.  Steward's 
career  was  suddenly  ended, — an  event  which  greatly  affected 
Whitefield,-^  In  the  following  letter  to  Charles  Wesley,  he 
refers  to  this  and  other  matters  : — 

"  London,  Maj-ch  3,  1753. 

"  My  dear  Friend, — I  thank  you  and  your  brother  most  heartily 
for  the  loan  of  the  chapel.  Blessed  be  God  !  the  work  goes  on  well.  On 
Thursday  morning"  (March  ist),  "  the  first  brick  of  our  new  Tabernacle 
was  laid  with  awful  solemnity.  I  preached  from  Exodus  xx.  24:  '  In  all 
places  where  I  record  my  name,  I  will  come  unto  thee  and  bless  thee.' 
Afterwards,  we  sung,  and  prayed  for  God's  blessing  in  all  places,  where 
His  glorious  name  is  recorded.  The  wall  is  now  about  a  yard  high.  The 
building  is  to  be  eighty  feet  square.  It  is  upon  the  old  spot.  We  have 
purchased  the  house  ;  and,  if  we  finish  what  we  have  begun,  we  shall  be 
rent-free  for  forty-six  years.  We  have  ^iioo  in  hand.  This,  I  think,  is 
the  best  way  to  build. 

"  Mr.  Steward's  death  so  affected  me,  that,  when  I  met  the  workmen 
that  night  to  contract  about  the  building,  I  could  scarce  bear  to  think  of 
building  tabernacles.  Strange  !  that  so  many  should  be  so  soon  discharged, 
and  we  continued.  Eighteen  years  have  I  been  waiting  for  the  coming  of 
the  Son  of  God ;  but  I  find  we  are  immortal  till  our  work  is  done.  Oli 
that  we  may  never  live  to  be  ministered  unto,  but  to  minister.  Mr. 
Steward  spoke  for  his  Lord  as  long  as  he  could  speak  at  all.  He  had  no 
clouds  nor  darkness.  I  was  with  him,  till  a  few  minutes  before  he  slept 
in  Jesus. 

"  I  have  good  news  from  several  parts.  A  door  is  opening  at  Winchester. 
Surely  the  little  leaven  will  ferment  till  the  whole  kingdom  be  leavened. 
Even  so,  Lord  Jesus,  Amen ! 

•'  My  poor  wife  has  had  another  plunge.  We  thought  she  was  takeii 
with  palsy  ;  but,  blessed  be  God,  she  is  now  recovering."^ 

The  next  deserves  insertion  for  its  Christian  admonition. 

'  "  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  i.,  p.  194. 
^  "  Life  of  Charles  Wesley,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  19. 


WJiiteJield  and  the  Moravians.  299 


"  London,  March  10,  1753. 

"  My  dear  Mr.  IVI ,  I  have  preached  at  Spitalfields  chapel  twice.' 

lioth  the  Mr.  Wesleys  are  agreed,  as  the  younger  brother  writes  me  word, 
in  answer  to  my  letter.  Let  brotherly  love  continue.  I  do  not  like  writing 
against  anybody  ;  but,  I  think,  that  wisdom  which  dwells  with  prudence 
should  direct  you  not  to  fill  Mr.  Wesley's  people  (who  expect  you  will  serve 
them)  with  needless  jealousies.  I  hope  to  see  the  time  when  you  will  talk 
less  of  persons  and  things,  and  more  of  Jesus  Christ.  This,  and  this 
alone,  can  make  and  keep  you  steady  in  yourself,  and  extensively  useful  to 
others.  I  am  glad  you  know  when  persons  are  justified.  It  is  a  lesson  I 
have  not  yet  learnt.  There  are  so  many  stony-ground  hearers,  that  I  have 
determined  to  suspend  my  judgment,  till  I  know  the  tree  by  its  fruits." 

The  following  needs  no  explanation  : — 

"  London,  March  21,  1753. 
"  What  is  happening  to  the  Moravians  is  no  more  than  I  have  long 
expected,  and  spoken  of  to  many  friends.  Their  scheme  is  so  antichristian, 
in  almost  every  respect,  that  I  am  amazed  the  eyes  of  the  English 
Brethren  have  not  long  since  been  opened,  and  the  Babel  stopped.  But 
the  glorious  God  generally  suffers  such  buildings  to  go  high,  that  their  fall 
maybe  more  conspicuous.  May  the  builders  rise  (I  mean  as  to  spirituals) 
by  their  falls,  and  gain  by  their  losses  !  This  is  all  the  harm  I  wish  them. 
What  a  blessed  thing  it  is  to  live  and  walk  in  the  simplicity  of  the  gospel ! 
How  happy  is  that  man,  who,  beii-rg  neither  fond  of  money,  numbers,  nor 
power,  goes  on  day  by  day  without  any  other  scheine  than  a  general 
interition  to  promote  the  common  salvation  among  people  of  all  denomi- 
nations !     Will  you  pray  that  I  may  be  thus  minded  ?" 

The  erection  of  the  new  Tabernacle  detained  Whitefield 
in  London  longer  than  it  was  his  custom'  to  stay  ;  but,  in  the 
month  of  April,  he  made  a  hurried  visit  to  the  city  of 
Norwich,  where,  two  years  before,  there  had  been  the  most 
disgraceful  riots.  James  Wheatley,  whom  the  Wesleys  had 
expelled  from  their  connexion,  for  infamous  behaviour,  had 
come  to  Norwich,  begun  to  preach  out  of  doors,  and  formed 
a  mongrel  society  of  nearly  two  thousand  persons.  A 
temporary  Tabernacle  was  erected  for  him  on  Timber  Hill, 
in  imitation  of  the  one  erected  for  Whitefield  in  Moorfields. 
Then  followed  the  riots.  Wheatley  braved  the  storm  ;  and, 
in  April,  1752,  steps  were  taken  to  build  for  him  one  of  the 
largest    chapels    in    the    city.^      The    history    of  the    entire 

'  The  French  Church,  in  Grey  Eagle  Street,  Spitalfields,  of  which 
Wesley  had  taken  possession  in  1750.  It  stood  where  the  brewery  of 
I'ruman,  Buxton,  and  Hanbury  stands  now. 

■  "  Life  and  T  mcs  of  Wesley,"  vol.  ii.,  pp.  121  — 126. 


30")  The  Life  oj    Whitefield. 

»753     movement    is  curious,   but   not    edifying".      Why  Wliitefield 
^e  38   went  to   Norwich,  it   is  difficult  to  tell.      An   account   of  his 
visit   is   contained   in  the  following  short  extracts   from  his 
letters  : — 

"Norwich,  April  17,  1753.  Were  it  not  sinful,  I  could  wish  for  a 
thousand  hands,  a  thousand  tongues,  and  a  thousand  lives  :  all  should  be 
employed,  night  and  day,  without  ceasing,  in  promoting  the  glory  of 
Jesus.  Thanks  be  to  His  great  name,  for  reviving  His  work  in  the  midst 
of  the  years.  I  trust  that  His  people  everywhere  will  be  made  to  sing, 
'  The  winter  is  past,  the  rain  is  over  and  gone,  the  flowers  appear  on  the 
earth,  and  the  voice  of  the  turtle  is  heard  in  the  land.'  For  these  three 
days  past,  I  have  been  preaching  here  twice  a  day.  In  the  mornings,  we 
have  been  quiet  ;  but,  in  the  evenings,  the  sons  of  Belial  have  been  some- 
what rude.  The  place  built  here  for  public  worship  is  much  larger  than 
yours  at  Newcastle ;  and,  I  believe,  hundreds  of  truly  awakened  souls 
attend.  What  cannot  God  do  1  What  will  the  end  of  this  be  ?  The 
destruction  of  Jericho.  The  rams'  horns  must  go  round,  till  its  towering 
walls  fall  down.  Who  would  not  be  one  of  these  rams'  horns  ?  My  dear 
sir,  let  us  not  be  ashamed  of  the  cross  of  Christ  :  it  is  lined  with  love,  and 
will  ere  long  be  exchanged  for  a  crown.  Jesus  Himself  will  put  it  on  our 
heads." 

"  Norwich,  April  18,  1753.  How  does  God  delight  to  exceed  the  hopes, 
and  to  disappoint  the  fears,  of  His  weak,  though  honest-hearted  people  ! 
In  spite  of  all  opposition,  He  has  caused  us  to  triumph  even  in  Norwich. 
Thousands  attend  twice  every  day,  and  hear  with  the  greatest  eagerness. 
I  hope  it  will  appear  yet  more  and  more  that  God  has  much  people  here." 

Whitefield  returned  to  London  on  April  21st;  and,  for 
the  next  three  weeks,  was  employed,  not  only  in  preaching, 
but  in  writing.  The  following  letter  deserves  attention. 
It  was  addressed  to  David  Taylor — said  to  have  been 
originally  footman  to  Lady  Ingham— a  good  man,  but  un- 
settled, part  Moravian,  part  Methodist,  and  part  Inghamite 
— who,  by  his  preaching,  had  converted  large  numbers  of 
the  people  in  Derbyshire,  Leicestershire,  Lancashire,  and 
Yorkshire,  and  had  formed  Societies  in  the  several  counties. 

"London,  May  i,  1753. 
"  My  dear  David,— Do  you  enquire  where  I  am .?  I  answer,  in 
London,  longing  to  come  to  Leeds,  and  yet  withheld  by  Him,  whose 
providence  ordereth  all  things  well.  Let  us  have  a  little  more  patience, 
and  then,  in  a  few  weeks,  I  hope  to  have  a  blessed  range  in  the  north. 
The  word  ran  and  was  glorified  at  Norwich.  Preaching  so  frequently, 
and  riding  hard,  almost  killed  me  ;  but  what  is  my  body  in  comparison  01" 
precious  and  immortal  souls  .'' 


Whitefield  and  flu  Moravians.  301 


"At  present,   I   am  engaged  in  a  very  ungrateful  work;  I  mean,  in     1753 
writing  against   the  leading  Moravian  Brethren.     When  you   see  it,  you       — 
will  know  whether  there  was  not  a  cause."  ^  S*^  ^ 

Whitcfield's  pamphlet  was  published  without  delay,  and 
was  entitled,  "  An  Expostulatory  Letter,  addressed  to 
Nicholas  Lewis,  Count  Zinzendorf,  and  Lord  Advocate  of 
the  Unitas  Fratrum.  By  George  Whitefield,  A.B.,  late  of 
Pembroke  College,  Oxford,  and  Chaplain  to  the  Right 
Honourable  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon.  London,  1753. 
(8vo.  19  pp.)  The  letter  is  dated,  "London,  April  24, 
1753;"  and  bears  on  the  title-page  the  text,  "O  foolish 
Galatians,  who  hath  bewitched  you  .''  " 

Perhaps  it  ought  to  be  premised  that  a  great  sensation 
had  been  already  created  in  the  country,  by  the  publication 
of  an  octavo  pamphlet  of  177  pages,  dedicated  to  the  Arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury,  and  entitled,  "  A  candid  Narrative  of 
the  Rise  and  Progress  of  the  Hernhuthers,  commonly  called 
Moravians,  or  Unitas  Fratrum.  By  Henry  Rimius,  Aulic 
Counsellor  to  his  late  Majesty  the  King  of  Prussia." 
Rimius's  book  was  a  terrible  attack  on  Zinzendorf;  and 
now  Whitefield,  wisely  or  unwisely,  rushed  into  the  affray. 
His  letter  begins  thus  : — 

"  My  Lord, — Although  I  am  persuaded  that  nothing  has  a  greater 
tendency  to  strengthen  the  hands  of  infidels  than  the  too  frequent  alter- 
cations between  the  professors  of  Christianity,  yet  there  are  certain 
occasions  wherein  the  necessary  defence  of  the  principles  of  our  holy 
religion,  as  well  as  the  practice  of  it,  renders  public  remonstrance  of  the 
greatest  use  and  importance. 

"  For  many  years  past,  I  have  been  a  silent  and  an  impartial  observer 
of  the  progress  and  effects  of  Moravianism,  both  in  England  and  America  ; 
but  such  shocking  things  have  been  lately  brought  to  our  ears,  and 
offences  ha/e  swollen  to  such  an  enormous  bulk,  that  a  real  regard  for 
my  king  and  my  country,  and  a  disinterested  love  for  the  ever-blessed 
Jesus,  will  not  suffer  me  to  be  silent  any  longer.  Pardon  me,  therefore, 
my  lord,  if  I  am  constrained  to  inform  your  lordship  that  you,  together 
Avith  some  of  your  /(?(7,r?'/;/^  brethren,  have  been  unhappily  instrumental  in 
misguiding  many  simple,  honest-hearted  Christians  ;  of  distressing,  if  not 
totally  ruining,  numerous  families  ;  and  of  introducing  a  \y\\o\Q  farrago  of 
superstitious,  not  to  say  idolatrous,  fopperies  into  the  English  nation." 

Having  asserted  that,  whatever  might  be  "  the  principles 
and  usages  of  the  ancient  Moravian  Church,"  he  can  find  no 
trace  of  the  present  practices  of  the  Moravians  in  the  primi- 
tive churches,  Whitefield  continues  : — 


-AresS 


302  TJie  Life  of  Whitejfield. 

1753  "Will  your  lordship  give  me  leave  to  descend  to  a  few  particulars  ? 
Pray,  my  lord,  what  instances  have  we  of  the  first  Christians  walking 
round  the  graves  of  their  deceased  friends  on  Easter  Day,  attended  with 
hautboys,  trumpets,  French  horns,  violins,  and  other  kinds  of  musical 
instruments  ?  Or  where  have  we  the  least  mention  made  of  pictures  of 
particular  persons  being  brought  into  the  first  Christian  assemblies,  and 
of  candles  being  placed  behind  them,  in  order  to  give  a  transparent  view 
of  the  figures  ?  Where  was  it  ever  known  that  the  picture  of  the  apostle 
Paul,  representing  him  handing  a  gentleman  and  lady  up  to  the  side  of 
Jesus  Christ,  was  ever  introduced  into  the  primitive  lovefeasts?  Or  do 
we  ever  hear  of  incense,  or  something  like  it,  being  burnt  for  him,  in 
order  to  perfume  the  room  before  he  made  his  entrance  among  the 
brethren  ?  And  yet  your  lordship  knows  this  has  been  done  for  you, 
and  suffered  by  you,  without  your  having  shewn,  as  far  as  I  can  hear, 
the  least  dislike  of  it  at  all. 

"Again,  my  lord,  I  beg  leave  to  enquire  whether  we  hear  anything  in 
Scripture  of  eldresses  or  deaconnesses  seating  themselves  before  a  table 
covered  with  artificial  flowers,  and  against  that  a  little  altar  surrounded 
with  wax  tapers,  on  which  stood  a  cross,  composed  either  of  mock  or  real 
diamonds,  or  other  glittering  stones?  And  yet  your  lordship  must  be 
sensible,  this  was  done  in  Fetter  Lane  chapel,  for  Mrs.  Hannah  Nitsch- 
mann,  the  present  general  eldress  of  your  congregation,  with  this  addition, 
that  all  the  sisters  were  seated  in  German  caps,  and  clothed  in  white, 
and  the  organ  also  illuminated  with  three  pyramids  of  wax  tapers,  each 
of  which  was  tied  with  a  red  -ribbon,  and  over  the  head  of  the  general 
eldress  was  placed  her  own  picture,  and  over  that  {Jiorresco  referejis)  the 
picture  of  the  Son  of  God.  A  goodly  sight  this,  my  lord,  for  a  company 
of  English  Protestants  to  behold  !  Alas  !  to  what  a  long  series  of  childish 
and  superstitious  devotions,  and  unscriptural  impositions  must  they  have 
been  habituated,  before  they  could  sit  as  silent  spectators  of  such  an  anti- 
Christian  scene  !" 

Besides  this  general  onslaught  on  Moravian  ritualism, 
Whitefielcl,  in  foot-notes,  ridicules  the  absurdity  of  the 
"married  women"  of  the  Moravian  community  "being 
ordered  to  wear  blue  knots  ;  the  single  women,  pink  ;  those 
who  are  just  marriageable,  pink  and  white  ;  widows  past 
child-bearing,  white  ;  and  those  who  were  not  so,  blue  and 
white."  He  also  describes  a  ludicrous,  or  rather  theatrical 
and  repulsive  scene,  in  Hatton  Garden,  at  the  celebration 
of  the  birthday  of  Hannah  Nitschmann  ;  and  then  proceeds 
to  the  subject  of  Moravian  fraud  and  bankruptcy.  He 
writes  : — 

"  I  have  another  question  to  propose  to  your  lordship.  Pray,  my  lord, 
did  any  of  the  apostles  or  leaders  of  the  primitive  churches  ever  usurp  an 
authority,  not  only  over  people's  consciences,  but  properties,  or  draw  in 


Whitefield  and  the  Moravians.  303 

the  members  of  their  respective  congregations  to  dispose  of  whole  patri- 
monies at  once,  or  to  be  bound  for  thousands  more  than  they  knew  they 
were  worth?  And  yet  your  lordship  knows  this  has  been  done  again 
and  again,  in  order  to  serve  the  purposes  of  the  Brethren  ;  and  that, 
too,  at  or  very  near  the  time,  when,  in  order  to  procure  an  Act  in  their 
favour,  they  boasted  to  an  English  Parliament  how  immensely  rich  they 
were." 

Whitefield  then  specifies  some  of  the  Moravian  debts  ; 
and  concludes  by  speaking  of  the  "  horrid  equivocations, 
untruths,  and  low  artifices,"  made  use  of  to  obtain  such 
enormous  loans  : — 

"At  present,"  says  he,  "  I  shall  add  no  more,  but  earnestly  say  Amen 
to  that  part  of  the  Brethren's  litany,  '  From  untimely  projects,  and  from 
unhappily  becoming  great,  keep  us,  our  good  Lord  and  God!'  And  as 
heartily  praying,  that  the  glorious  Jesus  may  prosper  all  that  is  right,  and 
give  grace  to  correct  and  amend  all  that  is  wrong,  among  all  His  people 
of  all  denominations,  I  subscribe  myself,  my  lord,  your  lordship's  most 
obedient  humble  servant, 

"  George  Whitefield." 

This  was  plain  speaking.  Perhaps  some  will  think  that 
Whitcfield's  interference  was  offensively  officious  ;  but  it 
must  be  borne  in  mind,  that,  besides  being  bound  to  take 
a  general  interest  in  everything  pertaining  to  the  religion  of 
the  land,  Whitefield  was  closely  associated  with  the  Mora- 
vians at  the  beginning  of  his  ministry  ;  and  that,  in  his 
extensive  itinerancy,  he  still  came  into  frequent  contact  with 
them.  And,  further,  though  it  may  be  still  contended  that 
Whitefield  might  have  been  more  usefully  employed,  there 
cannot  be  a  doubt  that  he  now  rendered  a  great  and  lasting 
service  to  the  Moravian  community;  for  his  letter  to  Zinzen- 
dorf  helped  to  check  and  to  correct  the  extravagance  and 
the  absurdly  ritualistic  practices,  into  which  the  Unitas 
Fratrum  had  fallen. 

Whitefield's  "  letter"  created  almost  as  great  a  sensation 
as  Rimius's  "Narrative";  and,  in  whole  or  in  part,  was  re- 
printed in  the  magazines  and  newspapers  of  the  day.  The 
Moravians  were  angry.  Peter  Bohler  declared  publicly,  in 
the  pulpit,  that  Whitefield's  letter  "  was  all  a  lie."  James 
Hutton  spoke  of  "  many  bulls  of  Bashan  roaring  madly 
against  tlie  Count ;  and  describing  him  as  a  J\Iahomet,  a 
Caesar,  an  impostor,  a  Don  Quixote,  a  devil,  the  beast,  the 


304  The  Life  of  Wliitefield. 

man  of  sin,  the  Antichrist."^  He  also  sent  the  following' 
threatening  letter  "  to  the  publisher  of  the  Public  Adver- 
tiser":— 

'Saturday,  June  2,  1752. 

"  You,  sir,  have  published  such  an  extract  of  Mr.  Whitefield's  libel  in 
your  paper,  as  is  punishable  by  law ;  which  example  of  yours  the  country 
newspapers  and  the  London  magazines  have  followed. 

"  I  would  have  you  immediately  consider  well,  whether  you  are  liable 
or  no  ;  and,  if  you  find  yourself  so,  to  let  me  know  what  steps  you  think 
to  take  to  avoid  a  prosecution. 

"  A  submission  in  the  Public  Advertiser,  next  Monday,  expressing  your 
sorrow  for  having  published  that  extract  (without  at  all  entering  into  the 
merits  of  the  cause,  whether  true  or  false),  and  asking  pardon  of  the  per- 
sons reflected  on  therein,  seems  to  me  the  best  and  only  way  of  prevent- 
ing that  prosecution,  which  else,  in  all  probability,  will  very  soon  begin. 

"  I  am,  sir,  yours, 

"James  Hutton." 

A  similar  letter  was  sent  to  the  publisher  of  the  Daily 
Gazetteer.  The  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  likewise,  received 
an  anonymous  epistle,  not  written,  but  made  up  of  words, 
taken  out  of  printed  books,  of  different  types,  and  pasted 
upon  a  sheet  of  paper  : — 

"  My  Lord, — Our  Moravian  Church  having  subsisted  above  1700  years, 
and  you  being  the  chief  of  a  Church,  which  is  her  puny  sister,  your  Grace 
ought  not  to  suffer  that  villain  Rimius  publicly  to  vilify  our  right  reverend 
and  valuable  patron  and  us.  The  man  is  quite  stupid,  else  he  would 
have  known  that  he,  being  but  a  single  person,  and  deeply  in  debt,  can 
do  us  no  hurt.  We  are  a  multitude,  a  parliamentary  constitution,  a 
church  that  stands  upon  a  rock,  and  have  treasures  inexhaustible,  and 
can  hold  out  against  him,  and  all  the  rest  of  our  enemies.  But  we  shall 
soon  make  him  flee  his  country ;  or  he  shall  meet  with  a  fate  which  he 
scarce  expects."" 

Bohler  and  Zinzendorf  both  wrote  to  Whitefield  ;  and,  as 

their  letters  are  of  historical  importance,  they  are  here  given 

in  extenso : — 

"3/^/8,  1753. 

"  Sir, — I  pity  you  very  much  that  you  suffer  yourself  to  be  so  much 
imposed  on,  and  to  print  your  impositions  so  inconsiderately. 

"You  have  now  attempted  a  second  time  to  ruin  my  character.  You 
represent  me  as  the  inventor  of  an  artificial  mowit^  etc.    You  build  upon 

'  Hutton's  Memoirs,  pp.  579,  580. 

'  Rimius's  "Supplement  to  the  Candid  Narrative,"  etc.,  pp.  93—96. 

*  T'^e  story  was,  that    Mr.    William    Bell   was   one  of  the    Moravian 


Whitcfield  and  the  Moravimis,  305 


that,  two  assertions  :  i.  That  I  invented  it  as  a  means  to  encourage  a     1753 
certain  gentleman  in  his  undertakings.     2.  That  I  did  it  to  make  up  a      — 
quarrel  with  him,  by  these  means.     Now  I  can  attest,  with  a  good  con-      ^^  ^ 
science,  before  God,  that  I  had  no  hand  in  inventing,  or  contriving,  or 
executing,  etc.,  such  an  artificial  7iiound  and  picture,  etc. ;  and  both  your 
conclusions,  that  you  build  on  it,  drop  of  course. 

"You  also  assert,  that,  I  and  others  paid  our  devotions  in  a  certain 
room,  of  which  you  please  to  give  a  description  ;  but  you  really  are  in 
this  point  also  grossly  imposed  upon.     By  whom?     By  an  apostate  ! 

"  The  person  against  whom  you  chiefly  level  your  letter,  is  so  maliciously 
misrepresented  therein,  that  really  you  yourself  will  be  ashamed  of  it  one 
day  before  God  and  man.  It  Avould  have  been  ingenuous  in  you  to  have 
asked  some  of  your  old  friends,  whether  the  charges  you  lay  against  us 
be  true.  But  that,  you  have  not  done.  You  will  perhaps  say  to  me, 
*  You  can  clear  yourself  in  print.'  But  this  sounds,  in  my  ears,  as  if  a 
drunken  man  would  pelt  one  with  dirt,  and  then  say,  '  Now  I  will  shew 
you  water  where  you  can  wash  yourself  again.'  I,  for  my  part,  have 
always  abhorred  paper  war  ;  for  I  think  the  result  of  such  a  war,  for 
a  child  of  God,  is  no  other  than  vmco  sen  vincor,  semper  ego  macular 
(conquering  or  conquered,  I  am  dishonoured).  And,  besides  that,  I  think 
it  incumbttit  upon  an  honest  man,  when  he  rashly  and  heedlessly  has 
cast  an  aspersion  upon  his  fellow-creatures — fathered  actions  upon  an 
innocent  person  of  whom  he  was  altogether  ignorant — and,  with  the  most 
prejudicial  assertions,  charged  a  body  of  people  with  faults  of  which  they, 
neither  in  whole  nor  in  part,  are  guilty — to  do  all  in  his  power  to  remove 
such  aspersions  of  which  he  is  the  author  or  propagator. 

"  Dear  Mr.  Whitetield,  when  the  secret  intentions  of  man,  together 
with  all  his  unjust  deeds  and  actions,  will  be  judged,  how  glad  would  you 
be  then,  not  to  have  treated  our  Society,  in  general  ;  and,  in  particular, 
that  venerable  person  against  whom  your  letter  is  chiefly  levelled  ;  and 
poor  me,  in  so  injurious,  yea,  I  may  say,  impudent  and  wicked  a  manner. 

"  But,  perhaps,  my  dear  and  merciful  Saviour  may  give  you  grace,  that 
I  may,  a  second  time,  be  asked  pardon  by  you  ;  which  I,  for  your  sake, 
heartily  desire;  but,  for  my  sake,  am  entirely  unconcerned  about;  who, 
as  an  unworthy  servant  of  my  dear  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  was  slain  for 
His  enemies,  shall  continue  to  love  and  pray  for  you. 

"  Peter  Bohler." 


financial  agents,  and  that,  in  order  to  revive  his  "  drooping  spirits,"  in 
reference  to  the  Moravian  debts,  Bohler  requested  him  to  come  to  his 
house  in  "Nevil's  Alley,  Fetter  Lane."  After  much  persuasion,  Bell 
came,  and  "  was  introduced  into  a  hall,  where  was  placed  an  artificial 
mountain,  which,  upon  singing  a  particular  verse,  was  made  to  fall  down  ; 
and  then,  behind  it,  was  discovered  an  illumination,  representing  Jesus 
Christ  and  Mr.  Bell,  sitting  near  each  other,  while,  out  of  the  clouds,  was 
represented  plenty  of  money  falling  round  about  them."  It  is  notaMe 
that  Bohler,  in  his  letter,  does  not  deny  the  actual  occurrence  of  the 
artificial  mountain  scene." 

VOL.  II.  -y.O 


306  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

I7S3  To  say  the  least,  this  Is  an  odd,  evasive  letter,  unworthy 

Age  38  of  the  man  who  had  taught  the  Wesleys  the  way  of  salva 
tion  by  faith  in  Jesus  Christ.      Zinzendorf's  is  no  better: — 

''MayZ,  1753. 

"  Rev.  Sir, — As  I  read  no  newspapers,  I  knew  nothing  of  your 
'  Expostulatory  Letter,'  till  a  worthy  clergyman  of  the  Church  of  England 
communicated  to  me  his  copy  but  yesterday. 

"  You  are  a  preacher,  I  suppose,  of  Christ  ;  therefore,  though  you  are, 
it  seems,  an  utter  stranger  to  me,  you  may  guess  why  you  see  no  reply  to 
your  letter. 

"  In  private,  I  tell  you  so  much,  that  you  are  mistaken  in  the  chief 
point  you  urge  with  more  zeal  than  knowledge. 

"  As  yet,  I  owe  not  a  farthing  of  the  ^40,000  you  are  pleased  to  tell 
me  of ;  and,  if  your  precipitate  officiousness  should  save  me  and  those 
foreigners,  you  forewarn  so  compassionately,  from  that  debt,  your  zeal 
would  prove  very  fatal  to  the  English  friends  you  pity,  it  seems,  no  less 
than  the  German. 

"  As  for  the  distinction  in  the  dress  of  our  women,  pray  consider  that 
St.  Paul  has  thought  it  worth  his  while  to  make  certain  regulations  about 
the  head-dress  ;  and  you  may  remain  more  quiet,  as  you  hav?  ro  notion 
what  our  ordinances  are. 

"  If  some  brethren,  in  their  E-iste"'  f-'turgy,  make  use  of  French-horns, 
(which  they  are  to  answer  for.  nof  I,  for  my  chapel  has  none,)  let  the 
synod  consider  of  it. 

"  I  have  not  seen  the  Damonlet  you  tell  us  of  It  is  dedicafzd  to  the 
Archbishop,  you  say.  it  tne  author  got  the  permission  of  his  Grace 
fairly,  then  the  thing  is  serious  nideed  ;  yet,  I  shall  have  nothing  to  say 
to  Mr.  Rimius. 

"  I  make  but  one  observation  for  your  good,  sir.  Are  you  sure  that  all 
the  quotations  out  of  the  Bible  are  true.-'  If  so,  is  it  possible  that  the 
interpretations,  which  some  eighty  different  sects  of  Christians  give  to 
the  passages  in  which  they  oppose  each  other,  can  be  the  true  meaning 
of  the  author  1  Are  all  those  which  are  made  out  of  your  own  books  to 
be  depended  upon  ?  For  my  own  part,  I  find  that  the  single  passage  you 
borrow  from  Mr.  Rimius  is  an  imposition  upon  the  public,  as  gross  as  it 
St.  Paul,  when  he  says,  'We  have  but  one  God  the  Father,'  etc.,  should 
be  charged  with  denying  the  divinity  of  Jesus.  As  thousands  of  our 
people  are  satisfied,  that  I  oppose  that  meaning  of  the  said  quotation, 
with  all  my  credit  in  the  Church  ;  and  have  supported  my  opposition,  with 
all  my  substance  and  that  of  my  family,  above  these  thirty  years  ;  and 
will  continue  so  long  as  I  have  a  shirt  left  ;  what  must  they  think  when 
they  see  my  book  quoted  in  that  manner  t '  I  add  no  more. 
• , , — . — . — . __ — ___^^.^_^ 

'  Rimius's  quotation  from  Zinzendorf's  book  was,  "  The  Economtsis 
of  the  Society  may  say  to  a  rich  voung  man,'  Either  give  us  al!  uii'U  hast, 
or  get  thee  gone-'  " 


Whitefield  and  the  Moravians,  ^oy 

"As  your  heart  is  not  prepared  to  love  me,  nor  your  understanding  to 
listen  to  my  reasons,  I  wish  you  well,  sir,  and  am  your  loving  friend, 

"  Louis."  ' 

These  were  unsatisfactory  and  discreditable  letters,  and 
not  at  all  an  answer  to  Whitefield's  charges.  The  truth  is,  a 
satisfactory  answer  was  impossible.  There  can  be  no  ques- 
tion, that  the  Moravians  had  begun  to  practise  a  ritualism 
the  most  silly;  and  that  their  expenditure  had  brought  them 
to  the  very  verge  of  bankruptcy  and  disgraceful  ruin.^ 

It  would  be  wearisome  and  unprofitable  to  pursue  the 
subject.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that,  in  the  month  of  November, 
1 7  5  3,  a  pamphlet,  of  forty-three  pages,  was  published  with  the 
following  uncouth  title  :  "  He  who  is  a  Minister  of  the  Gospel, 
and  highly  esteems  the  Sufferings  of  the  Lamb,  his  Intro- 
duction to  the  Method  or  Way  of  the  Evangelical  Church  of 
the  Brethren  in  dealing  with  Souls.  To  which  is  prefixed, 
A  short  Answer  to  Mr.  Rimius's  long  uncandid  Narrative. 
And  a  Lesson  for  Mr.  Whitefield  to  read  before  his  Congre- 
gation." The  bulk  of  the  pamphlet  was  a  translation  of 
Zinzendorf  s  German  treatise,  entitled,  "  Method  with  Souls," 
etc.,  and  requires  no  attention  ;  but  that  section  of  it  which 
relates  to  Whitefield  may  be  quoted  : — 

"  If  Mr.  Whitefield  had  been  more  acquainted  with  the  customs  of 
the  primitive  Christians,  he  need  not  have  asked,  '  Did  the  primitive 
Christians  visit  the  graves  of  the  deceased  ? ' 

"  As  to  the  illuminations,  they  are  no  part  of  the  worship,  and  cannot 
concern  him. 

"As  to  their  debts,  he  has  no  business  to  trouble  himself  about  them. 

'  Hutton's  Memoirs,  pp.  304 — 306. 

^  In  1755,  Zinzendorf  and  James  Hutton,  his  editor,  published  in  two 
parts,  making  together  more  than  200  octavo  pages,  an  amusing,  but 
extremely  foolish,  answer  to  the  accusations  brought  against  the  Moravians 
by  Whitefield  and  others.  The  following  was  the  confused  title,  punctua- 
tion and  italics  not  excepted  : — "An  Exposition,  or  True  State,  of  the 
Matters  objected  to  in  Eiii^land  to  the  People  known  by  the  name  of 
Unitas  Frairictn  :  In  which.  Facts  are  related  as  they  are  ;  the  true 
Readings  and  sense  oi Books,  snid  to  be  his,  (which  have  been  laid  to  his 
Charge  sometimes  without  sufficient  Proof  that  they  were  so,  and  been 
moreover  perverted  and  curtailed)  are  restored  ;  Pj-inciples  are  laid  down 
as  they  ought,  fairly;  the  Practice,  as  it  has  been,  is  at  presen*:,  and  is 
intended  for  the  future,  is  owned.  By  the  Ordinary  of  the  Brethren. 
The  Notes  and  Additions,  by  the  Editor.  London  :  printed  for  J. 
Robinson,  in  Ludgate  Street.  1755."  This  was  an  odd  production  ;  but 
no  good  end  wOuld  be  answered  by  quotations  from  it. 


;o3  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 


1753     He  will  never  be  asked  to  pay  them  ;  for  he,  among'  the  Brethren,  to 

.        „  whom  the  Lord  has  been  most  bountiful,  has  taken  upon  himself  to  dis- 
Age  30     ,  ^, 

charge  them. 

"  As  his  intelligence  has  been  from  such  as  St.  Paul  distinguishes  by 
the  name  of  false  brethren,  any  man,  possessed  of  common  sense,  may 
know  what  regard  it  deserves. 

"  One  fault  among  the  Brethren  is,  that  they  do  not  abound  with  charity 
sermons,  and  look  sharp  after  the  plate,  as  is  done  he  knows  where  and 
by  whom. 

"  By  this  time,  I  doubt  not,  Mr.  Whitefield  is  able  to  answer  his  own 
queries  ;  and,  I  hope,  wishes  he  had  taken  Paul's  advice  to  Timothy  : 
.  '  Foolish  and  unlearned  questions  avoid,  knowing  that  they  do  gender 
strifes.' " 

On  the  other  side,  there  was  published  a  pamphlet,  whose 
title  will  convey  an  idea  of  its  contents  : — "  A  true  and 
authentic  Account  of  Andrew  Frey;  containing  the  occasion 
of  his  coming  among  the  Hernhuters,  or  Moravians  ;  his 
Observations  on  their  Conferences,  Casting  Lots,  Marriages, 
Festivals,  Merriments,  Celebrations  of  Birth-days,  Impious 
Doctrines,  and  Fantastic  Practices,  Abuse  of  Charitable 
Contributions,  Linen  Images,  Ostentatious  Profuseness,  and 
Rancour  against  any  who  in  the  least  differ  from  them  ; 
and  the  Reasons  for  which  he  left  them  ;  together  with  the 
Motives  for  publishing  this  Account.  Faithfully  translated 
from  the  German."  ^ 

All  this  disreputable  contention  prepared  the  way  for 
Bishop  Lavington  to  publish,  two  years  afterwards,  his 
"  Moravians  Compared  and  Detected."      (8vo.  i  80  pp.) 

It  is  time  to  return  to  Whitefield's  gospel  wanderings,  and 
correspondence. 

About  the  middle  of  the  month  of  May,  he  left  London 
for  a  tour  in  Wales,  and  made  "  a  circuit  of  about  seven 
hundred  miles."  ^  He  preached  above  twenty  times,  at 
Narberth,  Pembroke,  Haverfordwest,  and  cither  places  ;  and 
was  again  in  London  on  the  7th  of  Jun*;.  The  Moravian 
controversy  filled  his  mind  and  crushed  his  heart.  To  his 
old   secretary,  John    Syms,   who   had  joined   the   Moravians, 


'  Under  the  date  of  "  Novemljcr  3,  1753,"  Wesley  wrote:  "I  read 
Andrew  Frey's  Reasons  for  leaving  the  Brethren.  Most  of  what  he  says, 
I  knft'v  before  ;  yet  I  cannot  spec'k  of  them  in  the  manner  in  which  he 
does  :  I  pity  them  too  much  to  bj  bitter  against  them." 

■  Whitefield's  Works,  vol.  iii.,  p.  16. 


Whitefield  and  the  Aloj^avians.  369 


9 

and  who    had  basely  threatened  a  revelation  of   some    of    ^753 
Whitcfield's   secret  affairs,   he  wrote  : —  A^^e  -S 

"  Haverfordwest,  May  27,  1753. 
"  My  dear  Man,— Though  my  wife  has  not  forwarded  the  letter,  she 
says  you  have  sent  me  a  threatening  one.  I  thank  you  for  it,  though 
unseen,  and  say  unto  thee,  if  thou  art  thus  minded,  'What  thou  doest,  do 
quickly.'  Blessed  be  God,  I  am  ready  to  receive  the  most  traitorous 
blow,  and  to  confess,  before  God  and  man,  all  my  weaknesses  and  failings, 
whether  in  public  or  private  life.  I  laid  my  account  of  such  treatment, 
before  I  published  my  '  Expostulatory  Letter.'  Your  writing  in  such  a 
manner  convinces  me  more  and  more,  that  Moravianism  leads  men  to 
break  through  the  most  sacred  ties  of  nature,  friendship,  and  disinterested 
love. 

"  My  wife  says,  you  write,  that,  '  I  am  drunk  witJi  power  and  approba- 
tion^ Wast  thou  with  me  so  long,  my  dear  man,  and  hast  thou  not 
known  me  better.?  What  power  didst  thou  know  me  ever  to  grasp  at? 
or,  what  power  am  I  now  invested  with  ?  None,  that  I  know  of,  except 
that  of  being  a  poor  pilgrim.  As  for  approbation,  God  knows,  I  have  had 
little  else  besides  the  cross  to  glory  in,  since  my  first  setting  out.  May 
that  be  my  glory  still  ! 

"  My  wife  says,  you  write,  that  '  I  promised  not  to  print.'  I  remember 
no  such  thing.  I  know  you  advised  me  not  to  do  so,  but  I  know  of  no 
promise  made.  If  I  rightly  remember,  I  had  not  then  read  Rimius ; 
but,  after  that,  I  both  heard  and  saw  so  many  things,  that  I  could  not, 
with  a  safe  conscience,  be  silent. 

"  My  wife  says,  you  write,  '  the  bulk  of  my  letter  is  not  truth.'  So  says 
Mr,  Peter  Bohler  ;  nay,  he  says,  'it  is  all  a  lie  ;'  and,  I  hear,  he  declares 
so  in  the  pulpit ;  so  that,  whether  I  will  or  not,  he  obliges  me  to  clear 
myself  in  print.  If  he  goes  on  in  this  manner,  he  will  not  only  constrain 
me  to  print  a  third  edition,  but  also  to  publish  a  dreadful  heap  that  re- 
mains behind.  My  answers  to  him,  the  Count,  and  my  old  friend  Hutton, 
are  almost  ready.  I  cannot  send  them  this  post,  but  may  have  time 
before  long. 

"  O,  my  dear  man,  let  me  tell  thee,  that  the  God  of  truth  and  love  hates 
lies.  That  cause  can  never  be  good,  that  needs  equivocations  and  false- 
hoods to  support  it.  You  shall  have  none  from  me.  I  have  naked  truth. 
I  write  out  of  pure  love.  The  Lord  Jesus  only  knows  what  unspeakable 
grief  I  feel,  when  I  think  how  many  of  my  friends  have  so  involved  them- 
selves. If  anything  stops  my  pen,  it  will  be  concern  for  them,  not 
myself.  I  value  neither  name  nor  life  itself,  when  the  cause  of  God  calls 
me  to  venture  both.  Thanks  be  to  His  great  name,  I  can  truly  say,  that, 
for  many  years  past,  no  sin  has  had  dominion  over  me  ;  neither  have  I 
slept  with  the  guilt  of  any  known,  unrepented  sin  lying  upon  my  heart. 

"  I  wish  thee  well  in  body  and  soul,  and  subscribe  myself,  my  dear  John, 
)0ur  very  affectionate,  though  injured,  friend  for  Christ's  sake, 

"George  Whitefield." 


310  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

t      • . _ 

1753         To  another  friend,  Whitefield  wrote  as  follows  : — ■ 

Age  38 

"  London,  Ji/ne  8,  1753. 

"  Mr.  S can  tell  you  what  concern  the  Brethren's  awful  conduct  has 

given  me.  Surely,  if  the  Redeemer  had  not  supported  me,  I  should, 
within  these  two  months,  have  died  of  grief.  But  I  will  say  no  more  ; 
Jesus  knows  all  things.  He  will  not  long  bear  with  guile.  I  and  the 
Messrs.  Wesley  arc  very  friendly.  I  like  them,  because  they  let  the  world 
see  what  they  are  at  once.  I  suspect  something  wrong,  when  so  much 
Secresy  is  required." 

Two  days  after  writing  this,  Whitefield  opened  his  new 
Tabernacle,  on  which  occasion  he  preached,  in  the  morning, 
from  Solomon's  prayer  at  the  dedication  of  the  temple ;  and, 
in  the  evening,  from  i  Cht-on.  xxix.  9  :  "  Then  the  people 
rejoiced,  for  that  they  offered  willingly,  because  with  perfect 
heart  they  offered  willingly  to  the  Lord  :  and  David  the 
king  also  rejoiced  with  great  joy."  It  is  needless  to  add, 
that  the  building  "  was  crowded  almost  to  suffocation  in 
every  part."^ 

The  Tabernacle  being  built  and  opened,  Whitefield  felt 
himself  at  liberty  to  "  take  the  field."  Accordingly,  on 
June  20,  he  started  off  to  Portsmouth,  where  he  spent 
about  a  week.  Having  fulfilled  his  -lission  there,  he  set 
out  for  the  north  of  England.  He  had  "  two  good  meet- 
ings "  at  Olney.  At  Northampton,  "  several  thousands 
attended."  Leicester  was  "  a  cold  place  ;  but  the 
people  stood  very  attentive,  and  some  were  affected."  At 
Nottingham,  "  a  great  multitude  came  to  hear,  but  a  son 
of  Belial  endeavoured  to  disturb  them."  At  Sheffield,  he 
had  "  two  good  meetings,"  and  a  cor  regation  "  consisting 
of  several  thousands."  At  Rotherha.n,  "  after  preaching, 
a  young  man  was  set  at  liberty,  who  had  been  groaning 
under  the  spirit  of  bondage  for  four  years."  At  Leeds, 
thousands  attended  daily  ;  and,  on  the  Lord's-day,  it  was 
computed  that  near  twenty  thousand  were  present."  At 
Birstal""^   and   Bradford,  "  many  thousands   flocked  together." 

'   "  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  i.,  p.  203. 

*  Benjamin  Rhodes,  now  a  boy  of  eleven  years  of  age,  but  afterwards 
one  of  the  best  of  Wesley's  itinerant  preachers,  was  present  at  Birstal. 
He  writes  :  "  I  went  with  my  father  to  Birstal  to  hear  Mr.  Whitefield.  I 
found  my  soul  deeply  affected  under  the  word.     At  first,  I  had  a  kind  ot 


1)1   Scotland.  x  1 1 


"  At    York,"   he    says,    "  I   preached   four    times  ;    twice   we     '753 
were    disturbed,   and  twice  we  had   sweet    seasons."      Thus   ^\<gz  3S 
did    he    preach    all    the   way    from    London    to    Newcastle 
where  he  arrived   on  Saturday,  July  14.      Three  days   after- 
wards, he  wrote  to  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon  : — 

"  Newcastle,  July  17,  1753. 
"  I  wrote  to  your  ladyship  just  before  I  set  out  for  Portsmouth, 
and  thought  to  have  written  again  at  my  return,  but  was  hindered 
by  staying  only  one  night  in  London.  Ever  since,  I  have  been  on  the 
range  for  lost  sinners  ;  and,  blessed  be  God  !  I  have  been  much  owned 
by  Him  who  delights  to  work  by  the  meanest  instruments.  Sometimes 
I  have  scarce  known  whether  I  have  been  in  heaven  or  on  earth.  I  came 
hither  on  Saturday,  and  have  preached  seven  times,  and  once  at  Sunder- 
land, where  a  great  multitude  attended,  and  were  deeply  impressed.  At 
five  in  the  morning,  the  great  room'  is  filled  ;  and,  on  the  Lord's-day,  the 
congregation  out  of  doors  was  great  indeed.  Surely  the  shout  of  a  King 
has  been  amongst  us.  All  is  harmony  and  love.  I  am  now  going  to  a 
place  called  Sheep-hill,  and  shall  return  to  preach  here  again  in  the  evening. 
To-morrow  I  set  forward  to  Scotland.  This  maybe  communicated  to  IVlr. 
Charles  Wesley,  to  whom  I  would  write  if  I  had  time." 

The  Scots  Magazine  for  1753  (p,  361)  says  : — 

"Mr.  George  Whitefield  arrived  at  Edinb'jrgh  July  20th  ;  went  thence 
to  Glasgow  on  the  27th  ;  returned  to  Edinburgh  August  3rd  ;  and  set  out 
for  London  on  the  7th.  He  preached  daily,  morning  and  evening,  when 
at  Edinburgh,  in  the  Orphan  Hospital  Park  ;  and,  when  at  Glasgow,  in 
the  Castle-yard,  to  numerous  audiences.  In  his  sermons  at  Glasgow,  he 
declaimed  warmly  against  a  play-house,  lately  erected  within  the  enclosure 
in  which  he  preached.  The  consequence  was,  that,  before  his  departure, 
workmen  were  employed  to  take  it  down,  to  prevent  its  being  done  by 
ruder  hands," 

Whitefield  went  to  Scotland,  not  with  his  usual  buoyancy. 
Under  date  of  "Edinburgh,  July  21,"  he  wrote  : — 

"  The  inward  discouragements  I  have  felt  against  coming  to  Scotland 
have  been  many.  I  have  left  a  people  full  of  fire.  Thousands  and 
thousands  flocked  to  hear  the  glorious  gospel.  I  have  heard  of  awaken- 
ings in  every  place.  Saints  have  been  revived,  and  heaven,  as  it  were, 
has  come  down  on  earth.  We  have  enjoyed  perpetual  Cambuslang 
seasons.     My  heart  is  quite  broken  to  think  poor  Scotland  is  so  dead. 

terror  ;  but,  before  the  sermon  was  ended,  my  heart  was  melted  into 
tenderness,  and  sweetly  drawn  after  God."  {Arminian  Magazine,  1779, 
P-  358.) 

'  No  doubt  Wesley's  old  chapel,  the  Orphan  House. 


312  TJic  Life  cf  While  fie  Id. 

'753  He,    however,    plunged    into    his    work,   and    not   witliout 

Age  38  success.      In  another  letter,  dated  "Glasgow,  July  25,  1753," 
he  says  : — 

"Yesterday,  I  was  enabled  to  preach  five  times,  and,  I  suppose,  the  last 
time  to  near  twenty  thousand.  At  Edinburgh,  I  preached  twice  every  day 
to  many  thousands,  among  whom  were  many  of  the  noble  and  polite. 
Attention  sits  on  the  faces  of  all  ;  and  friends  come  round  me,  like  so 
many  bees,  to  importune  me  for  ore  week's  longer  stay  in  Scotland." 

As  already  stated,  Whitefie'd  started,  from  Edinburgh 
to  London,  on  Tuesday,  August  7th.  On  Wednesday,  he 
preached  at  Berwick,  and  again  on  Thursday  morning.  On 
Thursday  night,  he  arrived  at  Alnwick,  and  "  it  being  the 
time  of  the  races,"  he  preached  on  the  words,  "  So  run  that 
ye  may  obtain."      He  writes  : — 

"Whilst  I  was  discoursing,  the  gentlemen  came  down  from  the  race,  and 
surrounded  the  congregation,  and  heard  very  attentively.  The  next 
morning,  at  five,  I  preached  again  ;  and,  about  noon,  at  a  place  called 
Placey  ;  and,  in  the  evening,  about  nine,  at  Newcastle,  where  a  great 
number  expected  me,  and  my  text  was,  '  At  midnight,  a  cry  was  made. 
Behold,  the  Bridegroom  cometh.' 

On  the  Sunday  following,  be  wrote  to  Mr.  Gillies,  of 
Glasgow  : — 

"  I  am  to  preach  three  times  every  day  this  week.  This  promise  supports 
me — 'As  thy  day  is,  so  shall  thy  strength  be.'     By  the  enclosed,  you  will 
see  the  devil  owes  me  a  grudge  for  what  was  done  at  Glasgow.     Would  it 
not  be  proper  to  insert  a  paragraph  to  contradict  it  ? " 
« 
Next  day,  August  13  th,  he  wrote  to  another  friend  : — 

My  route  is  now  fixed.  After  preaching  here  "  (Newcastle)  "  and  here- 
abouts three  times  each  day,  I  am  to  leave  this  place  on  Thursday ;  to 
be  at  Stockton  on  Sunday  ;  at  Osmotherley  on  Monday  noon  ;  lie  at  Top- 
cliff,  and  reach  York,  by  way  of  Boroughbridge,  on  Tuesday  next ;  and 
then  come  forwards  to  Leeds. 

"  I  could  not  finish  this  letter  last  night.  It  is  now  Tuesday  morning. 
Surely  heaven  came  down  amongst  us,  under  the  last  evening's  preaching. 
It  was  almost  too  much  for  my  body.  I  must  away  to  Horsley  to  preach, 
from  whence  I  am  to  return  here  to  preach  again  this  evening.  Thrice 
a  day  tries  me,  but  in  the  Lord  have  I  righteousness  and  strength.  If 
you  hear  of  a  mob  being  raised,  by  my  preaching,  at  Glasgow,  assure  your 
friends  there  was  none  ;  but  Satan  owes  me  a  grudge  for  speaking  against 
the  play-house." 


Glasgozv  Play/iouse  313 


It  is  important  to  bear  in  mind,  that,  at  nearly  all,  if  not 
actually  all,  the  places  in  the  north  of  England,  where 
Whitefield  preached,  there  were  meeting-houses  and  Societies 
belonging  to  his  friend  Wesley.  In  truth,  whatever  might 
be  the  case  in  London,  Whitefield,  in  the  country,  was 
W^esley's  fellow-labourer.  There  was  no  formal  and  avowed 
union  between  the  two,  and,  on  some  important  doctrines, 
they  differed ;  but  wherever  Whitefield  went,  Wesley's 
people  were  prepared  to  welcome  him  ;  and  he  was  equally 
prepared  to  do  them  all  the  good  he  could.^  Osmotherley^ 
is  mentioned  in  the  foregoing  extract.  This  was  a  small 
moorland  village,  quite  out  of  Whitefield's  way  to  London, 
and  difficult  of  access  ;  but  one  of  Wesley's  Societies  had 
been  formed  even  here,  and  they  were  about  to  erect  a 
chapel.  On  no  other  ground,  except  that  Whitefield,  with- 
out professing  it,  was  acting  as  Wesley's  lieutenant,  is  it 
possible  to  account  for  Whitefield's  visits  to  places  like 
Osmotherlcy,  Placey,  Horsley,  Sheephill,  Stockton,  and  others 
which  might  be  mentioned. 

The  mob  at  Glasgow  has  been  named.  The  explanation 
is,  the  proprietor  of  a  play-house  was  supposed  to  be  so 
affected  by  Whitefield's  preaching,  that  he,  at  once,  began 
to  take  down  the  roof  of  his  edifice.  Either  through  malice 
or  misinformation,  several  of  the  newspapers  of  the  day 
represented  this  as  being  done  by  a  mob,  under  the  ex- 
citing   influence   of  Whitefield's    ministry.^      Whitefield   had 

*  When  he  had  a  chance,  Wesley  reciprocated  this.  Under  the  date 
of  "August  14th,  1753,"  the  very  time  when  Whitefield  was  preaching 
in  the  "Orphan  House"  at  Newcastle,  Wesley  wrote:  "I  willingly 
accepted  the  offer  of  preaching  in  the  house  lately  built  for  Mr.  White- 
field,  at  Plymouth  Dock.  Thus  it  behoveth  us  to  trample  on  bigotry  and 
party  zeal.  Ought  not  all  who  love  God  to  love  one  another.?"  (Wesley's 
Works,  vol.  ii.,  p.  287.) 

-  The  original  Society  Book  of  the  Osmotherley  Methodists  still  exists, 
and  contains  the  following  entry  :  "  1753.  August  21st.  Mr.  George 
Wliitefield  preached  here  .in  the  evening."  From  a  manuscript  "  History 
of  Methodism  in  Barnardcastle,  'it  appears  that,  at  this  time,  Whitefield 
a.  so  paid  a  visit  there.  On  arriving,  he  enquired  if  there  were  any 
religious  persons  in  the  town.  "  Yes,"  was  the  prompt  reply,  "  There  are 
the  Lilfy  Fattens^' — a  nickname  given  to  the  Barnardcastle  Methodists, 
from  the  circumstance  that  they  went  to  their  meeting-house  in  paticns. 
He  preached  in  a  yard,  out  of  the  Horse  Market,  from  Ezekiel  x.x.xiii.  11. 

^  The  Newcastle  Journal,  of  August  11,  1753,  contained  a  paragraph  to  ■ 
•,;.is  cftecf. 


314  The  Life  of  Whiie/ieid. 


-"53    been  so  often   mobbed   himself,  that  he  had   no  wish   to  be 
Age  38  announced  as   allied  to  mobs.      Hence,   before  he  left  New- 
castle, he  wrote   the  following  letter,  which  was  printed,   by 
the  publishers,  in  the  Nezucastle  Journal: — 

"Newcastle,  At(gjist  17,  1753. 

"  Gentlemen,— By  your  last  Saturday's  paper,  I  find  that  some  Edin- 
burgh correspondent  has  informed  you,  that,  when  I  was  preaching  at 
Glasgow  on  the  2nd  inst.,  to  a  numerous  audience,  near  the  play-house 
lately  built,  I  inflamed  the  mob  so  much  against  it,  that  they  ran  directly 
from  before  me,  and  pulled  it  down  to  the  ground  ;  and  that  several  of 
the  rioters,  since  then,  have  been  taken  up,  and  committed  to  jail.  But, 
I  assure  you,  this  is  mere  slander  and  misinformation.  It  is  true,  indeed, 
that  I  was  preaching  at  Glasgow,  to  a  numerous  auditory,  at  the  beginning 
of  this  month  ;  and  that  I  thought  it  my  duty  to  shew  the  evil  of  having 
a  play-house  erected  in  a  trading  city — almost,  too,  before  the  very  door 
of  the  university.  And  this,  by  the  help  of  God,  if  called  to  it,  I  should 
do  again.  But  that  I  inflamed  the  mob,  or  that  they  ran  directly  from  me, 
and  pulled  the  play-house  down,  or  that  the  rioters  were  taken  up  and  put 
into  prison,  is  entirely  false. 

"  I  suppose  all  this  took  its  rise  from  the  builder  taking  down  the  roof 
of  the  house  himself.  You  must  know  that  the  walls  of  this  play-house 
were  part  of  the  old  palace  of  the  Bishop  of  Glasgow,  and  only  had  a 
board  covering  put  upon  them  during  the  time  of  the  players  being  there. 
They  being  gone,  the  owner  (whether  convinced  by  anything  that  was 
said,  I  cannot  tell)  began  to  take  off  the  roof  several  days  before  I  left 
that  place  ;  so  that,  if  there  had  been  any  riot,  doubtless  I  should  have 
seen  it. 

"  No,  gentlemen,  your  correspondent  may  assure  himself  that  I  am  too 
much  a  friend  to  my  God,  my  king,  and  my  country,  to  encourage  any 
such  thing.  I  know  of  no  such  means  of  reformation,  either  in  church  or 
state.  The  weapons  of  a  Christian's  warfare  are  not  carnal.  And  there- 
fore, if  you  please  to  inform  the  public  and  your  Edinburgh  correspondent 
of  the  mistake,  in  to-morrow's  paper,  you  will  oblige.  Gentlemen, 

"  Your  very  humble  servant, 

"  George  Whitefield." 

On  leaving  Newcastle,  Whitefield  continued  to  visit  towns 
and  villages,  where  Wesley  had  formed  Societies,  and  every- 
where his  gigantic  labours  were  attended  with  marvellous 
success.  The  following  extracts  from  two  letters  to  the 
Countess  of  Huntingdon  will  convey  an  idea  of  the  scenes 
he  witnessed  : — 

"  York,  September  1 1,  1753. 

"  Last  Saturday,  I  returned  to  Leeds,  whence  I  had  been  absent  a  fort- 
night.    What  the  glorious  Emmanuel  gave  us  to  see  and  feel,  is  inex- 


Glorious  Seasons.  3  r  5 


Ace  .ciS 


pressible.  What  a  sacrament  at  Haworth  !  We  used  thirty-five  bottles  1753 
of  wine  on  the  occasion.  I  have  been  as  far  as  Bolton,  Manchester,  and 
Stockport.  At  the  last  place,  so  much  of  the  Divine  presence  came 
amongst  us,  that  it  was  almost  too  much  for  our  frail  natures  to  bear. 
Everywhere  the  congregations  looked  like  swarms  of  bees  ;  and  the  more 
I  preached,  the  more  eager  they  seemed  to  be.  At  Birstal,  last  Lord's- 
day,  there  were  near  twenty  thousand  ;  and,  on  Monday  morning,  the 
parting  at  Leeds  was  the  most  affecting  I  ever  saw.  Last  night,  I  came 
hither,  and  preached  with  quietness.  This  morning,  I  am  setting  out  for 
Lincolnshire.  Besides  travelling,  I  have  been  enabled  to  preach  thrice  a 
day  frequently.  I  hear  of  scores  of  souls  who  have  been  awakened.  They 
tell  me  that  a  hundred  have  been  added  to  the  Sunderland  Society.' 
Never  did  I  see  the  work  more  promising.  God  be  merciful  to  me  a 
sinner,  and  give  me  an  humble,  thankful  heart  ! " 

"  London,  September  26,  1753. 
"  Yesterday,  the  good  and  never-failing  Redeemer  brought  me  and  mine 
to  London,  where  I  expect  to  stay  only  a  few  days.  During  the  last  three 
months,  I  have  been  enabled  to  travel  about  twelve  hundred  miles,  and 
to  preach  about  one  hundred  and  eighty  sermons,  to  many,  very  many, 
thousands  of  souls.  More  glorious  seasons  I  never  saw.  My  last  excur- 
sion has  been  to  York,  Lincolnshire,  Rotherham,  Sheffield,  Nottingham, 
and  Northampton,  where,  I  believe,  near  ten  thousand  came  to  hear  last 
Lord's-day." 

Though  Whitefield  had  built  and  opened  his  new  Taber- 
nacle, he  was  not  inclined  to  "  nestle "  in  it.  Within  ten 
days  after  his  arrival  in  London,  he  resumed  his  itinerancy. 
On  Saturday,  October  6th,  he  bad  "  a  blessed  season  at 
Olney  ; "  and,  next  day,  "  two  glorious  opportunities "  at 
Northampton.  On  Monday,  October  8th,  he  preached 
at  Oxenden  and  Bosworth  ;  on  Tuesday,  at  Kettering  and 
Bedford  ;  and  on  Wednesday,  at  Bedford  and  Olney.  He 
then  set  out  for  Staffordshire,  and  preached  "  at  Birmingham 
and  several  adjacent  places."  Three  weeks  after  his  depar- 
ture from  London,  he  wrote  as  follows  : — 

"Wolverhampton,  October  27,  1753. 
"  My  last,   I  think,  was  from  Nantwich.     Since  then,   I   have  been 
breaking  up  new  ground."     I  have  preached  four  times  at  Alpraham,  in 


'  This  was  one  of  Wesley's  Societies.  In  fact,  Whitefield's  former 
friends,  the  Welsh  Calvinistic  Methodists,  had  no  Societies  in  the  north 
of  England  ;  nor  had  Whitefield  himself. 

-  I'his  is  only  true  in  the  sense  that  Whitefield  had  not  been  in  this 
part  of  the  kingdom  until  now.  John  Bennet  and  others  had  already 
iormed  Methodist  Societies  in  all  the-}3laces  mentioned,  except,  perhaps, 
Wrexham. 


3i6  The  Life  of  Whitcjield. 


r753  Cheshire,  where  the  Lord  was  with  ns  oi  a  truth  ;  and  where  He  had 
prepared  my  way,  by  blessing  several  of  my  poor  writings.     At  Chester, 

'^^  I  preached  four  times;  a  great  concourse  attended;  all  was  quiet;' 
several  of  the  clergy  were  present  ;  and  the  word  came  with  power.  I 
have  since  heard  that  the  most  noted  rebel  in  the  town  was  brought  under 
deep  conviction,  and  could  not  sleep  night  or  day.  At  Liverpool,  the  way 
was  equally  prepared.  A  person,  who  had  been  wrought  on  by  some  of 
my  printed  sermons,  met  me  at  landing,  and  took  me  to  his  house.^  A 
great  number,  at  a  short  notice,  were  convened  ;  all  were  quiet  ;  and  some 
came  under  immediate  conviction.  Wrexham  has  been  a  rude  place ; 
and,  upon  my  coming  there,  the  town  was  alarmed,  and  several  thousands 
came  to  hear.  Some  of  the  baser  sort  made  a  great  noise,  and  threw 
stones,  but  none  touched  me,  and,  I  trust,  our  Lord  got  Himself  the 
victory.  The  next  day,  near  Alpraham,  we  had  another  heaven  upon 
earth.  The  morning  after,  I  intended  to  preach  near  Nantwich,  where  a 
Methodist   meeting-house   has   lately   been   pulled   down.     Here  Satan 

roared.     The  mob  pelted   Mr.  D ^  and  others  much,  but  I  got  off 

pretty  free,  and  had  opportunity  of  preaching  quietly  a  little  out  of  town. 
Last  night,  I  preached  here,  in  the  dark,  to  a  great  number  of  hearers.  I 
am  now  bound  for  Wednesbury,  Dudley,  and  Kidderminster." 

Eleven  days  after  writing  this,  Whitefield  had  returned  to 
London  ;  but,  two  days  afterwards,  he  was  off  to  Gloucester, 
and  the  west  of  England.  The  following  was  addressed  to 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Gillies,  of  Glasgow,  who  had  requested  him  to 
point  out  those  parts  of  his  journals  which  it  might  be 
desirable  to  insert  in  the  "  Historical  Collections,"  then  in 
course  of  preparation  for  the  press  : — 

"  Gloucester,  November  16,  1753. 

"Reverend  and  very  dear  Sir, — I  received  your  kind  letter,  and 
would  have  sent  the  Journals  immediately,  but  knew  not  how.  My  wife 
promised  to  embrace  the  first  opportunity  that  offered  ;  and  I  hope,  ere 
long,  they  will  come  safe  to  hand.  As  for  my  pointing  out  particular  pas- 
sages, it  is  impracticable.  I  have  neither  leisure  nor  inclination  so  to  do. 
My  doings  and  writings  appear  to  me  in  so  mean  a  light,  that  I  think 
they  deserve  no  other  treatment  than  to  be  buried  in  eternal  oblivion. 

"  Great  things  were  done  in  and  about  Newcastle ;  bat  far  greater  did 
we  see  afterwards  in  Yorkshire,  Lancasliire,  etc.  Since  then,  I  have  been 
another  tour,  and  have  preached  at  Liverpool,  Chester,  Coventry,  Birming- 
ham, Dudley,  Wednesbury,  Kidderminster,  Northampton,  Bedford,  etc, 

'  Twelve  months  before,  when  Wesley  was  at  Chester,  there  was  great 
disturbance  ;  and,  a  few  days  after  his  departure,  the  mob  destroyed  his 
meeting-house. 

-  Probably  this  was  John  Newton,  then  a  tidewaiter  at  Liverpool,  but 
afterwards  curate  of  Oiney,  and  rector  of  St.  Mary,  Woolnoth,  London. 

'  Probably  William  Darney,  one  of  Wesley's  itinerants. 


Age  38 


Norwich    Tabernacle.  317 

At  present,  I  am  in  my  native  county,  where  the  Lord  has  given  us  several     I753 
precious  meetings.     After  a  few  days'  sojourning  here,  I  am  bound  for 
Bristol  and  Plymouth  ;  and,  in  about  three  weeks,   I  purpose  to  betake 
myself  to  my  winter  quarters." 

Whiteficld    arrived    at    Bristol    on    Nov^embcr    19th,    and 
wrote,  as  follows,  to  Thomas  Adams  : — 

"  Bristol,  November  21,  1753. 

"  Never  before  had   I  such  freedom  in   Gloucestershire.     Showers  of 
blessings  descended  from  above.     I  came  here  on  Monday  evening,  and 
to  my  great  disappointment,  found  that  the  new  Tabernacle  is  not  finished, 
so  that  I  know  not  well  what  to  do.     However,  we  had  a  good  time  last 
night  at  the  Hall. 

"  Your  motion  to  go  to  Norwich,  I  much  approve  of.  Whatever  others 
design,  that  is  nothing  to  us.  Simplicity  and  godly  sincerity  will  carry  all 
before  them  in  the  end.  O  that  the  sons  of  Zeruiah  could  be  persuaded 
to  let  us  alone  \  But  how  then  should  we  be  able  to  approve  ourselves 
sons  of  David .''  By  thorns  and  briars,  the  old  man  must  be  scratched  to 
death.  O  this  crucifixion  work  !  Lord  Jesus,  help  us  to  go  through  with 
it  !  He  will,  He  will.  I  commend  thee  and  thine  to  His  almighty  pro- 
tection and  never-failing  mercy  ;  and  remain,  my  very  dear  man, 
"  Yours  most  affectionately, 

"  George  Whitefield." 

A  word  of  explanation.  After  the  termination  of  James 
Wheatiey's  ministry  at  Norvvich,  it  became  a  serious  question 
who  was  to  occup}''  his  Tabernacle  there.  The  Society  he 
had  gathered  was  composed  of  persons  far  from  perfect. 
Considerable  wrangling'  ensued;  but,  until  1758,  the  Nor- 
wich Tabernacle  was  chiefly  supplied  by  the  preachers  con- 
nected with  Whitefield's  Tabernacle  in  Moorfields.  It  then 
passed  into  the  hands  of  Wesley  ;  who,  in  1763,  gave  it  up 
as  a  hopeless  undertaking.  For  twelve  years  after  that,  it 
was  occupied  by  the  Rev.  John  Hook,  grandfather  oi  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Hook,  Dean  of  Worcester,  and  of  Theodore  Hook, 
the  celebrated  novelist.  In  1775,  James  Wheatley  let  it  to 
Lady  Huntingdon,  at  an  annual  rent  of  ^40.  It  is  not 
necessary  to  pursue  its  history  further.^ 

Then,  in  reference  to  the  Bristol  Tabernacle.  Almost 
from  tlie  commencement  of  their  career,  the  followers  of 
Vv'iiitcfield  and  of  Wesley  had  held  separate  services  at 
Bristol.      Wesley  had  had  a  chapel  there  ever  since  the  year 

'  "  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  343. 


3i8  The  Life  of  IV hit ef eld. 

1753  1739.  Up  to  the  present,  Whitefield  had  none.  Consider- 
Ape"^8  i"&  '^'^'^  pecuHar  position  held  by  Whitefield,  as  belong-ing-  to 
no  party  and  yet  the  friend  of  all,  it  is  difficult  to  imagine 
why  he  now  sanctioned  the  erection  of  a  chapel  for  him- 
self, except  that  he  and  his  special  adherents  were  well 
aware,  that  many,  belonging  to  the  upper  classes  of  society, 
who  were  in  the  habit  of  visiting  the  Hotwells,  would  not 
attend  Wesley's  meeting-house,  but  would  be  likely  to  sit 
under  the  more  popular  ministry  of  his  friend  Whitefield. 
Be  that  as  it  may,  the  Countess  of  Huntin  ;Jon  exerted  her 
influence  to  obtain  the  necessary  funds  for  a  xxt^.w  erection. 
Lord  Chesterfield  sent  her  £20  •}  but  added,  "  I  must  beg 
my  name  not  to  appear  in  any  zuay.  Lady  Chesterfield  is 
active  among  her  friends,  and,  I  doubt  not,  you  will  reap  the 
benefit  of  her  solicitations."  The  Earl  of  Bath  sent  £$0, 
and  said,  "  It  gives  me  unfeigned  pleasure  to  hear  of  tlie  good 
effects  of  Mr.  Whitefield's  preaching  at  Bristol,  and  amongst 
the  colliers."  The  result  of  Lady  Huntingdon's  efforts  was, 
the  new  Tabernacle  was  now  nearly  completed,  and  White- 
field  had  come  to  open  it.^  The  dedication  sei"vices  were 
held  on  Sunday,  November  2  5th.-^  Hence  the  following 
letter  to  a  friend  : — 

"  Bristol.  Deceinber  1,  1753. 
"  We  have  enjoyed  much  of  God  at  Bristol.  Twice  I  preached  in  my 
brother's  great  house  to  the  quality,  amongst  whom  was  one  of  Caesar's 
household.^  On  Sunday  last,  I  opened  the  new  Talaernacle.  It  is  large, 
but  not  half  large  enough.  Would  the  place  contain  them,  I  believe  near 
as  many  would  attend  as  do  in  London." 

'  It  is  a  curious  fact  that  this  remarkable  inan  was  sometimes  almost 
fascinated  by  Whitefield's  preaching.  On  one  occasion,  when  the  great 
preacher  was  representing  the  sinner  under  the  figure  of  a  blind  beggar, 
whose  dog  had  broken  from  him,  and  who  was  groping  on  the  brink  of  a 
precipice,  over  which  he  stepped,  and  was  lost,  Chesterfield  was  so  excited 
by  the  graphic  description^  that  he  bounded  from  his  seat,  and  ex  laimed, 
"  By  heavens,  the  beggar's  gone."  It  is  also  related,  that  when  it  was 
proposed  in  the  Privy  Council  that  some  method  should  be  used  to  stop 
Whitefield's  preaching,  Chesterfield,  who  was  present,  turned  upon  his 
heels,  and  said,  "  Make  him  a  bishop,  and  you  will  silence  him  at  once." 

-  "  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  ii,,  pp.  378-380. 

^  The  centenary  services  of  this  venerable  edifice  were  held  on  Novem- 
ber 25th,  1 853,  when  a  sermon  was  preached  by  the  Rev.  John  Angel  James, 
and  addresses  were  delivered  by  the  Revs.  G.  Smith,  Henry  Omck,  J. 
Glanville,  and  Dr.  Joseph  Beaumont  ;  the  whole  of  which  were  published, 
in  a  i2mo.  volume  of  159  pages. 

^  Mrs.  Grinfield,  one  of  the  ladies  who  attended  on  Queen  Caroline. 


Wesley  Dangerously  III.  319 

This  is  all  that  Whitefield   has   recorded  concerning  the     ^753 
consecration  of  the  Bristol  Tabernacle.     The  day  after  its  Age  38 
opening,  he  set  out  on  a  preaching  tour  in   Somersetshire; 
but  says  : — 

"  The  weather  was  so  violent,  and  my  call  to  London  likely  to  be  so 
speedy,  that  I  turned  back.  On  Tuesday,  at  seven  in  the  evening,  I 
preached  in  the  open  air  to  a  great  multitude.  All  was  hushed  and  ex- 
ceeding solemn.  The  stars  shone  very  bright,  and  my  hands  and  body 
were  pierced  with  cold  ;  but  what  are  ouuvard  things,  when  the  soul  within 
is  warmed  with  the  love  of  God  ?  " 

While  Whitefield  was  opening  the  Bristol  Tabernacle, 
Wesley  was  seized  with  an  illness,  which  all  his  friends  ex- 
pected to  prove  fatal.  Just  at  the  same  time,  the  wife  of 
Charles  Wesley  caught  the  small-pox  at  Bristol,  and  was  in 
the  greatest  danger.  Between  this  excellent  lady  and  the 
Countess  of  Huntingdon  there  existed  a  close  intimacy  and 
friendship  ;  and,  whenever  the  Countess  was  in  Ikistol, 
Charles  Wesley  and  his  wife  alwaj'S  received  a  warm  wel- 
come to  her  house.  Charles  was  now  in  London,  visiting 
his  apparently  dying  brother ;  but  was  greatly  needed  by 
his  wife  in  Bristol.  In  this  emergency,  Lady  Huntingdon 
hurried  AVhitefield  to  the  metropolis,  to  enable  Charles 
Wesley  to  pay  a  visit  to  his  seemingly  dying  wife.^  This 
brief  statement  will  help  to  explain  the  following  beautifully 
pathetic  letters,  written  by  Whitefield,  at  this  afflictive 
period.  The  first  was  probably  addressed  to  the  noted 
Methodist  at  Leeds,  William  Shent : — 

"  Bristol,  December  3,  1753. 
*'  I  have  been  preaching  the  last  week  in  Somersetshire.  The  fire  there 
warmed  and  inflamed  me,  though  I  preached  in  the  open  air  on  Tuesday 
evening  at  seven  o'clock,  as  well  as  on  Wednesday  and  Thursday.  I 
purposed  to  go  as  far  as  Plymouth,  but  Providence  has  brought  me  back, 
and  I  am  now  hastening  to  London,  to  pay  my  last  respects  to  my  dying 
friend.  It  may  be,  that  shortly  Mr.  John  Wesley  will  be  no  more.  The 
physicians  think  his  disease  a  galloping  consumption.  I  pity  the  Church  ; 
I  pity  myself ;  but  not  him.  We  must  stay  behind  in  this  cold  climate, 
whilst  he  takes  his  flight  to  a  radiant  throne.  Poor  Mr,  Charles  will  now 
have  double  work." 

On  the  same  day,  Whitefield  wrote  to  both   the  Wesleys. 


Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  381. 


2,20  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

'"53    The  first  of  the  ensuing  letters  was  addressed  to  Charles  ; 
/,  e  38  the  second  to  John, 

"  Bristol,  December  3,  1753. 
"  Being  unexpectedly  brought  back  from  Somersetshire,  and  hearing 
you  are  gone  on  such  a  mournful  errand,  I  cannot  help  sending  after  you 
a  few  sympathising  lines.  The  Lord  help  and  support  you  !  May^a  double 
spirit  of  the  ascending  Elijah  descend  and  rest  on  the  surviving  Elisha  ! 
Now  is  the  time  to  prove  the  strength  of  Jesus  yours. .  A  vi'ife,  a  friend, 
and  brother,  ill  together  !  Well,  this  is  our  comfort,  all  things  shall  work 
together  for  good  to  those  that  love  God. 

"  If  you  think  proper,  be  pleased  to  deliver  the  enclosed.  It  is  written 
out  of  the  fulness  of  my  heart.  To-morrow,  I  leave  Bristol,  and  purpose 
reaching  London  on  Saturday.  Glad  shall  I  be  to  reach  heaven  tirst ; 
but  faith  and  patience  hold  out  a  little  longer.  Yet  a  little  while,  and 
we  shall  be  all  together  with  our  common  Lord.  I  commend  you  to 
His  everlasting  love,  and  am,  my  dear  friend,  with  much  sympathy, 
yours,  etc., 

"  G.  Whitefield." 

"  Bristol,  December  3,  1753. 
"Reverend  and  very  dear  Sir, — If  seeing  you  so  very  weak,  when 
leaving  London,  distressed  me,  the  news  and  prospect  of  your  approaching 
dissolution  have  quite  weighed  me  down.  I  pity  myself  and  the  Church, 
but  not  you.  A  radiant  throne  awaits  you,  and,  ere  long,  you  will  enter 
into  your  Master's  joy.  Yonder  He  stands  with  a  massy  crown,  ready  to 
put  it  on  your  head,  amidst  an  admiring  throng  of  saints  and  angels  ;  but 
I,  poor  I,  who  have  been  waiting  for  my  dissolution  these  nineteen  years, 
must  be  left  behind,  to  grovel  here  below  !  Well,  this  is  my  comfort,  it 
cannot  be  long  ere  the  chariots  will  be  sent  even  for  worthless  me.  If 
prayers  can  detain  them,  even  you,  reverend  and  very  dear  sir,  shall  not 
leave  us  yet ;  but,  if  the  decree  is  gone  forth,  that  you  must  now  fall  asleep 
in  Jesus,  may  He  kiss  your  soul  away,  and  give  you  to  die  in  the  embraces 
of  triumphant  love  !  If  in  the  land  of  the  dying,  I  hope  to  pay  my  last 
respects  to  you  next  week.  If  not,  reverend  and  very  dear  sir,  F  a-r-e-w-e-11 ! 
I prae  sequar,  etsi  no7i  passibus  aequis.  My  heart  is  too  big  ;  tears  trickle 
down  too  fast  ;  and  you,  I  fear,  are  too  weak  for  me  to  enlarge.  Under- 
neath you  may  there  be  Christ's  everlasting  arms  !  I  commend  you  to 
His  never-failing  mercy,  and  am,  reverend  and  very  dear  sir,  your  most 
affectionate,  sympathising,  and  afflicted  younger  brother,  in  the  gospel  of 
our  common  Lord, 

"  George  Whitefield."  ' 

Ten  days  later,  Whitefield  wrote  again  to  Charles  Wesley, 
as  follows  : — 

"  London,  December  13,  1753. 
"  Mv  dear  F"riend, — The  Sea:cher  of  hearts  alone  knows  the  sympathy 

'  Arininian  Magazine^  1779?  P-  318. 


Lovmg  Letters.  321 


I  have  felt  for  you  and  yours  ;  and  in  what  suspense  my  mind  has  been     1753 
concerning  the  event  of  your  present  circumstances.     I  pray  and  enquire,  _ 

and  enquire  and  pray  again  ;  always  expecting  to  hear  the  worst.  Ere  this  '^ 
can  reach  you,  I  expect  the  lot  will  be  cast,  either  for  life  or  death.  I  long 
to  hear,  that  I  may  partake,  like  a  friend,  either  of  your  joy  or  sorrow. 
Blessed  be  God  for  the  promise,  whereby  we  are  assured  that  all  things 
work  together  for  good  to  those  who  love  Him  !  This  may  make  us,  at 
least,  resigned,  when  called  to  part  with  our  Isaacs.  But  who  knows  the 
pain  of  parting,  when  the  wife  and  the  friend  are  conjoined.''  To  have 
the  desire  of  one's  eyes  cut  off  witli  a  stroke,  what  but  grace,  omnipotent 
grace,  can  enable  us  to  bear  it  ?  But  who  knows  ?  perhaps  the  threatened 
stroke  may  be  recalled  ;  and  my  dear  friend  enjoy  his  dear  yoke-fellow's 
company  a  little  longer.  Surely  the  Lord  of  all  lords  is  preparing  you  for 
further  usefulness  by  these  complex  trials.  We  must  be  purged,  if  we 
would  bring  forth  more  fruit. 

"  Your  brother,  I  hear,  is  better.  To-day  I  intended  to  have  seen  him ; 
but  Mr.  Blackwell  sent  me  word,  he  thought  he  would  be  out  for  the  air. 
1  hope  Mr.  Hutchinson'  is  better.  But  I  can  scarce  mention  anybody- 
no  w,  but  dear  Mrs.  Wesley.  Pray  let  me  know  how  it  goes  with  you.  IV.;' 
wife  truly  joins  in  sympathy  and  love.  Night  and  day  indeed  you  are 
remembered  by,  my  dear  friend,  yours,  etc., 

'"G.  Whitefielt?."* 

A  week  afterwards,  Whitefield  wrote  another  letter  to  ins 
beloved  friend,  full  of  jubilant  thankfulness  that  the  health  o*' 
the  afflicted  ones  was  improving. 

"  London,  December  20,  1753. 
"  My  dear  Friend, — I  most  sincerely  rejoice,  and  have  given  private 
and  public  thanks,  for  the  recovery  of  your  dear  yoke-fellow.  My  plea- 
sure is  increased  by  seeing  your  brother  so  well,  as  I  found  him  on  Tuesday 
at  Lewisham.  O  that  you  may  both  spring  afresh,  and  your  latter  end 
increase  more  and  more  !  Talk  not  of  having  no  more  work  to  do  in  the 
vineyard  !  I  hope  all  our  work  is  but  just  beginning.  I  am  sure  it  is  high 
time  for  me  to  do  something  for  Him  who  has  done  and  suffered  so  much 
for  me.  Near  forty  years  old,  and  such  a  dwarf !  The  winter  come 
already,  and  so  little  done  in   the   summer  !      I  am  ashamed,  I  blush, 

'  A  Methodist  from  Leeds, — one  of  Charles  Wesley's  most  devoted 
friends.  When  Charles  was  summoned  to  London,  on  account  of  his 
brother's  illness,  Mr.  Hutchinson,  who  was  staying  at  Bristol,  for  the 
benefit  of  his  health,  resolutely  determined  to  bear  him  company.  He 
died,  at  Leeds,  seven  months  after  this,  on  which  occasion  Charles  Wesley 
composed  two  beautiful  hymns.  In  a  letter  to  his  wife,  dated  "  Leeds," 
Charles  exclaims,  with  his  characteristic  ardour,  "  I  have  been  crying  in 
the  chamber  whence  my  John  Hutchinson  ascended.  My  heart  is  full  of 
him,  and  I  miss  him  every  moment  ;  but  he  is  at  rest."  (C.  Wesley's 
Journal.) 

-  "  Life  of  C.  Wesley,"  vok  ii.,  p.  33  ;  and  Whitefield's  Works,  vol.  iii.,. 
P-  45- 

VOL.  II.  21 


322  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

and  am  confounded.  And  yet,  God  blesseth  us  here.  Truly,  His  out- 
goings are  seen  in  the  Tabernacle.  The  top-stone  is  brought  forth  :  we 
will  now  cry,  '  Grace  !  grace  ! '  I  must  away.  Our  joint  respects  attend 
you  all.  I  hope  Mr.  Hutchinson  mends.  I  hear  his  brother  is  dead.  My 
most  dutiful  respects  await  our  elect  lady."  ' 

■^  These  touching  letters  not  only  exhibit  the  warm  friend- 
ship existing  between  Whitefield  and  the  two  Wesleys,  but 
also  unfold  the  tenderness  of  Whitefield's  feelings,  and  his 
profound  sympathy  with  distress.  Many  others  might  have 
been  inserted,  as  illustrative  of  the  same  moral  excellencies  ; 
but,  for  want  of  space,  they  have  been  excluded. 

Mrs.  Grinfield,  one  of  the  ladies  at  the  court  of  King 
George  II.,  has  been  mentioned,  as  having  been  greatly 
blessed  by  Whitefield's  ministry.  On  his  return  to  London, 
Whitefield  visited  her ;  and  wrote  as  follows  to  the  Countess 
of  Huntingdon  : — 

"  London,  December  15,  1753. 
"  Yesterday  morning,  I  obeyed  your  ladyship's  commands,  and  carried 
the  enclosed  to  Mrs.  Grinfield,  at  St.  James's  Palace.  I  was  much  satisfied 
with  my  visit,  and  am  much  rejoiced  to  find  that  she  seems  resolved  to 
shew  out  at  once.  The  court,  I  believe,  rings  of  her,  and,  if  she  stands, 
1  trust  she  will  make  a  glorious  martyr  for  her  blessed  Lord.  Oh  that  your 
ladyship  could  see  your  way  clear  to  come  up  !  Now  seems  to  be  the  time 
for  a  fresh  stir.  Few  have  cither  courage  or  conduct  to  head  a  Christian 
party  amongst  persons  of  high  life.  That  honour  seems  to  be  put  upon 
your  ladyship, — and  a  glorious  honour  it  is. 

"  On  Tuesday,  I  am  to  dine  with  Mr.  John  Wesley,  who  was  yesterday, 
for  a  few  minutes,  at  the  Foundery  ;  but,  I  hear,  his  lungs  are  touched.  I 
cannot  wish  him  to  survive  his  usefulness.  It  is  poor  living  to  be  nursed  ; 
but  our  Lord  knows  what  is  best  for  His  children.  I  wish  I  might  have 
the  use  of  West  Street  Chapel  once  or  twice  a  week.  Many  want  to  hear 
at  that  end  of  the  town.  The  Messrs.  Wesley  are  quite  welcome  to  all 
the  help  I  can  give  them." 

At  Christmas,  Whitefield's  old  friend,  the  Rev.  Gilbert 
Tennent,  and  the  great  Virginian  preacher,  the  Rev.  Samuel 
Davies,  came  to  England,  as  a  deputation,  to  solicit  subscrip- 
tions for  the  new  college,  founded  by  Governor  Belcher,  at 
Princeton.  Their  mission  was  an  important  one.  The 
Presbyterian  churches  in  the  six  colonies  of  New  York,  New 
Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  Maryland,  Virginia,  and  Carolina  were 

'  "  Life  of  C.  Wesley,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  33. 


New  yersey   College.  323 

looking  to  this  college  for  their  future  supply  of  ministers.^  i7S3 
Under  such  circumstances,  and  quite  apart  from  the  respect  Ag739 
which  Whitefield  felt  for  Governor  Belcher,  the  errand  of  the 
two  American  ministers  was  sure  to  have  his  sympathy  and 
help.  He  wrote  a  recommendatory  letter  to  the  Marquis  of 
Lothian,  and,  through  him,  introduced  the  strangers  to  the 
Presbyterians  of  Scotland.  The  result  of  their  visit  was,  they 
obtained  contributions  from  England  and  Scotland,  which 
"  amply  enabled  the  trustees  to  erect  a  convenient  edifice  for 
the  accommodation  of  the  students,  and  to  lay  a  foundation 
for  a  fund  for  the  support  of  necessary  instructors."  * 

Whitefield  refers  to  this  in  the  following  letter  to  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Gillies,  of  Glasgow  ; — 

"  London,  December  27,  1753. 

"  Reverend  and  very  dear  Sir, — I  am  surprised  to  find,  by  your 
last  kind  letter,  that  my  poor  Journals  are  not  come  to  hand.     My  wife 

informs  me  that  they  were  sent  to  one  Mr.  E ,  who  was  to  send  o^if 

goods  the  very  next  day. 

"  Perhaps  it  will  please  you  to  hear  that  Messrs.  Tennent  ar:d  Dn.-.'ie.s 
supped  with  me  last  night.  May  the  good  Lord  prosper  the  work  of  their 
hands  !  I  hope  they  will  be  introduced  soon  to  the  Marquis  of  Lothian, 
and,  by  him,  to  Lord  Leven.  I  shall  help  them  all  I  can.  At  the  greac 
day,  all  things  will  be  laid  open.^ 

"  Would  you  think  it,  I  am  this  day  thirty-nine  years  of  age*     Did  not 

'  Hodge's  "  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United  States,"  part  ii.,  p.  243. 

*  Ibid. 

*  Mr.  Davies  kept  a  diary,  from  which  the  following  extract  is  made  : — 
"  Wednesday,  Dec.  26,  1753.  Mr.  Whitefield  having  sent  us  an  invitation 
to  make  his  house  our  home  during  our  stay  here,  we  were  perplexed  what 
to  do,  lest  we  should  blast  the  success  of  our  mission  among  the  Dissenters, 
who  are  generally  disaffected  to  him.  We  at  length  concluded,  with  the 
advice  of  our  friends  and  his,  that  a  public  intercourse  witli  him  would  be 
imprudent  in  our  present  situation  ;  and  we  visited  him  privately  this 
evening.  The  kind  reception  he  gave  us  revived  dear  Mr.  Tennent.  He 
spoke  in  the  most  encouraging  manner  of  the  success  of  our  mission,  and, 
in  all  his  conversations,  discovered  so  much  zeal  and  candour,  that  1  could 
not  but  admire  the  man  as  the  wonder  of  the  age.  When  we  returned,  Mr. 
Tennent's  heart  was  all  on  fire,  and,  after  we  had  gone  to  bed,  he  suggested 
that  we  should  watch  and  pray  ;  and  we  arose  and  prayed  together  till 
about  three  in  the  morning."  (Wakeley's  "Anecdotes  of  Whitefield," 
p.  258.) 

^  According  to  the  "  old  style,"  Whitefield  was  born  on  December  i6th 
In  175 1,  an  Act  of  Parliament  was  passed  for  the  adoption  of  the  "  neii/ 
r.iyle  "  in  all  public  and  legal  transactions  ;  and  ordered  that  the  day 
following  the  2nd  of  September  of  the  year  1752  should  be  accounted  the 
14th  of  that  month.  This  explains  the  seeming  discrepancy  in  Whitefield's 
letter. 


324  The  Life  of  IVhUcficld. 


business  require  my  attendance,  I  could  lock  myself  up,  and  lie  prostrate 
all  the  day  long  in  deep  humiliation  before  God.  My  dear  sir,  let  none  of 
my  friends  cry  to  such  a  sluggish,  unprofitable  worm,  'Spare  thyself.' 
Rather,  spur  me  on,  I  pray  you,  with  an  '  Awake,  sleeper,  and  begin  to  do 
something  for  thy  God  ! '  The  Lord  being  my  helper,  I  will.  Do  Thou 
strengthen  me,  my  Lord  and  my  God  I  and  I  will  go  for  Thee,  at  Thy 
command,  to  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth.  O  break,  break  my  heart ; 
Look  to  Him,  whom  thou  hast  pierced  !  Look  and  love  ;  look  and  mourn  ; 
look  and  praise !     Thy  God  is  yet  thy  God  ! 

"  Every  day,  sir,  we  hear  of  fresh  work.  Scores  of  notes  are  put  up  by 
persons  brought,  under  conviction  ;  and  God's  people  are  abundantly 
refreshed.  Last  night,  the  glory  of  the  Lord  filled  the  Tabernacle.  I 
cannot  tell  you  half.  I  am  lost  in  wonder.  For  the  present,  my  dear 
sir,  adieu  ! " 

In  such  a  spirit  Whitefield  ended  the  year  1753.  On 
Tuesday,  January  i,  1754,  he  preached,  in  the  Tabernacle, 
to  a  densely  crowded  congregation,  from  the  parable  of  the 
barren  fig-tree.  His  American  friends,  Tennent  and  Davies, 
were  present,  and  the  latter  wrote  :  "  Though  the  discourse 
was  incoherent,  it  seemed  to  me  better  calculated  to  do  good 
to  mankind  than  all  the  accurate,  languid  discourses  I  had 
ever  heard.  Afior  tlie  sermon,  I  enjoyed  his  pleasing  con- 
versation at  his  house." 

Whitefield  spent  the  first  two  months  of  1754  in  London, 
and  was  fully  occupied,  partly  in  preaching,  and  partly  in 
preparing  for  his  intended  voyage  to  America.  He  wrote  :  "  I 
meet  with  my  share  of  trials.  Every  sermon  preached  this 
winter  has  been  fetched  out  of  the  furnace.  But  what  are 
we  to  expect,  as  Christians  and  ministers,  but  afflictions  ? 
Our  new  Tabernacle  is  completed,  and  the  workmen  all 
paid.  What  is  best  of  all,  the  Redeemer  manifests  His  glory 
in  it.  Every  day,  souls  come  crying,  '  What  shall  we  do  to 
be  saved  } '  I  expect,  in  a  fortnight,  once  more  to  launch 
into  the  great  deep,  with  about  ten  or  twelve  destitute 
orphans  under  my  care."^  He  embarked  at  Gravesend,  on  the 
7th  of  March ;  and,  in  another  chapter,  we  must  follow  him. 

'  Gillies  says,  Whitefield  took  twenty-two  destitute  children  with  him. 


FIFTH   VISIT  TO  AMERICA. 
March  1754  to  May  1755. 


hy T INE  days  after  leaving   England,  the  ship,  in  which     j^^. 


i-  N  Whitefield  sailed,  anchored  in  Lisbon  harbour,  where  — 
it  remained  about  a  month.  This  was  a  long  detention  for  ^^ 
Whitefield  and  his  "  destitute  orphans  ;  "  but  he  usefully 
employed  the  time  in  making  himself  acquainted  with  the 
full-blown  Popery  of  the  metropolis  of  Portugal.  His  letters 
on  this  subject  fill  twenty-four  closely  printed  pages,  in  his 
collected  works.  At  his  return  to  England,  in  1755,  four  of 
these  letters  were  printed,  with  the  title,  "  A  brief  Account 
of  some  Lent  and  other  Extraordinary  Processions  and 
Ecclesiastical  Entertainments,  seen  last  Year  at  Lisbon.  L) 
four  Letters  to  an  English  Friend.  By  George  Whitefield." 
(8vo.  29  pp.)  Whitefield's  letters  were  extensively  quoted 
by  the  newspapers  and  magazines  of  the  day ;  and  even  the 
Montlily  Review — no  great  friend  to  Whitefield — said,  "  Our 
celebrated  itinerant  preacher  expresses  a  just  and  manly 
resentment  of  the  miserable  bigotry  of  the  Portuguese,  and 
the  priestly  delusion  witli  which  they  are  led  into  even  more 
ridiculous  fopperies  than  ever  disgraced  the  pagan  theology."^ 
What  did  Whitefield  see  .■*  Extracts  from  the  letters — as 
brief  as  possible — shall  supply  an  answer. 

"Lisbon  YiK^-&o\i^, March  17,  1754. 

"Yesterday  we  anchored  in  this  port.     We  are  now  lying  before  a  large 

place,  where  we  see  hundreds  going  to  worsh'ip  in  their  way.     We  have 

just  been  at  ours.     Though  sent  without  a  friend,  yet  I  am  not  left  alone. 

*  O  my  God,  Thy  presence  on  earth.  Thy  presence  in  heaven,  will  make 

'  Vol.  xii.,  p.  479. 


326  The  Life  of  Whitcfidd. 

1754     amends  for  all  !  '     Indeed,  Jesus  Christ  is  a  good  master.     He  has  given 
.  me  the  affections  of  all  on  board,  and  as  kind  a  captain  as  we  could 

"Lisbon  Harbour,  J/^r^/z  19, 1754. 
"  As  yet,  I  have  not  been  on  shore,  but  expect  to  go  to-morrow.  To  an 
eye  fixed  on  Jesus,  how  unspeakably  little  do  all  sublunary  things  appear! 
My  dear  sir,  let  us  be  laudably  ambitious  to  get  as  rich  as  we  can  towards 
God.  The  bank  of  heaven  is  a  sure  bank.  I  have  drawn  thousands  of 
bills  upon  it,  and  never  had  one  sent  back  protested.  God  helping  me,  I 
purpose  lodging  my  little  earthly  all  there.  I  hope  my  present  poor  but 
valuable  cargo  will  make  some  additions  to  my  heavenly  inheritance." 

"Lisbon,  March  21,  1754. 
"This  leaves  me  an  old  inhabitant  of  Lisbon.  A  very  reputable 
merchant  has  received  me  into  his  house,  and  every  day  shews  me  the 
ecclesiastical  curiosities  of  the  country.  All  is  well  on  board  ;  and  Lisbon 
air  agrees  with  me  extremely.  I  hope  what  I  see  will  help  to  qualify  me 
better  for  preaching  the  everlasting  gospel.  O  pray  for  me  ;  and  add  to 
my  obligations  by  frequently  visiting  my  poor  wife.  Kindnesses  shewn 
to  her,  during  my  absence,  will  be  double  kindnesses." 

"Lisbon,  March  26,  1754. 
**'  I  have  been  here  above  a  week.  I  have  seen  strange  and  incredible 
things, — not  more  strange  than  instructive.  Never  did  civil  and  religious 
liberty  appear  to  me  in  such  a  light  as  now.  What  a  spirit  must  Martin 
Luther  and  the  first  Reformers  have  been  endued  with,  who  dared  to 
appear  as  they  did  for  God  !  Lord,  hasten  the  happy  time,  when  others, 
excited  by  the  same  spirit,  shall  perform  like  wonders  !  O  happy 
England  !  O  happy  Methodists,  who  are  Methodists  indeed  !  And  all 
I  account  such,  who,  being  dead  to  sects  and  parties,  aim  at  nothing  else 
but  a  holy  method  of  living  to  and  dying  in  the  blessed  Jesus." 

"  Lisbon,  March  29,  1754. 
"  O  my  dear  Tabernacle  friends,  what  a  goodly  heritage  has  the  Lord 
vouchsafed  you  !  Bless  Him,  O  bless  Him,  from  your  inmost  souls,  that 
you  have  been  taught  the  way  to  Him,  without  the  help  of  fictitious  saints  ! 
Thank  Him,  night  and  day,  that  to  you  are  committed  the  lively  oracles 
of  God  !  Adore  Him  continually  for  giving  you  to  hear  the  Word  preached 
with  power ;  and  pity  and  pray  for  those  who  are  led  blindfold  by 
crafty  and  designing  men  ! " 

"  Lisbon,  April  i,  1754. 
"On  my  arrival  here,  what  engaged  my  attention  most  was  the  number 
of  crucifixes  and  little  images  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  and  of  other  real  or 
reputed  saints,  which  were  placed  in  almost  every  street,  or  fixed  against 
the  walls  of  the  houses  almost  at  every  turning.  Lamps  hung  before  them; 
the  people  bowed  to  them  as  they  passed  along  ;  and  near  some  of  them 
stood  little  companies,  singing  with  great  earnestness. 


Popery  in  Lisbon.  327 


"  Soon  after  my  arrival,  I  saw  a  company  of  priests  and  friars  bearing     1754 
lighted  wax  tapers,  and  attended  by  various  sorts  of  people,  some  of  whom       — 
had  bags  and  baskets  of  victuals  in  their  hands.     After  these,  followed  a  ^^  ^^ 
mixed    multitude,   singing,  and    addressing   the  Virgin  Mary.     In  this 
manner,  they  proceeded  to  the  prison,  where  all  was  deposited  for  the 
use  of  the  poor  persons  confined  therein. 

"  At  another  time,  I  saw  a  procession  of  Carmelite  friars,  parish  priests 
and  brothers  of  the  order,  walking  two  by  two,  in  divers  habits,  holding  a 
long  lighted  wax  taper  in  their  right  hands.  Among  them,  was  carried, 
upon  eight  or  ten  men's  shoulders,  a  tall  image  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  in  a 
kind  of  man's  attire,  with  a  fine  white  wig  on  her  head,  and  much  adorned 
with  jewels  and  glittering  stones.  At  some  distance  from  the  Lady,  under 
a  large  canopy  supported  by  six  or  eight  persons,  came  a  priest,  holding 
in  his  hand  a  noted  relic.  After  him,  followed  thousands  of  people,  singino- 
all  the  way.  These  processions,  from  one  convent  to  another,  were  made 
daily,  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  rain. 

"  In  a  large  cathedral  church,  I  saw  a  wooden  image  of  our  blessed 
Lord,  clothed  with  purple  robes,  and  crowned  with  thorns,  and  surrounded 
with  wax  tapers  of  prodigious  size.  He  was  attended  by  many  noblemen, 
and  thousands  of  spectators  of  all  ranks  and  stations,  who  crowded  from 
every  quarter,  and,  in  their  turns,  were  admitted  to  perform  their  devo- 
tions. This  they  did  by  kneeling,  and  kissing  the  Seigneur's  heel,  by 
putting  their  left  and  right  eye  to  it,  and  then  touching  it  with  their 
beads." 

"  Lisbon,  April  3,  1754. 

"  On  Friday,  I  saw  a  procession  chiefly  made  up  of  waxen  or  wooden 
images,  carried  on  men's  shoulders  through  the  streets,  and  intended  to 
represent  the  life  and  death  of  St.  Francis,  the  founder  of  one  of  their 
religious  orders.  They  were  brought  from  the  Franciscan  convent,  and 
were  preceded  by  three  persons  in  scarlet  habits,  with  baskets  in  their 
hands,  in  which  they  received  the  alms  of  the  spectators,  for  the  benefit  of 
the  poor  prisoners.  After  these,  came  two  little  boys,  in  party-coloured 
clothes,  with  wings  fixed  on  their  shoulders,  in  imitation  of  little  angels. 
Then  appeared  the  figure  of  St.  Francis,  very  gay  and  beau-like,  as  he 
used  to  be  before  his  -conversion.  In  the  next,  he  was  introduced  under 
conviction,  and  consequently  stripped  of  his  finery.  Then  was  exhibited 
an  image  of  our  blessed  Lord,  in  a  purple  gown,  with  long  black  hair,  and 
St.  Francis  lying  before  Him,  to  receive  His  orders.  Then  came  the  Virgin 
Mother,  with  Christ  her  son  on  her  left  hand,  and  St.  Francis  making 
obeisance  to  them  both.  Here,  if  I  remember  aright,  he  made  his  first 
appearance  in  his  friar's  habit,  with  his  hair  cut  short,  but  not  yet  shaved 
in  the  crown  of  his  head.  After  a  little  space,  followed  a  mitred  cardinal 
gaudily  attired,  and  St.  Francis  almost  prostrate  before  him,  to  be  con- 
firmed in  his  office.  Soon  after  this,  he  was  metamorphosed  into  a  monk, 
his  crown  shorn,  his  habit  black,  and  his  loins  girt  with  a  knotted  cord. 
Here  he  prayed  to  our  Saviour,  hanging  on  a  cross,  that  the  marks  of  the 
wounds  in  His  hands,  feet,  and  side,  might  be  impressed  on  him  ;  and  the 
prayer  was  granted,  by  a  representation  of  red  waxen  strings,  reachir-- 


328  The  Life  of  Whitefteld. 

from  those  parts  of  the  image  to  the  corresponding  parts  of  St.  Francis's 
body.  In  a  little  while.  St.  Francis  was  carried  along,  as  holding  up  a 
house  which  was  falling.  Then  he  was  brought  forth  lying  in  his  grave, 
the  briars  and  nettles  under  which  he  lay  being  turned  into  fine  and 
fragrant  flowers.  After  this,  he  was  borne  along  upon  a  bier  covered 
with  a  silver  pall,  and  altended  by  four  friars  lamenting  over  him.  He 
then  appeared,  for  the  last  time,  drawing  tormented  people  out  of  purga- 
tory with  his  knotted  cord,  which  the  poor  souls  caught  and  held  most 
eagerly.  Then  came  a  gorgeous  friar,  under  a  splendid  canopy,  bearing 
in  his  hand  a  piece  of  the  holy  cross.  After  him,  followed  two  more  little 
winged  boys  ;  and  then  along  train  of  fat  and  well-favoured  Franciscans, 
with  their  calceis fenestratis,  as  Erasmus  calls  them  ;  and  so  the  proces- 
sion ended. 

"  One  night,  about  ten  o'clock,  I  saw  a  train  of  near  two  hundred 
penitents,  making  a  halt,  and  kneeling  in  the  street,  whilst  a  friar,  from  a 
high  cross,  with  a  crucifix  in  his  hand,  was  preaching  to  them  and  the 
populace  with  great  vehemence.  Sermon  being  ended,  the  penitents  went 
forwards,  and  several  companies  followed  after,  with  their  respective 
preaching  friars  at  their  head,  bearing  crucifixes.  These  they  pointed  to 
and  brandished  frequently,  and  the  hearers  as  frequently  beat  their  breasts 
and  clapped  their  cheeks.  At  proper  pauses,  they  stopped  and  prayed, 
and  one  of  them,  before  the  king's  palace,  sounded  the  \yoxA.  penitentia 
through  a  speaking  trumpet.  The  penitents  themselves  Avere  clothed  and 
covered  all  over  with  white  linen  vestments,  only  holes  were  made  for 
their  eyes  to  peep  out  at.  All  were  bare- footed,  and  all  had  long  heavy 
chains  fastened  to  their  ancles,  which,  when  dragged  along  the  street,  made 
a  dismal  rattling.  Some  carried  great  stones  on  their  backs.  Others  had  in 
their  hands  dead  men's  bones  and  skulls.  Some  bore  large  crosses  upon 
their  shoulJjrs  ;  whilst  others  had  their  arms  extended,  or  carried  swords 
with  their  points  downwards.  Most  of  them  whipped  and  lashed  themselves, 
some  with  cords,  and  others  with  flat  bits  of  iron.  Had  my  dear  friend 
been  there,  he  would  have  joined  me  in  saying,  that  the  whole  scene  was 
horrible ;  so  horrible  it  was,  that,  being  informed  it  was  to  be  continued 
till  morning,  I  was  glad  to  return  whence  I  came  about  midnight," 

"  Lisbon,  April  12,  1754. 
"  I  have  now  seen  the  solemnities  of  a  Holy  Thursday,  which  is  a  very 
high  day  in  Lisbon,  and  particularly  remarkable  for  the  grand  illumina- 
tions of  the  churches,  and  the  king's  washing  twelve  poor  men's  feet.  I 
got  admittance  into  the  gallery  where  the  ceremony  was  performed.  It 
was  large,  and  hung  with  tapestry,  one  piece  of  which  represented  the 
humble  Jesus  washing  the  feet  of  His  disciples.  Before  this,  upon  a  small 
eminence,  sat  twelve  men  in  black.  At  the  upper  end,  and  in  several  other 
parts  of  the  gallery,  were  sideboards  with  large  gold  and  silver  basins  and 
ewers  most  curiously  wrought ;  and  near  these  a  large  table  covered  with 
a-variety  of  dishes,  set  off  and  garnished  after  the  Portuguese  fashion. 
Public  high  mass  being  over,  his  majesty  came  in  attended  with  hi^, 
nobles.     The  washing  of  feet  being  ended,  several  of  the  young  noblemen 


PopcTy  in  Lisbon.  329 

served  up  dishes  to  the  king's  brother  and  uncles.     These  again  handed      I754 
them  to  his  majesty,  who  gave,  I  think,  twelve  of  them  to  each  poor  man.    ^^^^ 
The  whole  entertainment  took  up  near  two  hours. 

"  After  dinner,  we  went  to  see  the  churches.  Many  of  them  were  hung 
with  purple  damask  trimmed  with  gold.  In  one  of  them  was  a  solid  silver 
altar  of  several  yards'  circumference,  and  near  twelve  steps  high  ;  and  in 
another  a  gold  one,  still  more  magnificent,  of  about  the  same  dimensions. 
Its  basis  was  studded  with  many  precious  stones,  and  near  the  top  were 
placed  silver  images,  in  representation  of  angels.  Each  step  was  filled 
with  large  silver  candlesticks,  with  lighted  wax  tapers  in  them.  The  great 
altars  of  other  churches  were  illuminated  most  profusely.  Go  which  way 
you  would,  nothing  was  to  be  seen  but  illuminations  within,  and  hurry 
without  ;  for  all  persons,  princes  and  crowned  heads  themselves  not 
excepted,  are  obhged  on  this  day  to  visit  seven  churches  or  altars,  in 
imitation  of  our  Lord's  being  hurried  from  one  tribunal  to  another,  before 
He  was  condemned  to  be  hung  upon  the  cross." 

"  Lisbon,  April  1 3,  1 754. 
"  On  Good  Friday,  I  witnessed,  in  a  large  church  belonging  to  the  con- 
vent of  St.  De  Beato,  the  crucifixion  of  the  Son  01  God.     Upon  a  high 
scaffold,  hung  in  the  front  with  black  bays,  and  behind  with  purple  silk 
damask  laced  with  gold,  was  e.x.hibited  an  image  of  the  Lord  Jesus  at 
full  length,  crowned  with  thorns,  and  nailed  on  a  cross  between  two  figures 
of  like  dimensions,  representing  the  two  thieves.     At  a  little  distance,  on 
the  right  hand,  was  placed  an  image  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  in  plain  long 
ruffles,  and  a  kind  of  widow's  weeds,  her  veil  of  purple  silk,  and  a  wire 
glory  round  her  head.  At  the  fo^t  of  the  cross,  lay,  in  a  mournful,  pensive 
posture,  a  living  man,  dressed  in  woman's  clothes,  v/ho  personated  Mary 
Magdalen.     Not  far  off,  stood  a  young  man,  in  imitation  of  the  beloved 
disciple.     He  was  dressed  in  a  loose  green  silk  vesture  and    bob-wig. 
Near  the  front  of  the  stage,  stood  two  sentinels  in  bufts,  with  formidable 
caps  and  long  beards.     Directly  in  the  front,  stood  another,  yet  more 
formidable,  with  a  large  target  in  his  hand.     From  behind  the  purple 
hangings,  came  out  about  twenty  little  purple-vested  winged  boys,  each 
bearing  a  lighted  wax  taper,  and  wearing  a  crimson  and  gold  cap.     At 
their  entrance  upon  the  stage,  they  bowed  to  the  spectators,  and  then 
kneeled,  first  to  the  image  on  the  cross,  and  then  to  that  of  the  Virgin 
Mary.     At  a  few  yards'  distance,  stood  a  black  friar,  in  a  pul.pit  hung  with 
mourning.  When  he  had  preached  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  a  confused 
noise  was  heard  near  the  great  front   door.     Four  long-bearded  men 
entered,  two  carrying  a  ladder  on  their  shoulders,  and  two  bearing  large 
gilt  dishes,  full  of  linen,  spices,  etc.     Upon  their  attempting  to  mount  the 
scaffold,  the  sentinels  presented  the  pointsof  their  javelins  to  tlieir  breasts. 
Upon  this,  a  letter  from  Pilate  was  produced  ;  and  the  sentinels  withdrew 
their  javelins.     The  four  men  then  ascended  the  stage,  and  retired  to  the 
back  of  it.    All  the  while,  the  black  friar  continued  declaiming  ;  Magdalen 
wrung  her  hands  ;  and  John  stood  gazing  on  the  crucified.     The  ladders 
were  erected  and  ascended.     The  superscription  and  crown  of  thorns 


330  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

were  taken  off.  White  rollers  were  put  round  the  arms  of  the  ima^e. 
The  nails,  which  fastened  the  hands  and  feet,  were  knocked  out.  The 
orator  lifted  up  his  voice,  and  almost  all  the  hearers  beat  their  breasts 
and  smote  their  cheeks.  The  body  was  gently  let  down  ;  Magdalen 
received  the  feet  into  her  wide-spread  handkerchief ;  and  John  seized  the 
upper  part  of  it  in  his  clasping  arms,  and,  with  his  fellow-mourners,  helped 
to  bear  it  away.  Great  preparations  were  made  for  its  interment.  It  was 
wrapped  in  linen  and  spices  ;  and,  being  laid  upon  a  bier  richly  hung,  was 
carried  round  the  churchyard  in  grand  procession.  The  image  of  the 
Virgin  Mary  was  chief  mourner,  and  John  and  Magdalen,  with  a  whole 
troop  of  friars  beai-ing  wax  tapers,  followed  after.  In  about  fifteen  minutes, 
the  corpse  was  brought  back,  and  deposited  in  an  open  sepulchre.  John 
and  Magdalen  attended  the  obsequies  ;  but  the  image  of  the  Virgin  Mary 
was  placed  upon  the  front  of  the  stage,  in  order  to  be  kissed,  adored,  and 
worshipped  by  the  people.  Thus  ended  this  Good  Friday's  tragic-comical, 
superstitious,  idolatrous  farce.  I  cannot  stay  to  see  what  they  call  their 
Hallelujah  and  grand  devotions  on  Easter-day.  That  scene  is  denied 
me.     The  wind  is  fair,  and  I  must  away." 

Thus  terminated  Whitefield's  visit  to  the  city  of  Lisbon, 
a  city  containing  36,000  houses,  350,000  inhabitants,  a 
cathedral,  forty  parish  churches,  as  many  monasteries,  and  a 
royal  palace  ;  and  yet  a  city  which,  a  year  and  a  half  after- 
wards, by  an  earthquake,  which  shook  almost  the  whole  of 
Europe,  was  reduced  to  a  heap  of  ruins,  and  in  which,  in  si'c 
minutes,  not  fewer  than  60,000  persons  met  with  an  un- 
timely death.  The  terrific  judgment  was  not  unmerited. 
No  act  of  the  Supreme  Ruler  is  capricious.  Some  of  the 
sights  which  Whitefield  witnessed  were  hateful,  hideous 
caricatures  of  the  greatest  and  most  solemn  truths  and  facts 
ever  made  known  to  human  beings.  They  were  theatrical 
idolatries,  which  no  system,  except  Paganism  and  Popery, 
would  dare  to  practise.  Popery  in  Lisbon  was  unchecked, 
and,  therefore,  undisguised.  In  England  and  America,  it 
chiefly  existed  in  lurking-places.  The  thing,  as  it  really  is, 
Whitefield  had  never  seen  till  he  went  to  the  Portuguese 
metropolis.  Favourable  circumstances  are  always  needful 
for  its  full  development.  The  system  is  essentially  semper 
idem;  and  if  the  sights  seen  by  Whitefield  are  not  at  present 
seen  in  England,  the  reason  is,  not  because  the  Popish 
hierarchy  deem  them  wrong,  but,  because  such  profanities 
are  impracticable. 

Whitefield  was  about  a  month  in   Lisbon,  without  preach- 


Learning  Lessons.  331 

ing  a  single  sermon.  Why  ?  To  have  attempted  preaching  i754 
would  have  ensured  his  immediate  expulsion  or  imprison-  a<^39 
ment.  His  heart  yearned  over  the  deluded  inhabitants,  but 
he  was  powerless  to  afford  them  help.  On  hearing  of  the 
just  judgment  of  1755,  he  wrote,  "O  that  all  who  were 
lately  destroyed  in  Portugal  had  known  the  Divine  Re- 
deemer !  Then  the  earthquake  would  have  been  only  a 
rumbling  chariot  to  carry  them  to  God.  Poor  Lisbon  ! 
How  soon  are  all  thy  riches  and  superstitious  pageantry 
swallowed  up  ! " 

Whitefield,  for  once  in  his  life,   was  gagged  and  silent ; 
but  his  time  was  not  unprofitably  spent.      He  was  learning 
lessons  which  could  not  be  learned  in  England  or  America, 
and  which,  he  hoped,  would   make  him  a  better  man  and  a 
better  preacher,  to  the  end  of  life.      He  became  a  stauncher 
Protestant,  and  felt  more  than  ever  how  invaluable  Avere  the 
privileges    enjoyed    by    the    inhabitants    of    Great    Britain. 
"  Every  day,"  said  he,  "  I  have  seen  or  heard  something  that 
has  a  tendency  to  make  me  thankful  for  the  glorious   Refor- 
mation.     O  that  our  people  were  equally  reformed  in  their 
lives,  as  they  are  in  their  doctrines  and  manner  of  worship  ! 
But  alas  !  alas  !    O  for  another  Luther  !    O  for  that  wished- 
for  season,  when   everything    that   is   antichristiari   shall   be 
totally  destroyed   by  the   breath  of  the   Redeemer's   mouth, 
and  the  brightness  of  His  appearing !  "      "  O  with  what  a 
power   from    on   high  must   those   glorious  reformers  have 
been  endued,  who  dared  first  openly  to  oppose  and  to  stem 
such    a   torrent  of  superstition  and   spiritual  tyranny  !    And 
what  gratitude  we  owe   to  those  who,  under  God,  were   in- 
strumental in  saving  England  from  a  return  of  such  spiritual 
slavery,  and  such  blind  obedience  to  the  papal   power  !      To 
have  had   a  papist  for  our  king  ;   a  papist,  if  not  born,  yet, 
from  his  infancy,  nursed  up  at  Rome  ;   a  papist,  one  of  whose 
sons  is   advanced   to  the  ecclesiastical  dignity  of  a  cardinal, 
and  both  of  whom   are  under  the  strongest   obligations   to 
support  the  interests  of  that  Church,  whose  superstitions  and 
political    principles   they   have  imbibed    from    their    earliest 
days  !      Blessed  be    God,  the   snare    is    broken,  and   we  are 
delivered.      O  for   Protestant  practices   to  be  added  to  Pro- 
testant principles !      O  for  an  acknowledgment  to  the  ever- 


332  The  Life  of  Whitefield 


^^754  blessed  God  for  our  repeated  deliverances!"  "The  pre- 
Age  39  sent  is  a  silent,  but,  I  hope,  an  instructive  period  of  my  life. 
Surely  England,  and  English  privileges,  civil  and  religious, 
will  be  dearer  to  me  than  ever.  The  preachers  here  have 
also  taught  me  something  ;  their  action  is  graceful.  Vividi 
oculi — vividae  mamts, — omnia  vivida.  Surely  our  English 
preachers  would  do  well  to  be  a  little  more  fervent  in 
their  address.  They  have  truth  on  their  side.  Why  should 
superstition  and  falsehood  run  away  with  all  that  is  pathetic 
and  affecting  .'' " 

Whitefield  set  sail,  for  America,  on  Saturday,  April  13th, 
and,  after  a  pleasant  passage  of  six  weeks'  duration,  landed, 
in  South  Carolina,  on  May  26th.  With  his  "orphan-charge," 
he,  at  once,  proceeded  to  Bethesda,  in  Georgia.  After  a 
short  stay  at  his  Orphanage,  he  returned  to  Charleston, 
where,  on  July  12,  he  ^vro':e,  "  Tiic  Bethesda  family  now 
consists  of  above  a  hundred.  He,  who  fed  the  multitude  in 
the  wilderness,  can  and  will  feed  the  orphans  in  Georgia." 
Eight  days  afterwards,  when  "  on  board  the  Dekorali','  bound 
for  New  York,  he  wrote  : — 

"  I  found  and  left  my  orphan  fariiily  comfoilably  settled  in  Georgia. 
The  colony,  as  well  as  Bethesda,  is  now  in  a  thriving  slate,  i  have  now 
a  hundred  and  six  black  and  white  persons  to  provide  for  The  God 
whom  I  desire  to  serve  will  enable  me  to  do  it.  I  stayed  about  ':'x  weeks 
in  Carolina  and  Georgia.  My  poor  labours  have  met  with  the  usual 
acceptance  ;  and  I  have  reason  to  hope  a  clerg/man  has  been  orought 
under  very  serious  impressions.  My  health  has  been  wonderfully  pre- 
served. My  wonted  vomitings  have  left  me  ;  and  though  I  ride  whole 
nights,  and  have  been  frequently  exposed  to  great  thunders,  violent 
lightnings,  and  heavy  rains,  yet  I  am  rather  better  than  usual." 

On  July  26th,  Whitefield  landed  at  New  York,  where  he 
continued  about  a  week.      He  wrote  : — 

"New  York,  July  28,  1754. 
"  Here  our  Lord  brought  me  two  days  ago  ;  and,  last  night,  I  had  an 
opportunity  of  preaching  on  His  dying,  living,  ascending,  and  interceding 
love,  to  a  large  and  attentive  auditory.  Next  week,  I  purpose  going  to 
Philadelphia,  and  then  shall  come  here  again,  in  my  way  to  Boston. 
Whether  I  shall  then  return  to  Bethesda,  or  embark  for  England,  is  un- 
certain. I  fear  matters  will  not  be  settled  at  the  Orphan  House,  unless  I 
go  once  more.  I  have  put  some  upon  their  trial,  and  shall  want  to  see 
how  they  behave.     I  owe  for  three  of  the  negroes,  who  were  lately  bought. 


Itinerating.  -^^jZ 

but  hope  to  -be  enabled  to  pay  for  them  at  my  return  from  the  north.     1754 
My  God  can  and  will  supply  all  wants.     His  presence  keeps  mz  company,       — 
and  I  find  it  sweet  to  run  about  for  Him.     I  find  the  door  all  alono-  the    "^^^  ^^ 
continent  as  open  as  ever,  and  the  way  seems  clearing  up  for  the  neigh- 
bouring islands.      Had  I  a  good  private  hand,   I  could  send  you  the 
account  of  my  family ;  but  perhaps  I  may  deliver  it  to  you  myself." 

Further  brief  extracts  from  his  letters  will  enable  the 
reader  to  track  Whitefield  in  his  wanderinr^s. 

"  New  York,  July  30.  To-morrow,  God  willing,  I  preach  at  Newark  ; 
on  Wednesday,  at  New  Brunswick  ;  and  hope  to  reach  Trent  Town  that 
night.  Could  you  not  meet  me  there  ?  You  must  bring  a  chair  :  I  have 
no  horse.  O  that  the  Lord  Jesus  may  smile  on  my  feeble  labours  !  I 
trust  He  has  given  us  a  blessing  here.  Yesterday,  I  preached  thrice  : 
this  morning  I  feel  it.     Welcome  weariness  for  Jesus  ! " 

"  Philadelphia,  August  7th.  Yesterday,  I  was  taken  with  a  violent 
cholera  morbus,  and  hoped,  ere  now,  to  have  been  where  the  inhabitants 
shall  no  more  say,  '  I  am  sick.'  But  I  am  brought  back  again.  May  it 
be  to  bring  more  precious  souls  to  the  ever-blessed  Jesus  !  This  is  all 
my  desire.  My  poor  labours  seem  to  be  crowned  here,  as  well  as  at  New 
York.  I  received  the  sacrament  at  church  on  Sunday  ;  and  have  preached 
in  the  Academy ;  but  I  find  Mr.  Tennent's  meeting-house  abundantly 
more  commodious." 

"Philadelphia,  August  15.  ]\Iy  late  siclcness,  though  violent,  has  not 
been  unto  death.  With  some  difticulty,  I  can  preach  once  a  day.  Con- 
gregations increase  rather  than  decrease.  The  time  of  my  departure  is 
fixed  for  next  Tuesday ;  and  all  the  following  days,  till  Sunday,  are  to  be 
employed  between  this  and  New  Brunswick.  Whilst  I  live,  Lord  Jesus, 
grant  I  may  not  live  in  vain  !  " 

"  Philadelphia,  August  17.  Were  you  on  this  side  the  water,  you  would 
find  work  enough.  There  is  a  glorious  range  in  the  American  woods. 
It  is  pleasant  hunting  for  sinners.  Thousands  flock  daily  to  hear  the 
word  preached." 

"  New  York,  September  2,  Blessed  be  God,  we  have  had  good  seasons 
between  Philadelphia  and  New  York.  In  the  New  Jerusalem,  yet  more 
glorious  seasons  await  us.  Some  time  this  week,  I  expect  to  sail  for 
Rhode  Island." 

It  is  impossible  to  determine  where  the  next  three  weeks 
were  spent  ;  but,  after  that,  his  journeys  may  be  traced. 
The  first  of  the  following  extracts  is  taken  from  a  letter 
addressed  to  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon.  Whitefield  ap- 
pears to  have  visited  New  Jersey  for  the  purpose  of  being 
present  at  the  opening  of  a  new  session  of  Governor  Belcher's 
New  jersey  College,  the  president  and  trustees  of  which, 
with  almost  unseemly  haste,  began   to  exercise  the  powers 


334  The  Life  of  Whitcjield. 

conferred  upon  them  by  the  royal  charter  obtained  from 
George  the  Second  only  six  years  before.  They  created 
Whitefield  an  M.A. ! — a  dubious  honour,  which  the  B.A.  of 
Pembroke  College,  Oxford,  for  ten  or  twelve  years  after- 
wards, had  good  taste  enough  not  to  use.^ 

"  Elizabeth  Town  (New  Jersey),  September  30.  I  am  now  at  Governor 
Belcher's,  who  sends  your  ladyship  the  most  cordial  respects.  His  out- 
ward man  decays,  but  his  inward  man  seems  to  be  renewed  day  by  day, 
I  think  he  ripens  for  heaven  apace.  Last  week  was  the  Nev^  Jersey 
commencement,  at  which  the  president  and  trustees  were  pleased  to  pre- 
sent me  with  the  degree  of  A.M.  The  synod  succeeded.  Such  a  number 
of  simple-hearted,  united  ministers,  I  never  saw  before.  I  preached  to 
them  several  times,  and  the  great  Master  of  assemblies  was  in  the  midst 
of  us.  To-morrow,  I  shall  set  out,  with  the  worthy  president,^  for  New 
England  ;  and  expect  to  return  back  to  the  Orphan  House  through 
Virginia.     Thia  will  be  about  a  two  thousand  mile  circuit." 

Tn  another  letttir,  written  on  the  same  day,  Whitefield 
says  :— 

"Just  two  months  ago,  I  arrived  at  New  York,  from  South  CTrolina  ; 
and,  ever  since,  have  been  endeavouring  to  labour  for  the  ever-loving, 
ever-lovely  Jesus.  Sinners  have  been  awakened,  saints  quickened,  and 
enemies  made  to  be  at  peace  with  me.  In  general,  I  have  been  enabled 
to  travel  and  preach  twice  a  d3y.  F.'-ery where,  the  door  has  been  opened 
wider  than  ever." 

It  has  been  already  stated,  that,  about  the  year  1750, 
Georgia  was  placed  under  a  kind  of  civil  government,  in  lieu 
of  the  military  one,  which  had  been  exercised  from  the  time 
when  the  colony  was  founded  ;  and  that  James  Habersham, 
Whitefield's  first  manager  at  Bethesda,  and  now  a  merchant 
at  Savannah,  was  appointed  provincial  secretary.  A  change 
had  become  imperative.  There  was  a  general  discontent 
among  the  inhabitants.  They  quarrelled  with  one  another 
and  with  their  magistrates.  They  complained  ;  they  re- 
monstrated ;  and,  finding  no  satisfaction,  many  of  them 
removed  to  other  colonies.      Of  the  two  thousand  emigrants 

'  No  doubt,  New  Jersey  College  had  legal  authority  to  confer  the 
degree  ;  but,  under  the  circumstances  then  existing,  the  degree  was  worth- 
less. The  first  time  that  M.A.  was  attached  to  Whitefield's  name  in 
England  was  in  1763.  This  was  done  in  his  "Observations"  on  the 
Bishop  of  Gloucester's  book  ;  but  it  is  right  to  add  that  the  pamphlet  was 
printed  by  Whitefield's  friends,  after  he  had  embarked  for  America. 

■''  The  Rev.  Aaron  liurr.  President  of  New  Jersey  College. 


Goverjiment  of  Georgia.  335 


who  had  come  from  Europe,  not  above  six  or  seven  hundred  ^7?'l 
were  left.  The  mischief  grew  worse  and  worse  every  day  ;  A^^g 
until,  at  length,  the  Government  revoked  the  grant  to  the 
trustees,  took  the  province  into  their  own  hands,  and  placed 
it  on  the  same  footing  as  Carolina/  On  August  6,  1754, 
his  Majesty  King  George  II.,  in  council,  appointed  John 
Reynolds,  Esq.,  "  to  be  Captain  General  and  Governor-in- 
Chief  of  Georgia  ;  and  James  Habersham,  "  to  be  Secretary 
and  Registrar."  '^  The  following  letter,  addressed  to  Haber- 
sham, refers  to  these  events  : — 

"Boston,  October  13,  1754. 

"  My  very  dear  Friend,— It  has  given  me  concern,  that  I  have  not 
been  able  to  write  one  letter  to  Georgia,  since  my  arrival  at  New  York. 
Sickness,  travelling,  and  preaching  prevented  me. 

"  This  letter  leaves  me  at  Boston,  where,  as  well  as  in  other  places,  the 
word  has  run  and  been  glorified.  People  are  rather  more  eager  to  hec^*- 
than  ever.  After  staying  a  short  time  here,  I  purpose  to  go  througi* 
Connecticut  to  New  York,  and  thence,  by  land,  to  Georgia. 

"  Blessed  be  God,  that  a  governor  is  at  length  nominated.  I  wish  you 
joy  of  your  new  honour.  May  the  King  of  kings  enable  you  to  discharge 
your  trust,  as  becomes  a  good  patriot,  subject,  and  Christian  !  I  wish  I 
knew  when  the  governor  intends  being  in  Georgia.  I  would  willingly  be 
there  to  pay  my  respects  to  him. 

"  O  my  dear  old  friend,  and  first  fellow-traveller,  my  heart  is  engaged 
for  your  temporal  and  eternal  welfare.  You  have  now,  I  think,  a  call  to 
retire  from  business,  and  to  give  up  your  time  to  the  public.  I  have  much 
to  say  when  we  meet.  God  deals  most  bountifully  with  me.  Enemies 
are  made  to  be  at  peace,  and  friends  everywhere  are  hearty." 

Glimpses  will  be  obtained  of  Whitefield's  labours,  at 
Boston  and  other  places,  in  the  following  extracts  from  his 
letters  : — 

"  Boston,  October  14.  Surely  my  coming  here  was  of  God.  At  Rhode 
Island,  I  preached  five  times.  People  convened  immediately,  and  flocked 
to  hear  more  eagerly  than  ever.  The  same  scene  opens  at  Boston. 
Thousands  waited  for,  and  thousands  attended  on,  the  word  preached. 
At  the  Old  North  (church),  at  seven  in  the  morning,  we  generally  have 
three  thousand  hearers,  and  many  cannot  come  in.  Convictions  fasten  ; 
and  many  souls  are  comforted.  Dr.  Sewall  has  engaged  me  once  to 
preach  his  lecture.  The  polite  are  taken,  and  opposition  falls.  I  preach 
at  the  Old  and  the  Ne%u  North  (churches).  Mr.  Pemberton  and  Dr. 
Sewall  continue  to  pray  for  me.     A  governor  for  Georgia  being  nominated, 

*  "Account  of  European  Settlements  in  America,  1778,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  270. 
'  Lonaon  Magazine,  1754,  p.  381. 


23^  The  Life  of  WJiitc field. 


determines  my  way  thither.     The  door  opens  wider  and  wider.     Pray  tell 

Mr.  H ,  that  I  left  his  horse  a  little  lame,  at  Long  Island,  with  one 

who,  in  contempt,  is  called  Saint  Dick.     All  hail  such  reproach  !  " 

"  Portsmouth,  New  Hampshire,  October  24.  About  a  month  ago,  I 
wrote  you  a  few  lines  from  New  Jersey.  Since  then,  I  have  advanced 
about  three  hundred  miles  further  northward.  But  what  have  I  seen  ? 
Dagon  falling  everywhere  before  the  ark  ;  enemies  silenced,  or  made  to 
own  the  finger  of  God  ;  and  the  friends  of  Jesus  triumphing  in  His  glorious 
conquest.  At  Boston,  though  the  four  meeting-houses,  in  which  I  preached, 
will  hold  about  four  thousand,  yet,  at  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning,  many 
were  obliged  to  go  away,  and  I  was  helped  in  through  the  window.  In 
the  country,  a  like  scene  opens.  I  am  enabled  to  preach  always  twice, 
and  sometimes  thrice  a  day.  Thousands  flock  to  hear,  and  Jesus  mani- 
fests His  glory.  I  am  now  come  to  the  end  of  my  north'iuarcl\m&,  and, 
!n  a  day  or  two,  purpose  to  turn  back,  and  to  preach  all  the  way  to  Georgia. 
It  is  about  a  sixteen  hundred  miles  journey.  Jesus  is  able  to  carry  me 
»^hrough.  Into  His  almighty  and  all-gracious  hands  I  commend  my 
spirit.  Gladly  would  I  embark  for  England,  but  I  should  leave  my  Ame- 
rican business  but  half  done;  if  I  were  to  come  over  now." 

"  Portsmouth,  October  25.  At  Salem,  we  were  favoured  with  a  sweet 
Divine  influence.  Sunday  (October  20)  was  a  high  day  at  Ipswich,  where 
J  preached  thrice.  Hundreds  were  without  the  doors.  On  Monday,  at 
Newbury,  the  like  scene  opened  twice.  On  Tuesday  morning,  also,  wc 
had  a  blessed  season.  Too  many  came  to  meet  and  bring  me  into  Ports- 
mouth, where  I  preached  on  Tuesday  evening  ;  also  twice  the  next  day. 
Yesterday,  I  preached  at  York  and  Kittery.  In  the  evening,  I  waited  on 
General  Pepperell,'  who,  with  his  lady,  was  very  glad  to  see  me.  I  am 
now  going  to  Greenland  ;  and,  to-morrow,  shall  preach  at  Exeter.  The 
Sabbath  (October  27)  is  to  be  kept  at  Newbury.  Monday,  I  am  to  preach 
thrice, — at  Rowley,  Byfield,  and  Ipswich  ;  Tuesday,  at  Cape  Ann  ;  and 
Wednesday  night,  or  Thursday  morning,  at  Boston." 

"  Rhode  Island,  November  22.  With  great  difficulty,  I  am  got  to  this 
place,  where  people  are  athirst  to  hear  the  word  of  God.  I  shall,  there- 
fore, stay,  God  willing,  till  Monday,  and  then  set  out  to  Connecticut,  in 
my  way  to  New  York,  which  I  hope  to  reach  in  about  a  fortnight.  O  that 
you  may  see  me  humbled  under  a  sense  of  the  amazing  mercies  which  I 
have  received  during  this  expedition  !  It  seems  to  me  to  be  the  most 
important  one  I  was  ever  employed  in.  Very  much  have  I  to  tell  you 
■when  we  meet." 

The  next  is  an  extract  froni  a  letter  addressed  to  the  Rev. 
}  ohn  Gillies,  of  Glasgow  : — 

"  Rhode  Island,  November  25. 
"  Is  it  true  that  your  father-in-law  and  your  dear  yoke-fellow  are  dead? 
I  sympathise  with  you  from  my  inmost  soul.     Surely  your  time  and  mine 


'  Sir  William  Pepperell,  the  Cape  Breton  hero. 


wmg  towards  Georgia.  337 


will  come  ere  long.  Meanwhile,  may  I  be  doing  something  for  my  God  !  175 ' 
I  am  now  going  towards  Georgia,  from  Boston,  where  my  reception  has 
been  far  superior  to  that  of  fourteen  years  ago.  There,  and  at  other  '  ^^ 
places  in  New  England,  I  have  preached  near  a  hundred  times  since  the 
beginning  of  October ;  and,  thanks  be  to  God  !  we  scarce  had  so  much 
as  one  dry  meeting.  Not  a  hundredth  part  can  be  told  you.  In  Phila- 
delphia, New  Jersey,  and  New  York,  the  great  Redeemer  caused  His 
word  to  run  and  be  glorified.  In  Georgia,  I  expect  to  see  our  new 
governor.  Blessed  be  God  !  Bethesda  is  in  growing  circumstances  ;  and 
I  trust  it  will  more  and  more  answer  the  end  of  its  institution.  I  was 
exceedingly  delighted  at  New  Jersey  commencement.  Surely  that  college 
is  of  God,  The  worthy  president,  Mr.  Burr,  intends  to  correspond  with 
you.  O  that  I  could  do  it  oftener  !  but  it  is  impracticable.  Travelling, 
and  preaching,  always  twice  and  frequently  thrice  a  day,  engross  almost 
all  my  time.  However,  neither  you  nor  any  of  my  dear  Glasgow  friends 
are  forgotten  by  me.  No,  no  ;  you  are  all  engraven  upon  my  heart.  O 
that  God  may  give  you  hearts  to  remember  poor  sinful  and  hell-deserving 
me  !     Fain  would  I  continue  a  pilgrim  for  life. 

*  Christ's  presence  doth  my  pains  beguile, 
And  makes  each  wilderness  to  smile.' 

"  I  have  a  fourteen  hundred  miles  ride  before  me  ;  but  nil  desperaiidum, 
Christo  duce,  attsptce  Christo" 

More  than  a  month  intervenes  between  the  date  of  this 
letter  to  Mr.  Gilhes,  and  the  next  preserved  letter  of  White- 
field.  The  reader  must  try  to  imagine  the  great  preacher 
gradually  pursuing  his  immense  horseback-ride,  making  the 
primeval  forests  ring  with  his  songs  of  praise,  and  preaching 
the  gospel  of  his  Master,  twice  or  thrice  every  day.  His 
Christmas  was  spent  in  Maryland.      Hence  the  following  : — 

"  Bohemia,  Maryland,  December  27, 
"  I  have  been  travelling  and  preaching  in  the  northern  provinces  for 
nearly  five  months.  I  suppose  I  have  ridden  near  two  thousand  miles, 
and  preached  about  two  hundred  and  thirty  times  ;  but  to  how  many 
thousands  of  people  cannot  well  be  told.  O  what  days  of  the  Son  of  man 
have  I  seen  !     God  be  merciful  to  me  an  ungrateful  sinner  ! 

"  I  am  now  forty  years  of  age,  and»  would  gladly  spend  the  day  in  retire- 
ment and  deep  humiliation  before  that  Jesus,  for  whom  I  have  done  so 
little,  though  He  has  done  and  suffered  so  much  for  me. 

"  About  February,  I  hope  to  reach  Georgia  ;  and,  at  spring,  to  embirk 
for  England.  There,  dear  madam,  I  expect  to  see  you  once  more  in  uus 
land  of  the  dying.  If  not,  ere  long,  I  shall  meet  you  in  the  land  of  the 
living,  and  thank  you,  before  men  and  angels,  for  all  favours  conferred  on 

VOL.  II.  2  2 


338  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

me.      To-morrow,  God  willing,    I    move    again.      Before  long,  my  last 
remove  will  come  ;  a  remove  into  endless  bliss." 

Thus  rejoicing  in  the  hope  of  a  blissful  immortality  did 
Whitefield  enter  upon  the  year  1755.  Early  in  the  month 
of  January,  he  made  his  way  to  Virginia,  a  province  which 
he  had  visited  in  1 746.  For  nearly  eight  years,  the  Rev. 
Samuel  Davies  had  been  labouring  here  with  self-consuming 
earnestness.  His  eloquent,  faithful,  and  powerful  preaching 
had  been  bitterly  opposed  ;  but  it  had  been  attended  with 
great  success.  His  home  was  at  Hanover,  about  twelve  miles 
from  Richmond  ;  and,  as  early  as  1748,  he  had  collected 
seven  congregations,  which  assembled  in  seven  meeting- 
houses duly  licensed,  some  of  them,  however,  being  forty  miles 
distant  from  each  other.  In  three  years,  he  had  obtained 
three  hundred  communicants,  and  had  baptized  forty  slaves. 
He  had  had  a  long  controversy  with  the  Episcopalians,  who 
denied  that  the  English  Act  of  Toleration  extended  to 
Virginia  ;  and,  with  great  learning  and  eloquence,  he  had 
contended  the  point  in  the  Virginian  court,  with  the  famous 
Peyton  Randolph,  first  President  of  the  American  Congress. 
During  his  visit  to  England,  in  1754,  he  had  obtained,  from 
the  English  Attorney-General,  a  declaration  that  the  Tole- 
ration Act  did  extend  to  Virginia,  which,  of  course,  gave  him 
greater  confidence  in  the  legality  of  his  proceedings.  Besides 
this,  in  1 75 1,  a  new  governor  of  the  province  had  been 
appointed,  whom  Whitefield  and  his  friends  expected  to  be 
more  favourable  to  evangelistic  efforts  than  his  predecessor 
had  been.  Robert  Dinwiddle  was  brother-in-law  of  White- 
field's  old  friend,  the  Rev.  Mr,  McCulloch,  of  Cambuslang. 
He  had  been  clerk  to  a  collector  of  customs,  in  the  West 
Indies,  whose  enormous  frauds  he  detected,  and  exposed  to 
the  Government  ;  and,  for  this  disclosure,  was  rewarded  by 
the  appointment  to  Virginia.  In  a  letter  to  Mr.  McCulloch, 
dated  "  July  19,  175  i,"  Whitefield  wrote  : — 

"  Mr,  Davies's  one  congregation  is  multiplied  to  seven.  He  desires 
liberty  to  license  more  houses,  and  to  preach  occasionally  to  all,  as  there 
is  no  minister  but  himself.  This,  though  allowed  in  England,  is  denied 
in  Virginia,  which  grieves  the  people  very  much.  The  commissary  is  one 
of  the  council,  and,  with  the  rest  of  his  brethren,  no  friend  to  the  Dis- 
senters.    The  late  governor  was  like-minded.      I,   therefore,  think  Mr. 


In   Virginia,  339 


Dinvviddie  is  raised  up  to  succeed  him,  in  order  to  befriend  the  Church  of     17SS 
God,  and  the  interest  of  Christ's  people.     They  desire  no  other  privileges     . 
than  what  dissenting  Protestants  enjoy  in  our  native  country.     This,  I 
am  persuaded,  your  brother-in-law  will  be  glad  to  secure  to  them."  ' 

Under  these  altered  circumstances,  Whitefield  met  with  a 
most  favourable  reception.  Hence  the  following  extracts 
from  his  letters.  The  first  is  taken  from  a  letter  to  Charles 
Wesley ; — 

"January  14,  1755.  I  suppose  my  circuit  already  has  been  two  thousand 
miles  ;  and,  before  I  reach  Bethesda,  a  journey  of  six  hundred  more  lies 
before  me.  Scenes  of  wonder  have  opened  all  the  way.  A  thousandth 
part  cannot  be  told.  In  Virginia,  the  prospect  is  very  promising.  I 
have  preached  in  two  churches,  and,  this  morning,  am  to  preach  in  a 
third.  Rich  and  poor  seem  quite  ready  to  hear.  Many  have  been  truly 
awakened."  ^ 

"  Virginia,  January  13.  I  have  not  been  here  a  week,  and  have  had 
the  comfort  of  seeing  many  impressed  under  the  word  every  day.  Two 
churches  have  been  opened,  and  a  third  (Richmond)  I  am  to  preach  in 
to-morrow.  I  find  prejudices  subside,  and  some  of  the  rich  and  great 
begin  to  think  favourably  of  the  work  of  God.  Several  of  the  lower  class 
have  been  with  me,  acknowledging  what  the  Lord  did  for  them  when  I 
was  here  before." 

"  Virginia,  January  17.  I  am  now  on  the  borders  of  North  Carolina, 
and,  after  preaching  to-morrow  in  a  neighbouring  church,  I  purpose  to  take 
my  leave  of  Virginia.  Had  I  not  been  detained  so  long  northward,  what 
a  wide  and  effectual  door  might  have  been  opened.  Here,  as  well  as  else- 
where, rich  and  poor  flock  to  hear  the  everlasting  gospel.  Many  have 
come  forty  or  fifty  miles ;  and  a  spirit  of  conviction  and  consolation  seemed 

to  go  through  all  the  assemblies.     Colonel  R ,  a  person  of  distinction, 

opened  one  church  for  me,  invited  me  to  his  house,  and  introduced  me 
himself  to  the  reading  desk.  Blessed  be  God,  I  see  a  vast  alteration  for 
the  better.  O  for  more  time,  and  for  more  souls  and  bodies  !  Lord 
Jesus,  twenty  times  ten  thousand  are  too  few  for  Thee  !  " 

Of  Whitefield's  ride  from  Virginia  to  Georgia,  no  record 
now  exists  ;  neither  is  there  any  information  respecting  his 
work  at  Bethesda.  As  usual,  his  sojourn  at  the  Orphan 
House  was  brief  ;  for,  on  February  26th,  he  had  returned  to 
Charleston,  whence,  towards  the  end  of  March,  he  em- 
barked for  England.  The  following  are  extracts  from  two 
letters  addressed  to  his  housekeeper  at  Bethesda  : — 

'  Whitefield's  Works,  vol.  ii.,  p.  419. 

*  "  Life  of  Chailcs  Wesley,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  67. 


340  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

"Charleston,  March  3,  1755.     Through  Divine  goodness,  we  arrived 

here  last  Wednesday  afternoon.     On  Thursday,  Mr.  E was  solemnly 

ordained.  The  trials  I  have  met  with  have  brought  my  old  vomitings 
upon  me.  My  soul  has  been  pierced  with  many  sorrows.  But,  I  believe, 
all  is  intended  for  my  good.  Amidst  all,  I  am  comforted  at  the  present 
situation  of  Bethesda.  I  hope  you  will  walk  in  love,  and  that  the  children 
will  grow  in  years  and  grace.     I  pray  for  you  all,  night  and  day." 

"Charleston,  March  17,  1755.  Had  I  wings  like  a  dove,  how  often 
would  I  have  fled  to  Bethesda,  since  my  departure  from  it  [  I  could  a 
almost  say,  that  the  last  few  hours  I  was  there  were  superior  in  satisfaction 
to  any  hours  I  ever  enjoyed.  But  I  must  ^o  about  my  heavenly  Father's 
business.  For  this,  I  am  a  poor,  but  willing  pilgrim,  and  give  up  all  that 
is  near  and  dear  to  me  on  this  side  of  eternity.  This  week,  I  expect  to 
embark  in  the  Fiieftdship,  Captain  Ball ;  but  am  glad  of  the  letters  from 
Bethesda  before  I  start.  They  made  we  weep,  and  caused  me  to  throw 
myself  prostrate  before  the  prayer-hearing  and  promise-keeping  God.  He 
will  give  strength,  He  Avill  give  power.  Fear  not.  You  are  now,  I  believe, 
where  the  Lord  would  have  you  be,  and  all  will  be  well.  I  repose  the 
utmost  confidence  in  you,  and  believe  I  shall  not  be  disappointed  of  my 
hope.  I  should  have  been  glad  if  the  apples  had  been  sent  in  the  boat ; 
they  would  have  been  useful  in  the  voyage.  But  Jesus  can  stay  me  with 
better  apples.  May  you  and  all  my  dear  family  have  plenty  of  these  ! 
I  imagine  it  will  not  be  long  before  I  return  from  England." 

Whitefield  set  sail  about  March  27th  ;  and,  after  a  six 
weeks'  voyage,  landed  at  Newhaven,  on  the  8th  of  May. 
More  than  eight  years  elapsed  before  his  next  visit  to 
America. 


EIGHT  YEARS  IN  THE  UNITED  KINGDOM. 

1755    TO     1763. 

WHITEFIELD  and  the  Wesleys  were  now  not  the  only  1755 
evangelical  clergymen  in  London.  Not  to  mention  sJT ^ 
others,  there  was  the  Rev.  Thomas  Jones,  of  St.  Saviour's, 
Southwark, — a  young  man  of  feeble  health,  but  whose 
preaching  was  characterised  by  great  eloquence  and  power. 
There  was  the  Rev.  Martin  Madan,  founder  and  iirst  chaplain 
of  the  Lock  Hospital,  near  Hyde  Park  Corner.  And  there 
was  the  Rev.  William  Romaine,  who  had  been  at  Oxford  at 
the  same  time  Whitefield  and  the  Wesleys  were,  but  without 
becoming  an  Oxford  Methodist, — one  of  the  most  popular 
preachers  in  the  metropolis,  and  now  curate  of  St.  Olave's, 
Southwark.  The  ministry  oi  such  men  occasioned  Whitefield 
unmingled  joy.  One  of  his  first  letters,  after  his  arrival  in 
England,  was  addressed  to  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,  in 
which,  with  a  full  heart,  he  wrote  :  "  Glad  am  I  to  hear  that 
so  many  have  lately  been  stirred  up  to  preach  the  crucified 
Saviour.  Surely  that  Scripture  must  be  fulfilled,  '  And  many 
of  the  priests  also  were  obedient  to  the  word.'  The  work  is 
of  God,  and  therefore  must  prosper." 

In  a  letter  to  Governor  Belcher,  on   the  same  subject,  he 
remarked  : — 

"London,  May  14,  1755.  The  word  has  still  free  course  in  this 
metropolis.  The  poor,  despised  Methodists  are  as  lively  as  ever ;  and, 
in  several  churches,  the  gospel  is  now  preached  with  power.  Many  in 
Oxford  are  awakened  to  a  knowledge  of  the  truth  ;  and,  almost  every 
week,  I  have  heard  of  some  fresh  minister,  who  seems  determined  to 
know  nothing  but  Jesus  Christ  and  Him  crucified." 

This  was  a   most   important   movement, — the  commence- 
ment of  that  great   change  which  gradually  came   over  the 


342  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 


^755  Church  of  England,  until  hundreds  of  its  pulpits  were  filled 
Age  40  with  converted  men,  weekly  preaching  the  doctrines  which 
Whitefield  and  the  Wesleys  preached.  For  sixteen  years, 
the  three  Methodist  itinerants  had  been  scattering  seed, 
which,  in  many  thousands  of  instances,  had  sprung  up,  and 
was  bearing  fruit  ;  but  now  a  new  fact  occurred, — the  seed- 
sowers  were  being  multiplied.  In  a  letter  to  a  lady,  in  1752, 
stating  the  case  of  a  poor  divinity  student,  who  needed  help, 
Whitefield  wrote :  "  Every  student's  name  is  Legion.  Helping 
one  of  these,  is  helping  thousands."  No  wonder  that  he  now 
exulted  in  the  increase  of  gospel  ministers. 

During  his  recent  visit  to  America,  the  Rev.  Aaron  Burr 
and  the  trustees  of  New  Jersey  College  conferred  on  White- 
field  an  M.A.  degree.  Within  a  week  after  his  return  to 
England,  Whitefield  commenced  an  endeavour  to  return  the 
compliment.  He  had  formed  a  high  opinion  of  Mr.  Burr, 
and  wished  him  to  be  honoured  ;  but,  apart  from  this,  he 
doubtless  thought  that  the  college  would  be  helped  if  its 
president  were  made  a  doctor  of  divinity.  The  Marquis  of 
Lothian  had  been  a  generous  benefactor  of  the  college,  and, 
through  him,  Whitefield  hoped  to  procure  the  coveted  dis- 
tinction. In  a  letter  to  the  Marquis,  he  spoke  of  the  college 
as  "  the  purest  seminary  "  he  had  known,  and  added,  "If  the 
degree  of  doctor  of  divinity  could  be  procured  for  Mr.  Burr, 
the  present  president,  it  would  make  an  addition  to  its 
honours."  The  Marquis  replied,  "  The  University  of  Edin- 
burgh desire  me  to  obtain  some  account  of  Mr.  Burr's  litera- 
ture, or  performances.  This  I  hope  you  will  send  ;  and  a 
diploma  will  be  immediately  transmitted."  Whitefield's 
answer,  which  deserves  insertion,  was  as  follows  : — 

"  Mr.  Burr  was  educated  at  Yale  College,  in  Connecticut,  New  England  ; 
and,  for  his  pregnant  abilities  and  well-approved  piety,  was  unanimously 
chosen  to  succeed  the  Rev.  Mr.  Dickinson,'  in  the  care  of  New  Jersey 

'  A  charter  to  found  a  college  was  granted  by  the  Governor  of  New 
Jersey  on  October  22,  1746,  and  Mr.  Dickinson  was  appointed  president. 
Dickinson,  however,  died  a  year  afterwards,  and  before  the  charter  was 
carried  into  operation.  Besides  this,  the  provisions  of  the  charter  were 
not  liked  ;  and  hence,  in  1748,  Governor  Belcher  obtained  a  new  one 
from  George  II.,  Burr  was  chosen  president,  a  commencement  was  made, 
six  students  graduated,  five  of  whom  became  ministers.  (Hodge's 
Presbvterian  Church  in  the  United  States.) 


Age  40 


Trying  to  Serve  a  Friend.  343 

College.  It  would  have  delighted  your  lordship  to  have  seen  how  1755 
gloriously  he  filled  the  chair  last  year,  at  the  New  Jersey  commencement. 
His  Latin  oration  was  beautifully  elegant,  and  was  delivered  with  unaffected, 
yet  striking  energy  and  pathos.  As  a  preacher,  disputant,  and  head  of  a 
college,  he  shines  in  North  America  ;  and  the  present  prosperity  of  New 
Jersey  College  is  greatly  owing  to  his  learning,  piety,  and  conduct.  The 
students  revere  and  love  him.  Your  lordship  might  have  testimonials 
enough  from  good  Governor  Belcher,  Mr.  Jonathan  Edwards,"  cum 
mulfis  aliis.  I  believe  they  would  all  concur  in  saying  that,  of  his  age, 
now  upwards  of  forty,  there  is  not  a  more  accomplished  deserving  presi- 
dent in  the  world.  As  for  anything  of  his  in  print,  that  can  be  referred  to, 
I  can  say  nothing,  except  a  little  pamphlet  lately  published,^  in  which  he 
has  animated  the  people  against  the  common  enemy,  and  discovered  a 
close  attachment  to  the  interest  of  our  rightful  sovereign,  King  George. 
This  piece  of  Mr.  Burr's  I  have  in  London,  and  hope  it  is  in  Scotland. 
I  wish  the  diploma  may  be  transmitted  against  the  next  commencement. 
It  will  endear  your  lordship  more  and  more  to  the  good  people  of 
America."^  • 

To  say  the  least,  there  was  a  great  amount  of  large- 
heartedness  in  this  attempt  to  distinguish  the  college  of  a 
church  with  which  Whitefield  was  not  officially  connected. 

After  his  arrival  in  England,  Whitefield  spent  about  six 
weeks  in  London,  where  his  preaching  was  as  popular  as 
ever.  Writing  to  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,  on  May 
27th,  he  said  : — 

"  What  a  blessed  week  have  we  had  !  Sinners  have  come  like  a  cloud, 
and  fled  like  doves  to  the  windows.  What  a  happiness  is  it  to  be  absorbed 
and  swallowed  up  in  God  !  To  have  no  schemes,  no  views,  but  to  pro- 
mote the  common  salvation  !     This  be  my  happy  lot  !  " 

In  another  letter,  dated  "  London,  June  /th,"  he  wrote  : — 

"  It  will  rejoice  you  to  hear  that  the  glorious  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  gets 
ground  apace.  Several  of  the  clergy,  both  in  town  and  country,  have 
been  lately  stirred  up  to  preach  Christ  crucified,  in  the  demonstration  of 
the  Spirit,  and  with  power.  This  excites  the  enmity  of  the  old  Serpent. 
The  greatest  venom  is  spit  against  Mr.  Romaine,  who,  having  been 
reputed  a  great  scholar,  is  now  looked  upon  and  treated  as  a  great  fool, 
because  he  himself  is  made  wise  unto  salvation,  and  is  earnestly  desirous 
that  others  should  be,  Methinks  I  hear  you  say,  '  O  happy  folly ! '  May 
this  blessed  leaven  diffuse  itself  through  the  whole  nation  !     The  prospect 

'  Burr  had  married  one  of  Edwards's  daughters. 

*  A  fast-day  sermon,  on  the  encroachments  of  the  French,  published 
in  1755. 

^  Mr.  Burr  died  three  years  after  this.  One  of  his  two  children  became 
vice-president  of  the  United  States, 


344  1  he  Life  of  Whitefield. 

7755  is  promising.  Many  students  at  Oxford  are  earnestly  learning  Christ. 
Dear  Mr.   Hervey  has  learnt  and  preached   Him  some  years.     As  for 

-=^  40  myself,  I  can  only  say,  '  Less  than  the  least  of  all,'  must  be  my  motto 
still.  I  labour  but  feebly,  and  yet  Jesus  owns  my  labours.  People  still 
flock  to  the  gospel,  like  doves  to  the  windows.  Will  you  be  pleased  to 
accept  of  my  Lisbon  letters  "i '  My  little  Communion  book  is  not  yet  out. 
God  be  praised  !  there  is  a  time  coming  when  we  shall  need  books  and 
ordinances  no  more,  but  shall  be  admitted  into  uninterrupted  communion 
and  fellowship  with  the  blessed  Trinity  for  ever." 

The  "  little  Communion  book "  here  mentioned  was  a 
1 2 mo.  volume,  of  140  pages,  with  the  following  title:  "A 
Communion  Morning's  Companion.  By  George  Whitefield, 
A.B.,  late  of  Pembroke  College,  Oxford,  and  Chaplain  to  the 
Right  Honourable  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon.  London, 
1755."  The  book  consists  of:  i.  Meditations  on  the  five 
last  Questions  and  Answers  of  the  Catechism  of  the  Church 
of  England.  Extracted  from  Bishop  Ken.  2.  The  Order  for 
Administration  of  the  Lord's  Supper.  After  the  pattern  of 
Bishop  Wilson.  3.  Fifty-nine  Sacramental  Hymns,  and 
seventeen  Doxologies,  extracted  from  several  authors. 
Except  a  few  written  by  the  Wesleys,  most  of  the  hymns 
are  pious  doggerel.  The  extracts  from  Ken  and  Wilson  are 
intensely  religious,  and,  to  a  devout  mind,  must  be  useful. 
The  book  had  an  extensive  sale.  As  early  as  1758,  it  had 
passed  through  a  third  edition.  The  following  is  taken  from 
Whitefield's  preface  : — 

"  There  is  but  little  in  this  '  Communion  Morning's  Companion'  of  my 
own  ;  and,  as  it  is  intended  purely  for  the  assistance  of  the  professed 
members  of  the  Church  of  England,  I  thought  it  most  advisable  to 
extract  the  meditations  and  practical  remarks  on  the  public  form  of 
administration  from  our  own  bishops.  I  particularly  fixed  on  Bishop 
Ken,  not  only  because  his  sweet  meditations  on  the  Redeemer's  passion 
were  some  of  the  first  things  that  made  a  religious  impression  on  my  own 
soul,  but  because  he  was  one  of  those  seven  bishops  who  were  sent  to  the 
Tower  for  making  a  noble  stand  against  popish  tyranny  and  arbitrary 
power  in  the  latter  end  of  the  reign  of  King  James  the  Second.  Imagining 
that  the  words  '  >'ea  I  presence,'  though  evidently  meant  by  the  good  bishop 
only  of  the  Redeemer  s  spiritual  presence  (which  is  all  the  presence  I 
know  of),  might  stumble  some,  I  erased  them,  and  also  made  a  few 
alterations  in  some  other  passages,  which,  by  some,  might  be  judged 
objeciiunable. 


'  The  publication  of  these  letters  has  been  already  noticed. 


Death  of  a  Friend.  345 

"As  for  those  who  are  against  any  offices  or  set  forms  at  all,  I  shall     1755 
only  say,  '  Let  not  him  who  useth  a  form  judge  him  who  useth  it  not ;       — 
and  let  not  him  who  useth  it  not  despise  him  who  doth  use  it.'     Though      ^   ^ 
I  profess  myself  a  minister  of  the  Established  Church,  and  never  yet 
renounced  her  articles,  homilies,  or  liturgy,  I  can  and,  if  God's  provi- 
dence direct  my  course  thither  again,  shall  join  in  occasional  communion 
with  the  churches  of  New  England  and  Scotland,  being  persuaded  there 
are  as  many  faithful  ministers  among  them  as  in  any  parts  of  the  known 
world." 

About  the  middle  of  the  month  of  June,  Whitefield  set 
cut  on  a  three  weeks'  tour  to  Gloucester,  Bristol,  and  the 
west  of  England.  "  Thousands  and  thousands,"  says  he, 
"  flocked  in  Gloucestershire  ;  and  here,  in  Bristol,  the  con- 
gregations fall  little  short  of  those  in  London."  At  Bath, 
he  preached  several  times  in  the  house  of  Lady  Gertrude 
Hotham ;  Lord  Chesterfield,  Mrs.  Grinfield,  Mrs.  Bevan,^  and 
other  members  of  the  aristocracy  being  among  his  hearers. 

On  the  1st  of  July,  Lady  Anne  Hastings,  after  a  short 
illness,  was  removed  to  her  eternal  rest,  in  the  sixty-fifth 
year  of  her  age."^  Whitefield  heard  of  this  event  at  Bristol, 
and,  on  his  return  to  London,  wrote  as  follows  to  the 
Countess  of  Huntingdon  : — 

"London,  July  11,  1755. 
"Ever-honoured  Madam, — Yesterday,  about  noon,  afier  being  worn 
down  witli  travelling,  and  preaching  twice  and  thrice  a  day  in  Gloucester- 
shire, at  Bath,  and  Bristol,  a  gracious  Providence  brought  me  to  town. 
At  Bristol,  I  heard  of  the  death  of  good  Lady  Anne.  Alas  !  how  many 
has  your  ladyship  lived  to  see  go  before  you  !  An  earnest  this,  I  hope, 
that  you  are  to  live  to  a  good  old  age,  and  be  r/iore  and  more  a  mother 
in  Israel.  A  short,  but  sweet  character.  God  knows  how  long  I  am 
to  drag  this  crazy  load,  my  body,  along.  Blessed  be  His  holy  name  ! 
1  h  ive  not  one  attachment  to  earth.  I  am  sick  of  myself,  sick  of  the 
world,  sick  of  the  Church,  and  am  panting  daily  after  the  full  enjoyment 
of  my  God.     John  Cennick  is  now  added  to  the  happy  number  of  those 

'  Mrs.  Bevan  was  the  widow  of  Arthur  Bevan,  Esq.,  who,  for  fourteen 
years,  represented  Carmarthen  in  Parliament.  She  was  converted  under 
the  ministry  of  the  famous  Griffith  Jones.  For  twenty  years  after  his 
death,  she  supported  his  schools  in  Wales,  and  in  her  will  left  ^10,000 
to  perpetuate  their  good  effects.  She  was  an  elegant  and  accomplished 
woman  ;  and,  at  every  visit,  Whitefield  was  wont  to  preach  in  her  house 
at  Bath.     ("  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  i., 

P-  454-) 
^  Ibid.,  p.  195. 


346  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

who  are  called  to  see  Him  as  He  is.'     I  do  not  envy,  but  I  want  to  follow 
after  him. 

"  The  fields  at  Bristol  and  Kingswood  were  whiter  and  more  ready  to 
harvest  than  for  many  years  past.  If  the  new  Tabernacle  at  Bristol  were 
as  large  as  that  in  London,  it  would  be  filled.  Thrice  last  Sunday,  and 
twice  the  Sunday  before,  I  preached  in  the  fields  to  many,  many  thou- 
sands. At  Bath,  we  had  good  seasons.  Good  Lady  Gertrude,  Mrs. 
Bevan,  and  Mrs.  Grinfield,  were  very  hearty.  God  was  with  us  of  a 
truth.  O  for  an  humble,  thankful  heart  !  I  am  now  looking  up  for 
direction  what  course  to  steer  next.     I  suppose  it  will  be  northward." 

Whitefield  spent  about  another  month  in  London.  It 
was  at  this  period  that  Cornelius  Winter,  then  a  boy 
in  the  thirteenth  year  of  his  age,  was  induced  to  hear 
Whitefield  preach.  Cornelius  was  an  orphan,  whose  father 
had  been  a  shoemaker,  and  his  mother  a  laundress.  At  the 
age  of  eight,  he  was  admitted,  into  the  Charity  School  of  St. 
Andrew's,  Holborn.  He  then  became  the  inmate  of  a  work- 
house. When  his  "  schooling  closed,"  he  "  had  merely  learned 
to  write,  Avithout  being  set  to  put  three  figures  together,  or 
to  learn  one  line  in  any  of  the  tables."  The  half-hungered 
child  next  became  errand  boy,  and  a  sort  of  general  drudge 
in  the  kitchen  and  the  workshop  of  a  distant  relative,  Mr. 
Winter,  watergilder,  in  Bunhill  Row.  His  master  was  bad- 
tempered,  and  a  drunkard,  and  often  beat  young  Cornelius 
so  unmercifully  that  the  lad  sometimes  wished  to  die.  The 
boy  regularly  attended  the  Church  of  St.  Luke,  in  Old  Street, 
but  says,  he  had  "  strong  prejudices  against  the  Metho- 
dists and  Dissenters."  "  However,"  he  writes,  "  when  my 
clothes  were  disgracefully  bad,  which  was  sometimes  the 
case,  I  absconded  from  my  own  church,  and  occasionally 
wandered  into  a  meeting-house.  At  last,  I  got  to  hear  Mr. 
Whitefield,  and  was  particularly  struck  with  the  largeness  of 
the  congregation,  the  solemnity  that  sat  upon  it,  the  melody 
of  the  singing,  and  Mr.  Whitefield's  striking  appearance,  and 
his  earnestness  in  preaching.  From  this  time,  I  embraced 
all  opportunities  to  hear  him."'-^ 

Whitefield  remained  in  London  till  the  commencement  of 
the  month  of  August,  when,  unexpectedly,  he  was  requested, 
by  Colonel  and  Mrs.  Galatin,  and  the  Countess  of  Hunting- 

'  Cennick  died  exactly  a  week  before  this  letter  was  written. 
*  "  Memoirs  of  Rev.  Cornelius  Winter."     By  William  Jay. 


Methodists  at  N'orwich.  347 

don,  to  go  to  Norwich,  and  re-open   the  Tabernacle  built  for     ^755 
Wheatley,    Wesley's    expelled    itinerant    preacher.      Wesley  Age  40 
already  had  a  mongrel  Society  in  Norwich,  and  disapproved 
of  Whitefield's  preaching  in  an  apparently  opposition  chapel.^ 
He  complained  to  Whitefield,  who  replied  as  follows  : — 

"Norwich,  August  (),  1755. 
"  Reverend  and  dear  Sir,— Till  Tuesday  evening"  (August  5th)  "  I 
knew  no  more  of  coming  to  Norwich  than  a  child  unborn.  Had  I  been 
well  enough,  and  my  private  business  permitted,  I  should  have  been  some 
miles  on  my  way  towards  Donington  Park.  This  I  told  Mr.  Hartley, 
and  acquainted  him  with  every  step.  He  should  have  written  himself, 
and  not  retailed  our  conversation.  As  I  expect  to  be  in  town  some  time 
next  week,  I  choose  to  defer  writing  more  till  we  have  a  personal  inter- 
view. My  time  is  too  precious  to  be  employed  in  hearkening  to,  or 
vindicating  myself  against,  the  false  and  invidious  insinuations  of  narrow 
and  low-life  informers.  Never  was  I  more  satisfied  of  my  call  to  any 
place  than  of  my  present  call  to  Norwich.  The  Redeemer  knows  the 
way  that  I  take.  I  came  hither  purely  for  His  glory,  without  the  least 
design  to  make  a  party  for  myself,  or  to  please  or  displease  any  other 
party  whatsoever.  In  this  way,  an.d  in  this  spirit,  through  His  divine  ■ 
assistance,  I  hope  to  go  on.  Blessed  be  His  name  !  I  trust  my  feeble 
labours  have  not  been  in  vain.  Sin,  I  hope,  has  been  prevented,  errors 
detected,  sinners  convicted,  saints  edified,  and  my  own  soul  sweetly 
refreshed.  But  I  must  add  no  more.  That  Jesus  may  give  us  all  a  right 
judgment  in  all  things,  and  keep  all  parties  from  giving  a  wrong  touch  to 
the  ark,  is  and  shall  be  the  constant  prayer  of,  reverend  and  dear  sir, 
yours  most  affectionately  in  our  common  Lord, 

"  George  Whitefield." 

The  Society  at  Norwich  were  the  most  refractory  set  of 
Methodists  in  the  United  Kingdom.  It  would  be  a  bootless 
task  to  write  their  history.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that  Whitefield 
was  satisfied  with  his  visit.  "  Here,"  says  he,  "  there  has 
undoubtedly  been  a  glorious  work  of  God.  Twice  a  day, 
both  gentle  and  simple  flock  to  hear  the  word  ;  and,  I  think, 
it  comes  with  power."  ^  "  Notwithstanding  offences  have 
come,  I  scarce  ever  preached  a  week  together  with  greater 
freedom,"^  After  he  left,  the  Rev.  William  Cud  worth  took 
his  place,  and,  henceforth,  became  Wesley's  enemy,  and  the 
dangerous  friend  of  the  gentle  Hervey.  Cudworth  was 
assisted  by  Wheatley  and  Robert  Robinson,  the  latter  a  youth 

'  "  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol  ii.,  pp.  336,  337. 
-  Whitefield's  Works,  vol.  iii.,  p.  132. 
»  Ibid.,  p.  136. 


348  The  Life  of  Whiiefield. 

1755  of  twenty,  but  afterwards  the  famous  Baptist  minister  at 
A:^e4o  Cambridge.  They  established  preaching  stations  in  the 
surrounding  villages  ;  and,  at  Forncett,  about  twelve  miles 
from  Norwich,  a  Tabernacle  was  erected.  About  five  years 
after  this,  from  1/58  to  1763,  the  Norwich  Tabernacle  seems 
to  have  been  occupied  by  Wesley  and  the  preachers  in  con- 
nection with  him.  He  then  abandoned  it,  utterly  despairing 
to  keep  in  order  James  Wheatley's  "  lambs."  Indeed,  he 
designates  them  "  bullocks  nnaccustoincd  to  the  yoke,  who  had 
never  had  any  rule  or  order  among  them,  but  every  man  did 
what  was  right  in  his  own  eyes."  Lady  Huntingdon  next 
bought  the  Tabernacle  for  ^900,  and  vested  it  in  seven 
trustees,  who  were  to  manage  its  secular  concerns,  and 
appoint  or  dismiss  its  ministers  at  their  pleasure.^ 

Notwithstanding  the  foregoing  letter  addressed  to  Wesley, 
there  continued  to  be  misgiving.  It  also  seems  that,  at  first, 
Cudworth  and  Wheatley  found  it  difficult  to  co-operate. 
When  Whitefield  got  back  to  London,  he  wrote,  as  follows, 
to  the  turbulent  Norwich  Methodists  : — 

"  London,  August  26,  1755. 
"  My  dear  Friends, — I  received  your  kind  letters,  and  likewise  one 
from  Mr.  Wheatley  ;  and,  last  night,  a  long  one  from  Mr.  Cudworth ; 
but,  alas  !  I  have  no  time  for  controversy.  To  their  own  Master  they 
must  both  either  stand  or  fall.  All  I  can  say,  in  your  present  circum- 
stances, is,  that  you  had  best  make  a  trial,  and  let  matters,  for  a  while, 
stand  as  they  are.  I  have  sent  letters,  if  possible,  to  prevent  the  spread- 
ing, at  least  the  publishing,  of  any  further  tales.  Meanwhile,  do  you 
strengthen  yourselves  in  the  Lord  your  God.  The  cause  is  His.  I 
believe  you  honestly  embarked  in  it,  for  His  great  name's  sake,  and 
He  will  help  you  out  of  all.  To-morrow,  I  must  away  to  the  north. 
Follow  me  with  your  prayers  ;  and  assure  yourselves  that  you  and  yours, 
and  the  dear  people  of  Norwich,  will  not  be  forgotten  by  me.  If  ever  the 
Redeemer  should  bring  me  thither  again,  I  can  then  converse  with  Mr. 
Wheatley  and  Mr,  Cudworth  face  to  face  ;  but  I  beg  to  be  excused  from 
writing,  when  I  think,  by  so  doing,  I  can  do  no  service.  The  Lord 
clothe  us  all  with  humility,  and  give  us  all  true  simplicity  and  godly 
sincerity  !" 

On  August  27,  Whitefield  left  London  for  the  north  of 
England.  On  his  way,  he  spent  two  or  three  days  with  his 
friend   Hervey,   at    the   rectory  of  Weston-Favell.       Hervey 

'  "  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  344. 


Wesley  and  Hervey.  349 


had  just  published,  in  three  octavo  volumes,  his  "  Theron  1755' 
and  Aspasio,"  part  of  which  work  had  been  submitted  to  a  ~.o 
Wesley  in  manuscript,  for  his  revision.  Wesley  and  Hervey 
had  already  become  alienated,  for  Wesley  had  made  more 
corrections  in  the  manuscript  than  Hervey  liked.  At  all 
events,  on  January  9,  1755,  Hervey  wrote  to  Lady  Frances 
Shirley  :  "  Mr.  John  Wesley  takes  me  roundly  to  task  on 
the  score  of  predestination  ;  at  which  I  am  much  surprised, 
because  this  doctrine  (be  it  true  or  false)  makes  no  part  of 
my  scheme.  I  cannot  but  fear  he  has  some  sinister  design. 
I  do  not  charge  such  an  artifice,  but  sometimes  I  cannot 
help  forming  a  suspicion."^  In  the  interval,  Wesley  had 
written  to  Hervey  a  long  letter,  freely  animadverting  on 
"  Theron  and  Aspasio,"  and  begging  him  to  lay  aside  the 
phrase,  ''  the  imputed  righteousness  of  Christ,"  adding,  "  It  is 
not  scriptural,  it  is  not  necessary,  it  has  done  immense  hurt." 
Hervey,  for  once  in  his  lovely  life,  neglected  to  exercise  his 
natural  gentleness.  Wesley's  letter  offended  him,  and  he 
declined  to  acknowledge  it  ;  but,  whilst  Whitefield  was  his 
guest,  he  wrote  to  his  Baptist  friend,  the  Rev.  John  Ryland  : 
"  I  find,  by  private  intelligence,  that  Mr.  Wesley  has  shewn 
his  letter  in  London,  and  has  thought  proper  to  animadvert 
upon  me,  by  name,  from  his  pulpit." 

There  can  be  little  doubt  that  Whitefield  was  Hervey 's 
informant.  Affairs  among  these  old  Oxford  Methodists 
were  in  a  ticklish  state.  It  is  a  mournful  fact,  that,  chiefly 
through  the  machinations  of  William  Cudworth,  the  friend- 
ship between  Hervey  and  Wesley  was  not  renewed  ;  but  it 
was  otherwise  with  the  large-hearted  Whitefield.  In  his 
Journal,  under  the  date,  November  5th,  1755,  Wesley 
wrote  :  "  Mr.  Whitefield  called  upon  me  ;  disputings  are 
now  no  more  ;  we  love  one  another,  and  join  hand  in  hand 
to  promote  the  cause  of  our  common  Master."  Charles 
Wesley,  also,  wrote  to  his  old  friend  a  poetical  epistle,^ 
breathing  with  Christian  love,  from  which  the  following  lines 
are  taken  : — 

'  "The  Oxford  Methodists,"  p.  290. 

^  This  was  afterwards  published,  with  the  following  title  :  "An  Epistle 
to  the  Rev.  Mr.  George  Whitefield  :  written  in  the  year  1755.  By  Charles 
Wcslev,  A.M.,  late  student  of  Christ  Church,  Oxford.  London,  1771." 
(8vo.  8  pp.) 


Age40 


350  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1755  "  Come  on,  my  Whitefield  !  (since  the  strife  is  past, 

And  friends  at  first  are  friends  again  at  last,) 
Our  hands,  and  hearts,  and  counsels  let  us  join 
In  mutual  league,  t'  advance  the  work  divine  ; 
Our  one  contention  now,  our  single  aim. 
To  pluck  poor  souls  as  brands  out  of  the  flame  ; 
To  spread  the  victory  of  that  bloody  cross. 
And  gasp  our  latest  breath  in  the  Redeemer's  cause. 
*  *  *  *  * 

"  In  a  strange  land  I  stood. 
And  beckon'd  thee  to  cross  th'  Atlantic  flood  : 
With  true  affection  wing'd,  thy  ready  mind 
Left  country,  fame,  and  ease,  and  friends  behind, 
And,  eager  all  heaven's  counsels  to  explore, 
Flew  through  the  watery  world  and  grasp'd  the  shore. 
Nor  did  I  linger,  at  my  friend's  desire. 
To  tempt  the  furnace,  and  abide  the  fire  : 
When  suddenly  sent  forth,  from  the  highways 
I  call'd  poor  outcasts  to  the  feast  of  grace ; 
Urg'd  to  pursue  the  work,  by  thee  begun. 
Through  good  and  ill  report,  I  still  rush'd  on, 
Nor  felt  the  fire  of  popular  applause. 
Nor  fear'd  the  torturing  flame  in  such  a  glorious  cause. 

"  One  in  His  hand,  O  may  we  still  remain, 
Fast  bound  witTi  love's  indissoluble  chain  ; 
(That  adamant  which  time  and  death  defies, 
That  golden  chain  which  draws  us  to  the  skies  !) 
His  love  the  tie  that  binds  us  to  His  throne. 
His  love  the  bond  that  perfects  us  in  one  ; 
His  love,  (let  all  the  ground  of  friendship  see,) 
His  only  love  constrains  our  hearts  t'  agree, 
And  gives  the  rivet  of  eternity  !  " 

Just  at  the  time  when  Whitefield  left  America,  the 
ministers  of  George  the  Second  announced  to  Parliament 
that  a  war  with  France  was  inevitable.  The  Committee  of 
Supply  eagerly  voted  a  million  of  money  for  the  defence  of 
their  American  possessions  ;  and  Admiral  Boscawen  was 
sent  with  a  fleet  towards  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  to  inter- 
cept a  French  fleet  which  had  been  prepared  in  the  forts  of 
Rochefort  and  Brest,  and  which  was  carrying  reinforcements 
to  the  French  Canadians.  America  was  now  in  martial  con- 
fusion. Among  others,  Whitefield's  old  friend  Sir  William 
Pepperell  had  gone  to  the  field  of  action  ;  and   Whitefield, 


Commencement  of '■^  Seven    Years'    War.^''       351 

while   a   guest    at    Hervey's,  wrote    to    Lady   Pepperell   and     ^755 
her  daughter,  to   cheer  them    in    the   colonel's   absence,  as  Age4o 
follows  : — 

"Weston-Favell,  August  2,0,  1755. 
"  Dear  Miss, — A  few  days  past,  as  I  was  going  into  the  Tabernacle 
to  read  letters,  yours  came  to  hand.  Immediately,  I  read  it  among  the 
rest,  and  you  and  my  other  New  England  friends  had  the  prayers  of 
thousands.  How  did  I  wish  to  be  transported  to  America!  How  did  I 
long  to  stir  up  all  against  the  common  enemy,  and  to  be  made  instrumental 
of  doing  my  dear  country  some  little  service  !  Dear  New  England, — 
dear  Boston  lies  upon  my  heart  !  Surely  the  Lord  will  not  give  it  over 
into  the  hands  of  the  enemy.  He  has  too  many  praying  ministers  and 
praying  people  there,  for  such  a  dreadful  catastrophe." 

"  Weston-Favell,  August  30,  1755. 
"  Dear  Madam, — I  find  you  are  once  more  called  to  give  up  your 
honoured  husband  for  his  country's  good.  The  God  whom  you  serve  will 
richly  reward  you  for  such  a  sacrifice,  and  be  better  to  you  than  seven 
husbands.  1  long  to  hear  that  he  is  returned  victorious.  He  is  gone 
upon  a  good  cause,  and  under  the  conduct  of  the  best  general,  even  the 
Captain  of  our  salvation.  To  Him  I  am  praying,  night  and  day,  for 
the  temporal  and  spiritual  welfare  of  dear,  never-to-be-forgotten  New 
England.  Courage,  dear  madam,  courage !  A  few  more  partings,  a 
few  more  changes,  a  few  more  heart-breakings,  heart-purifying  trials 
and  we  shall  be  safely  landed." 

Such  were  Whitefield's  feelings  at  the  commencement  of 
the  Seven  Years'  War,  which  was  ended  by  the  Peace  of 
Paris,  February  lo,  1763.  The  terrific  strife  kept  White- 
field  from  his  beloved  America  for  the  space  of  eight  long 
years,  and,  during  this  lengthened  period,  many  and  great 
were  his  anxieties  concerning  his  Orphan  House,  and  his 
transatlantic  friends  ;  but  more  'of  this  anon  An  extract 
from  another  letter,  written  at  Hervey's,  and  addressed  to 
a  rich,  but  miserly  American,  is  too  characteristic  to  be 
omitted. 

"  Weston-Favell,  August  30,  1 755. 
"  Your  friends  everywhere  take  notice,  that  the  sin  which  doth  most 
easily  beset  you  is  a  too  great  love  of  money  ;  and  this,  in  many  cases, 
makes  you  act  an  unfriendly  part.  If  God  should  suffer  our  enemies  to 
prevail,  you  will  wish  you  had  laid  up  more  treasure  in  heaven.  Blessed 
be  God,  mine  is  out  of  the  reach  of  men  or  devils.  Strange  that  five  per 
cent,  from  man  should  be  preferred  to  a  hundredfold  from  Christ !  A 
word  to  the  Avise  is  sufficient.  I  am  looking  out  for  more  news  from  dear 
America.     May  the  late  defeat  be  sanctified !  Adieu,  my  dear  Mr.  V ! 


352  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

Non  mac^na  loquiiian;  non  magna  scribinuts,  scd  I'ivi/nus,  isthe  Chris- 
tian's motto.     Mr.  D can  English  it." 

On  Sunday,  August  31st,  Whitefield  preached  twice, 
not  in  his  friend  Hervey's  church,  but  at  Northampton. 
He  then  proceeded  to  Lady  Huntingdon's,  at  Donington 
Park.  At  Liverpool,  on  September  12th,  "some  fallow- 
ground  was  broken  up;"  at  Bolton,  "the  cup  of  many  ran 
over;"  at  Manchester,  "  people  heard  most  gladly  ;"  at  Leeds 
and  Bradford,  "  what  many  felt  was  unutterable  ;"  and  at 
York,  "  a  smart  gentleman  was  touched."  On  reaching 
Newcastle-on-Tyne,  Whitefield  wrote  to  the  Countess  of 
Huntingdon,  as  follows  : — 

"Newcastle,  September  20,,  1755. 

"  Ever-honoured  Madam, — I  know  not  how  long  it  is  since  I  left 
your  ladyship  ;  but  this  I  know,  a  sense  of  the  satisfaction  I  felt  when  at 
Donington  still  lies  upon  my  heart.  Were  I  not  called  to  public  work, 
waiting  upon,  and  administering  to  your  ladyship  in  holy  offices  would 
be  my  choice  and  highest  privilege. 

"  The  only  new  ground  that  has  been  broken  up  is  Liverpool.  There 
the  prospect  is  promising.  I  preached  in  a  great  square  on  the  Lord's- 
day,  and  the  alarm,  I  hear,  went  through  the  town.  At  Bolton,  the  cup  of 
God's  people  ran  over  ;  and  at  Manchester  we  had  large  auditories  and 
blessed  seasons.  At  Leeds,  we  felt  what  is  unutterable  ;  and  at  Bradford, 
last  Sunday,  the  congregation  consisted  of  at  least  ten  thousand.'  But,  oh, 
how  has  my  pleasure  been  alloyed  at  Leeds !  I  rejoiced  there  with  trem- 
bling ;  for,  unknown  to  me,  they  had  almost  finished  a  large  house,  in  order 
to  form  a  separate  congregation."  If  this  scheme  succeeds,  an  awful 
separation,  I  fear,  will  take  place  amongst  the  Societies.^  I  have  written 
to  Mr  Wesley,  and  have  done  all  I  could  to  prevent  it.  O  this  self-love, 
this  self-will  !    It  is  the  devil  of  devils  ! 

"  I  write  this  from  Newcastle,  where  the  people,  twice  a  day,  hear  the 
gospel  gladly.  What  to  do  now,  I  know  not.  Calls  on  all  sides  are  very 
loud,  and  it  is  too  late  to  go  either  to  Ireland  or  Scotland.  O  my  God! 
winter  is  at  hand,  and,  in  the  summer,  how  little  has  been  done  for  Thee  ! 
I  cannot  bear  to  live  at  this  poor  dying  rate." 

'  The  place  at  Bradford  where  Whitefield  preached  was  "  in  an  open 
part  of  the  town,  near  the  water-side.  His  texts  were,  John  iii.  14,  and 
I  John  iii.  8."     ("  Memoirs  of  John  Fawcett,  D.D.,"  pp.  15—17.) 

-  There  had  been  a  schism  among  the  Leeds  Methodists.  A  consider- 
able number  had  seceded ;  John  Edwards  had  formed  them  into  a  separate 
Society  ;  and,  probably,  the  meeting-house  Whitefield  mentions  was 
intended  for  Edwards  and  his  congregation.  Wesley's  first  chapel  in 
Leeds  was  built  two  years  afterwards,  in  St.  Peter's  Street. 

^  Wesley's  Societies.  Except  the  Societies  formed  by  Ingham  and  his 
friends  in  the  West  Riding  of  Yorkshire,  Lancashire,  Westmoreland,  and 
Cumberland,  none  others  existed  in  the  north  of  England. 


Letters.  S53 

Whitefield   spent  ten   or  a   dozen  days  in   the  neighbour-     ^75' 
hood  of  Newcastle,  and  then  set   out  for  London,   where   he  Age . 
arrived  on  October  30th.      The  following  are  extracts  from 
his  letters: — 

"London,  October i\,  1755. 
**  Last  night,  a  never-failing  God  brought  me  from  the  north  of  England, 
where  I  have  been  enabled  to  preach  twice  and  thrice  a  day  to  many, 
many  thousands,  for  two  months  past.  And  yet  I  cannot  die.  Nay,  they 
tell  me  I  grow  fat.  Never  did  I  see  the  word  more  blessed,  or  so  many 
thousands  run  after  it  with  greater  greediness.  Next  to  inviting  them  to 
Christ,  I  have  always  taken  care  to  exhort  them  to  pray  for  King  George, 
and  our  dear  friends  in  America." 

"  London,  November,  i,  1755. 
"  On  Thursday  evening,  I  came  to  town,  after  having  preached  about  a 
hundred  times,  and  travelled  about  eight  hundred  miles.  For  more  than 
ten  days  together,  I  preached  thrice  a  day.  O  that  I  could  preach  three 
hundred  times  !  All  would  be  infinitely  too  little  to  testify  my  love  to  Jesus. 
After  about  a  week's  stay  here,  I  hope  to  move  westward.  O  winter  ! 
winter  !  Haste  and  fly,  that  I  may  again  set  out  !  Yesterday,  I  waited 
upon  the  Countess  Delitz,  and,  on  Thursday,  I  am  to  dine  with  her 
ladyship." 

"London,  November  ^^  1755. 
"  I  hear  you  have  been  sitting  night  and  day  in  council.  All  we  can  do 
on  this  side  the  water  is  to  pray.  This,  I  trust,  thousands  are  doing  every 
day.  I  seldom  preach  without  mentioning  dear  New  England.  Blessed 
be  God  !  the  prospect  is  promising  here.  In  the  north  of  England,  the 
word  runs  and  is  glorified  more  than  ever.  In  London,  people  flock  like 
doves  to  the  windows." 

To  Lady  Huntingdon,  who  had  gone  to  Clifton  Hotwells, 
Bristol,  Whitefield  wrote  ;  — 

"  London,  November  10,  1755. 
"Ever-honoured  Madam, — Your  ladyship's  kind  and  condescending 
letter  found  me  just  returned  from  Chatham.  The  court,  in  the  best  sense 
of  the  word,  is  now  removed  to  Clifton.  For  there  only  is  the  real  court 
kept,  where  Jesus  reigns,  and  where  He  has  erected  a  spiritual  kingdom 
in  the  heart.  All  besides  this  is  only  tinsel  and  glitter.  Here  alone  is 
real  and  abiding  happiness  to  be  found.  O  for  further  searches  into  the 
heiglits  and  depths  of  God  !  O  for  further  leadings  into  the  chambers  of 
that  selfish,  sensual,  and  devilish  imagery,  that  yet  lie  latent  in  my  partly 
renewed  heart  !  This  self-love,  what  a  Proteus .'  This  self-will,  what  a 
Hydra!  This  remaining  body  of  sin  and  death,  what  an  Antichrist! 
what  a  scarlet  whore  I  what  a  hell  !  what  a  red  dragon  !  what  a  cursed, 
VOL  II.  2.3 


354  "^^^^  IJfe  of  Whitefield. 

monster  is  it !  How  hard,  how  slow,  he  dies  !  O  what  gratitude  do  I 
owe  to  the  Bruiser  of  this  seipent's  head  !  O  for  a  heart  gladly  to  embrace 
every  cross,  every  trying  dispensation,  that  may  have  a  tendency  to  poison, 
or  stai've  the  old  man,  and  cherish,  promote,  or  cause  to  bloom  and 
blossom  the  graces  and  tempers  of  the  new  !  Ordinances,  providences, 
doctrines  are  of  no  service  to  bel'evers,  except  as  they  are  attended  with 
this  mortifying  and  life-giving  power.  Happy  family,  who  have  this  one 
thing  in  view  !  Happy  retirement,  that  is  improved  to  this  blessed  pur- 
pose !  Happy,  therefore,  good  Lady  Huntingdon,  and  the  other  elect 
ladies,  who  are  determined  thus  to  go  hand  in  hand  to  heaven  !  All  hail, 
ye  new-born,  heaven-born  souls  I  Ye  know,  by  happy  experience,  that 
Jesus  is  an  inwai^d  as  well  as  outward  Saviour.  Were  even  annihilation 
to  follow  death,  who  would  not  but  have  this  redemption  whilst  they  live  ? 
But  glory,  glory  be  to  God  !  it  is  only  the  dawning  of  an  eternal  day,  the 
beginning  of  a  life  that  is  ere  long  to  be  absorbed  in  never-ceasing,  unin- 
terrupted fruition  of  the  ever-blessed  Triune  Deity.  O  the  depth,  the 
height  of  this  love  of  God  I  It  passeth  human  and  angelic  knowledge. 
My  paper  only  permits  me  to  add,  that  I  am,  ever-honoured  madam, 
"  Your  ladyship's  most  dutiful  and  ready  servant, 

"  George  Whitefield." 

Soon  after  this,  Whitefield  joined  her  ladyship  at  Bristol, 
where  he  spent  about  a  month,  but,  to  a  great  extent,  was 
prevented  preaching.      Hence  the  following  : — 

"  Bristol,  November  30. 
"  For  near  ten  days  past,  I  have  preached  in  pain,  occasioned  by  a  sore 
throat,  which  I  find  now  is  the  beginning  of  a  quinsy.  The  doctor  tells 
me  silence  and  warmth  may  cure  me  ;  but  (if  I  had  my  will)  heaven  is  my 
choice,  especially  if  I  can  speak  no  longer  for  my  God  on  earth.  However, 
painful  as  the  medicine  of  silence  is,  I  have  promised  to  be  very  obedient, 
and,  therefore,  I  have  not  preached  this  morning." 

Whitefield  returned  to  London  towards  the  end  of 
December,  and  closed  the  year  by  writing  to  the  Countess 
of  Huntingdon  : — 

"  London,  December  31,  1755. 
"  Ever-honoured  Madam,— Your  ladyship's  kind  and  condescending 
letter  should  not  have  been  so  long  unanswered,  had  not  bodily  weakness, 
and  my  Christmas  labours,  prevented  my  writing.  It  has  been  a  joyful- 
mourning  season.  Saturday  last  being  my  birthday,  my  soul  was  deeply 
exercised,  from  morning  till  evening,  in  thinking  how  much,  in  one-and- 
forty  years,  I  had  sinned  against  God,  and  how  little  I  have  done  for  Him. 
This  impression  yet  lies  deep  upon  my  heart,  and,  therefore,  I  purpose  to 
end  the  old  year  by  preaching  on  these  words,  '  I  abhor  myself,  and  repent 
in  dust  and  ashes.'  O  that  all  things  belonging  to  the  old  man  may  die 
in  me,  and  all  things  belonging  to  the  new  man  may  live  and  grow  in  me ! 


Long  Acre  Chapel.  555 

But,  alas  \  this  is  a  work  of  time.     Every  day  and  every  hour  must  we  be     1755 
passing  from  death  to  hfe.     Mortification  and  vivification  make  up  the      — 
whole  of  the  Divine  work  in  the  new-born  soul.  ^^  ^ 

"  Rut  shall  I  conceal  the  goodness  of  my  long-suffering  Master  ?  No, 
I  dare  not;  for,  in  spite  of  my  unworthiness.  He  still  continues  to  smile 
upon  my  poor  ministrations.  A  noble  chapel  is  now  opened  in  Long  Acre, 
where  I  am  to  read  prayers  and  preach  twice  a  week.  Hundreds  went 
away  last  night,  who  could  not  come  in ;  but  those  who  could,  I  trust, 
met  with  Jesus." 

Long  Acre  has  just  been  mentioned, — Long  Acre,  with 
the  London  theatres  on  the  left,  and  Wesley's  West  Street 
chapel  on  the  right, — then  a  fashionable  street ;  now,  to  a 
great  extent,  consisting  of  workshops  for  making  and  ex- 
hibiting all  kinds  of  carriages.  In  the  theatres,  John  Rich, 
the  harlequin,  with  a  kind  of  dumb  eloquence,  was  electrify- 
ing his  audiences  by  the  mere  gesticulations  of  his  body. 
Catherine  Clive  was  cleverly  acting  the  characters  of  cham- 
bermaids, fashionable  ladies,  country  girls,  romps,  hoydens, 
dowdies,  superannuated  beauties,  viragoes,  and  humorists. 
David  Garrick,  who  once  said  "  I  would  give  a  hundred 
guineas  if  I  could  only  say  '  Oh  !  '  like  Mr.  Whitefield," 
was  the  celebrated  manager  of  the  theatre  in  Drury  Lane. 
Margaret  Woffington  was  an  admired  favourite  at  Covent 
Garden.  And  Samuel  Foote  was  at  the  height  of  his 
popularity. 

The  chapel  in  Long  Acrei  was  rented  by  the  Rev. 
John  Barnard,  one  of  Whitefield's  early  converts,  who  was 
now  an  Independent  minister,  but  afterwards  became  a 
Sandemanian,  and  was  ultimately  expelled  by  that  Society 
for  entertaining  too  exalted  notions  of  his  preaching 
powers."'^ 

The  Dean  of  Westminster,  who,  in  some  capacity,  claimed 
some  sort  of  clerical  jurisdiction  in  Long  Acre,  was  Zachary 
Pearce,  D.D.,  the  son  of  a  distiller  in  Holborn  ;  from  1748 
to  1756,  was  Bishop  of  Bangor  ;  and,  afterwards.  Bishop  of 
Rochester  ; — an   accomplished  scholar,  a  perspicuous  writer, 


'  The  Long  Acre  chapel  does  not  now  exist.  In  Charles  Street,  a  few 
yards  from  Long  Acre,  there  is  a  building  called  "  Whitefield's  Presbyte- 
rian Church  ;"  but  its  minister,  the  Rev.  C.  J.  Whitmore,  tells  me  it  is 
not  the  chapel  in  which  Whitefield  preached. 

*  Wilson's  "  Dissenting  Churches  in  London,"  vol.  iii.,  p.  365, 


356  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

a  feeble  orator,  an  active  prelate,  and  a  hearty  hater  of  the 
Methodists. 

Whitefield  had  long  wished  to  have  a  West-end  chapel, 
which  might  serve  as  the  meeting-house,  not  only  of  the  rich 
in  general,  but  especially  of  the  distinguished  persons  who 
were  accustomed  to  assemble  in  the  mansions  of  the  Countess 
of  Huntingdon,  Lady  Frances  Shirley,  and  Lady  Gertrude 
Hotham. 

These  brief  memoranda  will  help  to  explain  the  allusions 
in  the  following  extracts  from  Whitefield's  letters. 

The  first  is  taken  from  a  letter  addressed  to  the  Rev.  John 
Gillies,  of  Gla.sgow  : — 

**  London,  January  22, 1756.  Ever  since  I  came  from  the  norfh,  I  have 
had  a  violent  cold  and  sore  throat,  which  threatened  an  inflammatory- 
quinsy.  One  physician  prescribed  ^perpetual  blister,  but  I  have  found 
perpetual  preaching  to  be  a  better  remedy.  When  this  grand  catholicon 
fails,  it  is  over  with  me.  You  will  pray  that,  if  I  must  put  out  to  sea 
again,  it  may  be  to  take  fresh  prizes  for  my  God.  Every  day  brings  us 
fresh  news  of  newly  awakened  souls.  Both  at  this  and  the  other  end  of 
the  town  (where  I  now  preach  in  a  chapel  twice  a  week),  there  is  a  glorious 
stirring  among  the  dry  bones," 

The  next  is  from  a  letter  written  to  the  Countess  of 
Huntingdon  : — 

"  London,  January  29,  1756.  I  know  not  how  soon  I  may  be  called 
before  my  superiors.  The  sons  of  yudal  and  Cain  continue  to  serenade 
me  at  Long  Acre  chapel.  They  have  been  called  before  a  justice  ;  and, 
yesterday,  the  Bishop  of  Bangor  sent  for  them,  and  enquired  where  I  lived. 
My  house  is  pretty  public,  and  the  '  Bishop  of  souls '  shall  answer  for  me. 
One,  who  subscribes  to  hire  men  to  make  the  noise,  has  been  pricked  to 
the  heart,  and  can  have  no  rest  till  he  speaks  with  me.  Thus  Jesus  gets 
Himself  the  victory.  One  of  the  enclosed  extracts  comes  from  a  person 
who,  a  few  weeks  ago,  was  a  confirmed  Deist ;  now,  I  trust,  he  is  a  little 
child.  The  Redeemer  speaks,  and  it  is  done  ;  He  commands,  and  new 
creatures  instantaneously  arise  before  Him." 

Did  these  "  sons  of  Jubal  and  Cain  "  belong  to  the  ad- 
joining theatres  }  Perhaps  they  did.  Still,  it  is  curious 
that  Wesley,  in  West  Street  chapel,  had  never  been  dis- 
turbed by  their  unwelcome  serenading  ;  and  it  is  equally 
remarkable,  that  though  Bishop  Pearce  did  his  utm.ost  to 
silence  Whitefield  in  Long  Acre,  he  seems  not  at  all  to  have 
interfered  with  Wesley  in  a  neighbouring  street.    The  annoy- 


Letters  from  Bhhop  Pearce.  357 

ance,  to  Whitcfield  and  his  West-end  congregation,  was  great ;     ^75^ 
.  but  he  was  more  wishful   to  convert   the  sercnaders  than   to  A^e  41 
punish  them.      Hence  the  following,  addressed  to  the  gentle- 
man   who    had    brought   some    of    the   disturbers  before  a 
magistrate : — 

"  January  30.  Gratitude  constrains  me  to  send  you  a  few  lines  of  thanks 
for  the  care  and  zeal  you  have  exercised  in  suppressing  the  late  disorders 
at  Long  Acre  chapel.  I  hear  that  some  unhappy  man  has  incurred  the 
penalty  inflicted  by  our  salutary  laws.  As  peace,  not  revenge,  is  the  thing 
aimed  at,  I  should  rejoice  if  this  could  be  procured  without  the  delin- 
quents suffering  any  further  punishment.  Perhaps  what  has  been  done 
already  may  be  sufficient  to  deter  others  from  any  further  illegal  proceed- 
ings ;  and  that  will  be  satisfaction  enough  for  me." 

But  for  the  meddling  of  Bishop  Pearce,  it  is  possible, 
perhaps  probable,  that  these  disreputable  disturbances  might 
have  ceased  ;  but,  two  days  after  writing  thus  to  the 
gentleman  who  had  commenced  a  prosecution  of  the  noisy 
musicians,  Whitefield  received  a  letter  from  the  Bishop, 
in  which  he  prohibited  Whitefield's  further  preaching  in 
the  Long  Acre  chapel.  This  led  to  an  important  corre- 
spondence between  the  prelate  and  the  preacher.  Whether 
his  lordship  had  a  legal  right  to  issue  such  a  prohibi- 
tion, ecclesiastical  lawyers  must  determine ;  but,  to  say  the 
least,  his  action  had  the  appearance  of  episcopal  persecution. 
The  Bishop's  letters  to  Whitefield  have  not  been  published  ; 
for,  with  contemptible  cowardice,  Pearce  informed  Whitefield 
that,  if  he  dared  to  publish  them,  he  must  be  prepared  to 
undergo  the  penalty  due  to  the  infringement  of  "the  privilege 
of  a  peer !  "  Still,  the  substance  of  his  letters  may  be 
gathered  from  Whitefield's  answers  ;  and,  as  these  answers 
contain  an  explanation  and  a  defence  of  the  course  of 
conduct  which  Whitefield  had  pursued  for  nearly  the  last 
twenty  years,  they  are  inserted  here  at  greater  length,  than, 
under  other  circumstances,  they  would  have  been. 

"Tabernacle  House,  February  2,  1756. 
"  My  Lord, — A  few  weeks  ago,  several  serious  persons,  chosen  to  be 
a  committee  for  one  Mr.  Barnard,  applied  to  me,  in  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ,  and  a  multitude  of  souls  desirous  of  hearing  the  gospel,  to  preach 
at  a  place  commonly  called  Long  Acre  chapel.  At  the  same  time,  they 
acquainted  me,  that  the  place  was  licensed ;    that  Mr.  Barnard  either 


358  The  Life  of  Wkitefield. 

had  taken  or  was  to  take  it  for  a  certain  term  of  years  ;  that  he  had 
preached  in  it  for  a  considerable  time,  as  a  Protestant  Dissenting  minister  ; 
but  that,  notwithstanding  this,  I  might  use  tlie  Liturgy  if  I  thought 
proper,  so  that  I  would  but  come  and  preach  once  or  twice  a  week. 

''  Looking  upon  this  as  a  providential  call  from  Him,  who,  in  the  days 
of  His  flesh,  taught  all  who  were  willing  to  hear,  on  a  7nonnf,  in  a  ship,  or 
by  tlie  sea-side,  I  readily  complied  ;  and  I  humbly  hope  that  my  feeble 
labours  have  not  been  altogether  in  vain. 

"  This  being  the  case,  I  was  somewhat  surprised  at  the  prohibition  I 
received  from  your  lordship  this  evening.  For,  I  looked  upon  the  place 
as  a  particular  person's  property  ;  and  being,  as  I  was  informed,  not  only 
unconsecrated,  but  also  licensed  according  to  law,  I  thought  I  might 
innocently  preach  the  love  of  the  crucified  Redeemer,  and  loyalty  to  the 
best  of  princes,  our  dread  sovereign  King  George,  without  giving  any 
just  offence  to  Jew  or  Gentile,  much  less  to  any  bishop  or  overseer  of 
the  Church  of  God.  As  I  have,  therefore,  given  notice  of  preaching  to- 
morrow evening,  and  every  Tuesday  and  Thursday  whilst  I  am  in  town, 
1  hope  your  lordship  will  not  look  upon  it  as  contismacy,  if  1  persist  in 
prosecuting  my  design,  till  I  am  more  particularly  apprized  wherein  I 
have  erred. 

"  Controversy,  my  lord,  is  what  I  abhor ;  and,  as  raising  popular 
clamours  and  ecclesiastical  dissensions  must  be  quite  unseasonable, 
especially  at  this  juncture,  when  France  and  Rome,  and  fiell  ought  to  be 
the  common  butt  of  our  resentment,  I  hope  your  lordship  will  be  so  good 
as  to  inform  yourself  and  me  more  particularly  about  this  matter  ;  and, 
upon  due  consideration,  as  I  have  no  design  but  to  do  good  to  precious 
souls,  I  promise  to  submit.  But,  if  your  lordship  should  judge  it  best  to 
decline  this  method,  and  I  should  be  called  to  answer  for  my  conduct, 
either  before  a  spiritual  court,  or  from  the  press,  I  trust  the  irregularity  I 
am  charged  with  will  appear  justifiable  to  every  true  lover  of  English 
liberty,  and  (what  is  all  to  me)  will  be  approved  of  at  the  awful  and 
impartial  tribunal  of  the  great  Shepherd  and  Bishop  of  souls,  in  obedience 
to  whom  I  beg  leave  to  subscribe  myself,  your  lordship's  most  dutiful  son 
and  servant, 

"  George  Whitefield." 

The  Bishop  of  Bangor  replied  to  tliis  straightforward 
letter  ;  but,  of  course,  his  threat,  as  a  peer  of  the  realm, 
suppressed  his  communication.  Whitefield's  next  letter  was 
as  follows  : — 

"Tabernacle  House,  February  i6,  1756. 

"  My  Lord, — I  this  evening  received  your  lordship's  kind  letter  ;  and, 
though  it  is  late,  and  nature  calls  for  rest,  I  now  sit  down  to  give  your 
lordship  an  explicit  answer. 

"  God  can  witness,  that  I  entered  into  holy  orders,  according  to  the 
form  of  ordination  of  the  Church  of  England,  with  a  disinterested  view  to 
promote  His  glory,  and  the  welfare  of  precious  and  immortal  souls.     For 


WhiieJieLd'' s  Letters  to  Bishop  Pearce.  359 

near  twenty  years,  as  thousands  can  testify,  I  have  conscientiously  de-     1756 
fended  her  Homilies  and  Articles,  and,  upon  all  occasions,  have  spoken        ~ 
well  of  her  Liturgy.     So  far  from  renouncing  these,  together  with  her      ^^  ^^ 
discipline,  I  earnestly  pray  for  the  due  restoration  of  the  one,  and  daily 
lament  the  departure  of  too  many  from  the  other.     But,  my  lord,  what 
can  I  do.^ 

"  When  I  acted  in  the  most  regular  manner,  and  when  I  was  bringing 
multitudes,  even  of  Dissenters,  to  crowd  the  churches,  without  any  other 
reason  being  given  than  that  too  many  followed  after  me,  I  was  denied 
the  use  of  the  churches.  Being  thus  excluded,  and  many  thousands  of 
ignorant  souls,  that  perhaps  would  neither  go  to  church  nor  meeting-houses, 
being  very  hungry  after  the  gospel,  I  thought  myself  bound  in  duty  to 
deal  out  to  them  the  bread  of  life. 

"  Being  further  ambitious  to  serve  my  God,  my  king,  and  my  country, 
I  sacrificed  my  affections,  and  left  my  native  soil,  in  order  to  begin  and 
carry  on  an  Orphan  House  in  the  infant  colony  of  Georgia,  which  is  now 
put  upon  a  good  foundation.  This  served  as  an  introduction,  though 
without  design,  to  my  visiting  the  other  parts  of  his  Majesty's  dominions 
in  North  America ;  and  I  humbly  hope  that  many  in  that  foreign  clime 
will  be  my  joy  and  crown  of  rejoicing  in  the  day  of  the  Lord  Jesus. 

"  Nay,  my  lord,  if  I  were  not  assured  that  the  blessed  Redeemer  has 
owned  me  for  the  real  conversion  and  turning  of  many  from  darkness  to 
light,  the  weakness  of  my  decaying  body,  the  temptations  that  have  beset 
my  soul,  and  the  violent  opposition  with  which  I  have  met,  would  long 
since  have  led  me  to  accept  some  of  those  offers  that  have  been  made  me 
to  nestle,  and  by  accepting  which  I  might  have  screened  myself  from  the 
obloquy  and  contempt  which,  in  some  degree  or  other,  I  meet  with  every 
day.  But,  hitherto,  without  eating  a  morsel  of  the  Church  of  England's 
bread,  I  still  continue  to  use  her  Liturgy,  wherever  a  church  or  chapel  is 
allowed  me,  and  preach  up  her  Articles,  and  enforce  her  Homilies.  Your 
lordship,  therefore,  judgeth  me  exceeding  right,  when  you  say,  '  I  presume 
you  do  not  mean  to  declare  any  dissent  from  the  Church  of  England.' 
Far  be  it  from  me.  No,  my  lord,  unless  thrust  out,  I  shall  never  leave 
her  ;  and  even  then  I  shall  still  adhere  to  her  doctrines,  and  pray  for  the 
restoration  of  her  discipline,  to  my  dying  day. 

"  Fond  of  displaying  her  truly  protestant  and  orthodox  principles, 
especially  when  Church  and  State  are  in  danger  from  a  cruel  and  popish 
enemy,  I  am  glad  of  an  opportunity  of  preaching,  though  it  should  be  in 
a  meeting-house  ;  and  I  think  it  discovers  a  good  and  moderate  spirit  in 
the  Dissenters,  who  quietly  attend  on  the  Church  service,  as  many  have 
done,  and  continue  to  do  at  Long  Acre  chapel,  while  many,  who  style 
themselves  the  faithful  sons  of  the  Church,  have  endeavoured  to  disturb 
and  molest  us. 

"  If  the  lessor  of  this  chapel  has  no  power  to  let  it,  or  if  it  be  not  legally 
licensed,  I  have  been  deceived  ;  and  if,  upon  enquiry,  I  find  this  to  be 
the  case,  I  shall  soon  declare,  in  the  most  public  manner,  how  Y  have 
been  imposed  upon.  But  if  it  appears  that  the  lessor  has  a  right  to  dis- 
pose of  his  own  property,  and  that  the  place  is  licensed,  and  as  some  good,  I 


36o  The  Life  of  Whifefeld. 


trust,  has  been  done  by  this  foolishness  of  preaching,  surely  your  lordship's 
candour  will  overlook  a  little  irregularity,  since,  I  fear,  that,  in  these  dregs 
of  time  wherein  we  live,  we  must  be  obliged  to  be  iiregular,  or  we  must 
do  no  good  at  all. 

"My  lord,  I  remember  well  (and  O  that  I  may  more  than  ever  obey 
your  lordship's  admonition!)  that  awful  day,  wherein  I  was  ordained 
priest,  and  when  authority  was  given  me,  by  my  honoured  friend  and 
father,  good  Bishop  Benson,  to  preach  the  word  of  God  ;  but  never  did  I 
so  much  as  dream  that  this  was  only  a  local  commission,  or  that  the  con- 
dition annexed,  'Where  you  shall  be  lawfully  appointed  thereunto,'  was 
to  confine  me  to  any  particular  place,  and  that  it  would  be  unlawful  for 
me  to  preach  out  of  it.  It  is  plain  my  Lord  Bishop  of  Gloucester  did  not 
think  so  ;  for  when  his  secretary'  brought  a  license  for  me,  his  lordship 
said,  it  would  cost  me  thirty  shillings,  and  therefore  I  should  not  have  it. 
And  when,  after  being  presented  to  the  late  Bishop  of  London,  I  applied 
to  him  for  a  license,  his  lordship  was  pleased  to  say  I  was  going  to 
Georgia,  and  needed  none.  Accordingly,  I  preached  in  most  of  the  London 
churches,  under  his  lordship's  immediate  inspection  ;  and  why  any  other 
license  than  my  letters  of  orders  should  now  be  required,  I  believe  no 
substantial,  I  am  positive  no  scriptural,  reason  can  be  assigned. 

"  It  is  true,  as  your  lordship  observes,  there  is  one  canon  that  says, 
*  No  curate  or  minister  shall  be  permitted  to  serve  in  any  place,  without 
examination  and  admission  of  the  Bishop  of  the  Diocese.'  And  there  is 
another,  as  quoted  by  your  lordship,  which  tells  us,  '  Neither  minister, 
churchwarden,  nor  any  other  officers  of  the  Church  shall  suffer  any  man 
to  preach  within  their  chapels,  but  such  as,  by  shewing  their  license  to 
preach,  shall  appear  unto  them  to  be  sufficiently  authorised  thereunto.' 
But,  my  lord,  what  cui'acy  or  parsonage  have  I  desired,  or  do  I  desire  to  be 
admitted  to  serve  in  ?  or,  into  what  church  or  chapel  do  I  attempt  to 
intrude  myself,  without  leave  from  the  churchwardens  or  other  officers  ? 
Being,  as  I  think,  without  cause,  denied  admission  into  the  churches,  I 
am  content  to  take  the  field,  and,  when  the  weather  will  permit,  with  a 
table  for  my  pulpit,  and  the  heavens  for  my  sounding-board,  I  desire  to 
proclaim  to  all  the  unsearchable  riches  of  Jesus  Christ.  Besides,  my  lord, 
if  this  canon  should  be  always  put  into  full  execution,  I  humbly  presume, 
no  bishop  or  presbyter  can  legally  preach  at  any  time  out  of  the  diocese 
in  which  he  is  appointed  to  serve  ;  and,  consequently,  no  city  incumbent 
can  even  occasionally  be  lawfully  assisted  by  any  country  clergyman  ;  or 
even  can  a  bishop  himself  be  lawfully  permitted  to  preach  a  charity  sermon 
out  of  his  own  diocese,  without  a  special  license  for  so  doing. 

"  As  for  the  other  canon  which  your  lordship  mentions,  and  which  runs 
thus,  '  Neither  shall  any  minister,  not  licensed  as  is  aforesaid,  presume 
to  appoint  or  hold  any  meetings  for  sermons,  commonly  termed,  by  some, 
prophecies  or  exercises,  in  market  towns  or  other  places,  under  the  said 
pains,' — I  need  not  inform  your  lordship,  that  it  was  originally  levelled 
against  those  who  would  not  conform  to  the  Church  of  England,  and  that, 
too,  in  such  high-flying  times  as  not  one  of  the  present  moderate  bench 
of  bishops  would  wish  to  see  restored.     If  this  be  so,  how,  my  lord,  does 


Whitefieid'' s  Lcifers  to  Bishop  Pcarce.  361 

this  canon  belong-  to  me,  who  am  episcopally  ordained,  and  have  very     1756 
lately  published  a  small  tract  recommending  the  communion  office  of  the    ^ 
Church  of  England  ?  ^^  ^ 

"  But,  my  lord,  to  come  nearer  to  the  point  in  hand.  And,  for  Christ's 
sake,  let  not  your  lordship  be  offended  with  my  using  such  plainness  of 
speech.  As  in  the  presence  of  the  living  God,  I  would  put  it  to  your 
lordship's  conscience,  whether  there  is  one  bishop  or  presbyter,  in  England, 
Wales,  or  Ireland,  who  looks  upon  our  canons  as  his  rule  of  action  ?  If 
this  opinion  be  true,  we  are  all  perjured  with  a  witness,  and,  in  a  very  bad 
sense  of  the  word,  ir^'egular  indeed.  If  the  canons  of  our  Church  are  to 
be  implicitly  obeyed,  may  I  not  say,  '  He,  who  is  without  the  sin  of  acting 
illegally,  let  him  cast  the  first  stone  at  me,  and  welcome.'  Your  lordship 
knows  full  well,  that  canons  and  other  Church  laws  are  good  and  obliga- 
tory, when  conformable  to  the  laws  of  Christ,  and  agreeable  to  the  liberties 
of  a  free  people  ;  but,  when  invented  and  compiled  by  men  of  little  hearts 
and  bigotted  principles,  to  hinder  persons  of  more  enlarged  souls  from 
doing  good,  or  being  more  extensively  useful,  they  become  mere  bruta 
fulmina;  and,  when  made  use  of  as  cords  to  bind  the  hands  of  a  zealous 
few,  who  honestly  appear  for  their  king,  their  country,  and  their  God,  they 
may,  in  my  opinion,  like  the  withes  with  which  the  Philistines  bound 
Samson,  very  legally  be  broken.  As  I  have  not  the  canons  at  present 
before  me,  I  cannot  tell  what  pains  and  penalties  are  to  be  incurred  for 
such  offence  ;  but,  if  any  penalty  is  incurred,  or  any  pain  to  be  inflicted 
on  me,  for  preaching  against  sin,  the  Pope,  and  the  devil,  and  for  recom- 
mending the  strictest  loyalty  to  the  best  of  princes,  his  Majesty  King 
George,  in  this  metropolis,  or  in  any  other  part  of  his  Majesty's  dominions, 

1  trust,  through  grace,  I  shall  be  enabled  to  say, — 

'  All  hail  reproach,  and  welcome  pain  ! ' 

"  There  now  remains  but  one  more  particular  in  your  lordship's  letter 
to  be  answered, — your  lordship's  truly  apostolical  canon,  taken  out  of 

2  Cor.  X.  1 6,' — upon  reading  of  which,  I  could  not  help  thinking  of  a 
passage  in  good  Mr.  Philip  Henry's  life.  It  was  this.  Being  ejected  out 
of  the  Church,  and  yet  thinking  it  his  duty  to  preach,  Mr.  Henry  used, 
now  and  then,  to  give  the  people  of  Broad-Oaks,  where  he  lived,  a  gospel 
sermon  ;  and  one  day,  as  he  was  coming  from  his  exercise,  he  met 
with  the  incumbent,  and  thus  addressed  him  :  '  Sir,  I  have  been  taking  the 
liberty  of  throwing  a  handful  of  seed  into  your  field.'  '  Have  you  ? '  said 
the  good  man.  '  May  God  give  it  His  blessing  !  There  is  work  enough  for 
us  both.'  This,  my  lord,  I  humbly  conceive,  is  the  case,  not  only  of  your 
lordship,  but  of  every  minister's  parish  in  London,  and  of  every  bishop's 
diocese  in  England  ;  and,  therefore,  as  good  is  done,  and  souls  are  bene- 
fited, I  hope  your  lordship  will  not  regard  a  little  irregularity,  since,  at 
the  worst,  it  is  only  the  irregularity  of  doing  well.  But,  supposing  this 
should  not  be  admitted  as  an  excuse  at  other  seasons,  I  hope  it  will  have 
its  weight  at  this  critical  juncture,  wherein,  if  there  were  ten  thousand 
sound  preachers,  and  each  preacher  had  a  thousand  tongues,  they  could 
not  be  too  frequently  employed  in  calling  upon  the  inhabitants  of  Great 


3^2  The  Life  of  Whitejield, 

1756     Britain  to  be  upon  their  guard  against  the  cruel  and  malicious  designs  of 
France,  of  Rome,  and  of  hell. 

'•  "After  all,  my  lord,  if  your  lordship  will  be  pleased  to  apply  to  Mr. 

Barnard  himself,  who,  I  suppose,  knows  where  the  place  is  registered  ; 
or  if,  upon  enquiry,  I  shall  find  that  the  lessor  has  no  power  to  let  it,  as  I 
abhor  every  dishonourable  action,  after  my  setting  out  for  Bristol,  which 
I  expect  to  do  in  a  few  days,  I  shall  decline  preaching  in  the  chapel  anv 
more.  But,  if  the  case  should  appear  to  be  otherwise,  I  hope  your  lord- 
ship will  not  be  angry,  if  I  persist  in  this,  I  trust,  not  unpardonable 
irregularity ;  for,  if  I  decline  preaching  in  every  place,  merely  because 
the  incumbent  may  be  unwilling  I  should  come  into  his  parish,  I  fear  I 
should  seldom  or  never  preach  at  all.  This,  my  lord,  especially  at  the 
present  juncture,  when  all  our  civil  and  religious  liberties  are  at  stake, 
would  to  me  be  worse  than  death  itself 

"  I  humbly  ask  pardon  for  detaining  your  lordship  so  long  ;  but,  being 
'willing  to  give  your  lordship  all  the  satisfaction  I  could,  I  have  chosen 
rather  to  sit  up  and  deny  myself  proper  repose,  than  to  let  your  lordship's 
candid  letter  lie  by  me  one  moment  longer  than  was  absolutely  necessary, 
"  I  return  your  lordship  a  thousand  thanks  for  your  favourable  opinion 
of  me,  and  for  your  good  wishes  ;  and,  begging  the  continuance  of  your 
lordship's  blessing,  and  earnestly  praying  that,  whenever  your  lordship 
shall  be  called  hence,  you  may  give  up  your  account  with  joy,  I  beg  leave 
to  subscribe  myself,  my  lord,  your  lordship's  most  dutiful  son  and  servant, 

"  George  Whitefield." 

Such  was  Whitefield's  midnight  letter  to  Bishop  Pearce. 
Its  length  is  gigantic,  but,  throughout,  it  is  pointed,  manly, 
and  respectful  ;  and,  because  of  its  historical  facts,  and  its 
statement  of  the  principles  which  regulated  Whitefield's  life, 
it  is  of  great  importance.  A  summary  of  it  could  not  have 
done  it  justice. 

A  week  later,  Whitefield  wTote  a  third  letter  to  the 
bishop,  informing  him  he  had  ascertained  that  the  chapel 
was  duly  licensed,  and  that  Mr.  Barnard's  committee  were 
resolved  to  retain  possession  of  it.  He  added,  "  As  your 
lordship  would  undoubtedly  choose  that  the  Church  liturgy 
should  be  read  in  it  sometimes,  rather  than  it  should  be 
entirely  made  use  of  in  a  Nonconformist  way,  I  hope  your 
lordship  will  not  be  offended,  if  I  go  on  as  usual  after  my 
return  from  Bristol.  I  am  sorry  to  inform  your  lordship, 
that,  notwithstanding  the  admonitions  which,  I  hear,  your 
lordship  has  given  them,  some  unhappy  persons  have  still 
endeavoured  to  disturb  us,  by  making  an  odd  kind  of  noise 
in  a  neighbouring  house,      I  hear  that  some  of  them  belong 


The  Long  Acre  Disturbances,  363 

to  your  lordship's  vestry,  and,  therefore,  wish  you  would  so     ^75^ 
far  interpose,  as  to  order  them  once  more  to  stop  their  pro-  Age  41 
ceedings. 

Whitefield  went  to  Bristol  ;  and,  on  Sunday,  March  14, 
opened  his  "  spring  campaign,  by  preaching  thrice  in  the 
fields,  to  many  thousands,  in  Gloucestershire."^  Immediately 
after  this  he  returned  to  London,  and  found  it  necessary  to 
write  again  to  Bishop  Pearce. 

"Tabernacle  House,  March  20,  1756, 
"  My  Lord, — Upon  my  coming  up  to  town,  I  found,  to  my  great 
surprise,  that  the  disturbances  near  Long  Acre  chapel  had  been  con- 
tinued. On  Thursday  evening  last,  when  I  preached  there  myself,  they 
were  rather  increased.  Some  of  the  windows  were  stopped  up,  to  prevent, 
in  some  degree,  the  congregation  being  disturbed  by  the  unhallowed 
noise  ;  but  large  stones  were  thrown  in  at  another  window,  and  one  young 
person  was  sadly  wounded. 

"  This  constrains  me  to  beg  your  lordship  to  desire  the  persons,  belong- 
ing to  your  lordship's  vestry,  to  desist  from  such  irregular  proceedings. 
For  my  own  irregularity  in  preaching,  I  am  ready  at  any  time  to  answer; 
and  were  I  myself  the  only  sufferer,  I  should  be  entirely  unconcerned  at 
any  personal  ill-treatment  I  might  meet  with  in  the  v/ay  of  duty.     But  to  » 

have  the  lives  of  his  Majesty's  loyal  subjects  endangered,  when  they  come 
peaceably  to  worship  God,  is  an  irregularity  which,  I  am  persuaded,  your 
lordship  will  look  upon  as  unjustifiable  in  the  sight  of  God,  and  of  every 
good  man. 

"  Your  lordship  will  allow  that,  as  a  subject  of  King  George,  and  a 
minister  of  Jesus  Christ,  I  have  a  right  to  do  myself  justice  ;  and,  there- 
fore, 1  hope,  if  the  disturbances  be  continued,  that  your  lordship  will  not 
be  offended,  if  I  lay  a  plain  narration  of  the  whole  affair,  together  with 
what  has  passed  between  your  lordship  and  myself,  before  the  world.  I 
beg  you  not  to  look  upon  this  as  a  threatening.  I  scorn  any  such  mean 
procedure.  But,  as  Providence  seems  to  point  out  such  a  method,  I  hope 
your  lordship  will  have  no  just  reason  to  censure  me  if  I  do  it." 

The  bishop  replied,  and  Whitefield  wrote  to  him  again, 
as  follows  : — 

"London,  March  25,  1756. 
"  Your  lordship  needed  not  to  inform  me  of  the  privilege  of  a  peer,  to 
deter  me  from  publishing  your  lordship's  letters,  without  first  asking 
leave.  Nothing  shall  be  done  in  that  way,  which  is  the  least  inconsistent 
with  the  strictest  honour,  justice,  and  simplicity.  But,  if  a  public  account 
of  the  repeated  disturbances  at  Long  Acre  chapel  be  rendered  necessary, 

'  Whitefisld's  Works,  vol.  iii.,  p.  i66. 


364.  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

I  hope  your  lordship  will  not  esteem  it  unreasonable  in  me,  to  inform  the 
world  what  previous  steps  were  taken  to  prevent  and  stop  them. 

"  Such  a  scene,  at  such  a  juncture,  and  under  such  a  government,  as 
has  been  transacted  in  your  lordship's  parish,  in  the  house  or  yard  of  M'r. 
Cope,  who,  I  hear,  is  your  lordship's  overseer,  ever  since  last  Twelfih-day, 
I  believe  is  not  to  be  met  with  in  English  history.  It  is  more  than  noise. 
It  is  premeditated  rioting.  Drummers,  soldiers,  and  many  of  the  baser 
sort,  have  been  hired  by  subscription.  A  copper  furnace,  bells,  drums, 
clappers,  marrow-bones,  and  cleavers,  and  such-like  instruments  of  re- 
formation, have  been  provided  for  them,  and  repeatedly  have  been  used 
by  them,  from  the  moment  I  have  begun  preaching,  to  the  end  of  my 
sermon.  By  these  horrid  noises,  many  women  have  been  almost 
frightened  to  death  ;  and  mobbers  have,  thereby,  been  encouraged  to 
eome  and  riot  at  the  chapel  door  during  the  time  of  divine  service  ;  and, 
after  it  has  been  over,  have  insulted  and  abused  me  and  the  congregation. 
Not  content  with  this,  the  chapel  windows,  while  I  have  been  preaching, 
have  repeatedly  been  broken  by  large  stones  of  almost  a  pound  weight, 
which,  though  levelled  at  me,  missed  me,  but  sadly  wounded  some  of  my 
hearers.  If  your  lordship  will  only  ride  to  Mr.  Cope's  house,  you  will  see 
the  scaffold,  and  the  costly  preparations  for  such  a  noise  upon  it,  as  must 
make  the  ears  of  all  who  shall  hear  it  to  tingle. 

"  I  am  informed  that   Mr.  C and  Mr.  M are  parties  greatly 

concerned.  I  know  them  not,  and  I  pray  God  never  to  lay  this  ill  and 
unmerited  treatment  to  their  charge.  If  no  more  noise  is  made,  I 
assure  your  lordship  no  further  resentment  shall  be  made.  But  if  they 
persist,  I  have  the  authority  of  an  apostle,  on  a  like  occasion,  to  appeal 
unto  Ca:sar.  I  have  only  one  favour  to  beg  of  your  lordship.  As  the 
above-named  gentlemen  are  your  lordship's  parishioners,  I  request  that 
you  desire  them,  henceforward,  to  desist  from  such  unchristian,  such 
riotous,  and  dangerous  proceedings.  Whether,  as  a  chaplain  to  a  most 
worthy  peeress,  a  presbyter  of  the  Church  of  England,  and  a  steady  dis- 
interested friend  to  our  present  happy  constitution,  I  have  not  a  right  to 
ask  such  a  favour,  I  leave  to  your  lordship's  mature  deliberation.  Hence- 
forward, I  hope  to  trouble  your  lordship  no  more." 

Certainly,  it  was  high  time  to  bring  matters  to  a  crisis. 
The  Rev.  Zachary  Pearce,  D.D.,  though  himself  the  son  of  a 
rich  distiller  in  Holborn,  and  though  the  husband  of  a  wife, 
who,  as  the  daughter  of  another  Holborn  distiller,  brought 
him  a  large  fortune,  was  a  pluralist.  Twenty-three  years 
ago,  by  the  exertions  of  the  Earl  of  Macclesfield,  he  had 
been  presented  with  the  fat  living  of  St.  Martin's-in-the- 
Fields,  even  after  it  had  been  promised  to  another  man. 
For  seventeen  years,  he  had  been  dean  of  Winchester  ;  and, 
in  1748,  had  exchanged  the  deanery  for  the  bishopric  of 
Bano-or.      And   now,  in    this   memorable  year  of  1756,   the 


Threatening  Letfers.  365 

Duke  of  Newcastle  conferred  upon  him  the  see  of  Rochester  ^75^ 
and  the  deanery  of  Westminster.  No  doubt,  it  was  in  his  A-^e*! 
capacity  of  vicar  of  St.  Martin's,  that  this  wealthy  phiraHst 
prohibited  Whiteficld's  preaching  in  Long  Acre,  and,  if  he 
did  not  actually  employ,  yet  connived  at  the  noisy  ruffians 
who  disturbed  Whitefield's  services.  Whitefield's  language 
to  the  Bishop  of  Bangor  was  too  respectful.  Such  a  man 
deserved  rebuke,  quite  as  strong  as  the  liquors,  by  which 
his  own  father  and  the  father  of  his  wife  had  made  their 
fortunes. 

Notwithstanding  all  the  efforts  of  Whitefield  to  obtain 
peace,  the  disturbances  at  Long  Acre  were  continued. 
Besides  this,  early  in  the  month  of  April,  Whitefield  received 
three  anonymous  letters,  threatening  him  with  "  a  certain, 
sudden,  and  unavoidable  stroke,"  unless  he  desisted  from 
preaching,  and  refrained  from  prosecuting  the  rioters  of  Long 
Acre.  It  is  impossible  to  suspect  Bishop  Pearce  of  being 
implicated  in  the  sending  of  these  disgraceful  threats  ;  but 
there  can  be  little  doubt  that  the  known  animosity  of  him- 
self and  others  gave  encouragement  to  the  masked  assassins. 
For  years  past,  the  bishops  and  clergy  of  the  Established 
Church,  comparatively  speaking,  had  ceased  from  their  open 
and  violent  persecution  of  the  poor  itinerant  preacher  ;  but 
their  rancorous  feelings  towards  him,  perhaps,  were  not  at 
all  abated.  Even  free-thinking  Dr,  Herring,  Archbishop  of 
Canterbury,  who  was  now  within  twelve  months  of  his 
decease,  wrote,  in  the  very  midst  of  the  Long  Acre  riots,  to 
William  Buncombe,  Esq.,  as  follows  : — 

"Croydon  House,  January  25,  1756. 
"  Your  judgment  is  right.  Whitefield  is  Daniel  Burgess'  redivivtis; 
and,  to  be  sure,  he  finds  his  account  in  his  joco-serious  addresses. 
Wesley,  with  good  parts  and  learning,  is  a  most  dark  and  saturnine 
creature.  His  pictures  may  frighten  weak  people,  who,  at  the  same  time, 
are  wicked  ;  but,  I  fear,  he  will  make  few  converts,  except  for  a  day.  I 
have  read  his  'Serious  Thoughts';"  but,  for  my  own  part,  I  think  the 

'  A  popular,  and  also  persecuted  preacher,  who  had  died  forty- three 
years  before.  He  was  the  son  of  a  clergyman,  ejected  for  nonconformity 
in  1662.  In  1709,  Dr.  Sacheverell's  mob  attacked  Daniel's  meeting-house, 
in  New  Court,  Lincoln's-Inn-Fields,  broke  all  the  windows,  and  burnt  the 
pulpit  and  all  the  pews.  His  sermons,  like  Whitefield's,  contained  many 
pertinent  and  useful  stories. 

-  On  the  earthquake  at  Lisbon. 


Age  41 


366  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1756  rising  and  setting  of  the  sun  is  a  more  durable  argument  for  religion  than 
all  the  extraordinary  convulsions  of  nature  put  together.  Let  a  man  be 
good  on  right  principles,  and  then  impavidtim  ferient  rninae.  So  far, 
Horace  was  as  good  a  preacher  as  any  of  us.  I  have  no  constitution  for 
these  frights  and  fervours ;  and,  if  I  can  but  keep  up  to  the  regular 
practice  of  a  Christian  life,  upon  Christian  reasons,  I  shall  be  in  no  pain 
for  futurity  ;  nor  do  I  think  it  an  essential  part  of  religion,  to  be  pointed 
at  for  any  foolish  singularities.  The  subjects  of  the  Methodist  preaching, 
you  mention,  are  excellent  in  the  hands  of  wise  men,  not  enthusiasts. 
As  to  their  notion  that  men  are  by  nature  devils,  I  can  call  it  by  no  other 
name  than  wicked  and  blasphemous,  and  the  highest  reproach  that  man 
can  throw  upon  his  wise  and  good  Creator. 

"  I  am,  etc., 

"Thomas  Cantuar."' 

Under  the  circumstances  of  the  time,  Whitefield  was 
ahnost  driven  to  seek  redress.  First  of  all,  he  consulted 
the  Honourable  Hume  Campbell,  brother  of  Lady  Jane 
Nimmo,  and  solicitor  to  the  Princess  of  Wales,  Lord  Clerk 
Registrar  of  Scotland,  and  one  of  Whitefield's  occasional 
hearers.  In  a  letter  to  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,  dated 
"Canterbury,  April  10,  1756,"  Whitefield  wrote: — - 

"The  noise  at  Long  Acre  has  been  infernal.  I  have  reason  to  think 
there  was  a  secret  design  for  my  life.  Some  of  my  friends  were  sadly 
used  ;  they  applied  for  warrants  ;  and  that  occasioned  the  sending  of  a 
threatening  letter.  I  have  written  to  Sir  Hume  Campbell  for  advice. 
Here  all  is  peaceable.  It  is  most  delightful  to  see  the  soldiers  flock  to 
hear  the  word  ;  officers  likewise  attend  very  orderly." 

On  his  return  to  London,  Whitefield  was  introduced  to 
the  Earl  of  Holdernesse,  one  of  his  Majesty's  principal 
Secretaries  of  State.  Hence  the  following  to  Lady  Hunt- 
ingdon : — 

"London,  April  18,  1756. 
"  Ever-honoured  Madam, — Since  my  last,  from  Canterbury,  I  have 
received  two  more  threatening  letters.  My  greatest  distress  is,  how  to 
act  so  as  to  avoid  rashness  on  the  one  hand,  and  timidity  on  the  other. 
I  have  been  introduced  to  the  Earl  of  Holdernesse,  who  received  me  very 
courteously,  and  seemed  to  make  no  objection  against  issuing  a  reward 
for  the  discovery  of  the  letter- writer.  Whether  I  had  best  accept  the 
plan,  I  know  not.  Sir  Humx  Campbell  says  the  offence  is  not  felony  ; 
and  he  advises  me  to  put  all  concerned  into  the  Court  of  King's  Bench. 
Lord  Jesus,  direct  me,  for  Thy  mercy's  sake  !  A  man  came  up  to  me  in 
the  pulpit,  at  the  Tabernacle ;  God  knows  what  was  his  design.     I  see 

'  "Letters  from  Dr.  Thomas  Herring."     (i2mo.  pp.  355.) 


Threatening  Letters.  367 

no  way  for  me  to  act,  than,  either  resokitely  to  persist  in  preaching  and     1756 
prosecuting,   or    entirely   to  desist  from  preaching,   which  would  bring       — 
intolerable  guilt  upon  my  soul,  and  give  the  adversary  cause  to  blaspheme.  ^  ^^^ 
Blessed  be  God  !  I  am  quite  clear  as  to  the  occasion  of  my  suffering.     It 
is  for  preaching  Christ  Jesus,  and  loyalty  to  King  George.     Alas  !  alas  ! 
■what  a  condition  would  this  land  be  in,  were  the  Protestant  interest  not 
to  prevail  !     If  Popery  is  to  get  a  footing  here,  I  should  be  glad  to  die  by 
the  hands  of  an  assassin.     I  should  then  be  taken  away  from  the  evil  to 
come." 

The  result  of  all  this  battling  with  the  vestry  mobs  of 
Bishop  Pearce,  and  of  the  apprehension  created  by  these  ' 
anonymous  popish  menaces,  was  the  publication  of  the 
following  announcement  in  the  London  Gazette  of  May  i, 
1756,  and  in  the  two  next  succeeding  numbers  of  that 
official  journal.  The  italics  and  spelling  are  as  they  appear 
in  the  original : — 

"  Whitehall,  y?;>r// 30,  1756. 
"  Wheras  it  has  been  humbly  represented  to  the  King  that  an  anoni- 
mous  letter,  without  date,  directed,  To  Doctor  W/ttfefietd,  nt  Ids  Taber- 
nacle, by  tlie  Foi/ndery  in  Moorfields,  was,  on  the  6th  of  this  instant  April, 
received  by  the  Reverend  Mr.  George  Whitefield,  by  the  penny  post ; 
and  that  two  other  letters,  viz.,  one  of  them  dated  the  7th  of  the  present 
month  of  April,  subscribed.  Your  Friendly  Adversary,  and  directed,  To 
Mr.  Wtiitefield,  at  Jiis  Tabernacle,  near  Hogston,  beyond  the  Upper 
Moorjields ;  and  the  other,  anonimous,  without  date,  and  directed,  To 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Whitejield,  at  the  Tabernacle,  near  Moorjields,  were  also 
received  by  the  said  Reverend  Mr.  George  Whitefield,  by  the  penny  post, 
on  the  8th  of  this  instant  April  ;  and  that  the  said  letters,  written  in  very 
abusive  terms,  contained  threats  of  injury  and  destruction  to  the  said 
Reverend  Mr.  George  Whitefield  ;  His  Majesty,  for  the  better  discovering, 
and  bringing  to  justice  the  persons  concerned  in  writing  and  sending  the 
said  three  letters,  as  above-mentioned,  or  any  one,  or  more,  of  them,  is 
pleased  to  promise  his  most  gracious  pardon  to  any  one  of  them,  who 
shall  discover  his,  or  her,  accomplice,  or  accomplices  therein,  so  that  he, 
she,  or  they,  may  be  apprehended  and  convicted  thereof. 

"  HOLDERNESSE. 

"And  as  a  further  encouragement,  James  Cox,  jeweller,  in  Racquet 
Court,  Fleet  Street,  does  hereby  promise  a  reward  of  twenty  pounds,  to 
be  paid  by  him,  to  the  person  or  persons  making  such  discovery  as  afore- 
said, upon  the  conviction  of  one  or  more  of  the  offenders. 

"James  Cox." 

So  ended  one  of  the  toughest  battles  that  Whitefield 
ever  fought,  but  its  issue  was  of  great  importance  ;  for, 
before  the  appearance   of  the    third   advertisement    in    the 


368  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

"^IS^    London  Gazette,  Whitefield  had  taken  successful  steps  for  the 
A^e  41  erection  of  his  own  Tottenham  Court  Road  chapel,  where,  for 
awhile,  at  least,  he  and  his  people  were  permitted  to  worship 
God  in  peace.      But  more  of  this  anon. 

Remembering  that  Wesley  and  his  Society  were  permitted, 
throughout  the  whole  of  these  disgraceful  proceedings,  to 
conduct  their  services,  in  their  neighbouring  West  Street 
chapel,  in  perfect  quietude,  it  is  difficult  to  account  for  the 
disturbances  Whitefield  had  to  encounter  in  Long  Acre. 
Were  the  "infernal"  noises,  in  the  first  instance,  promoted 
by  the  adjoining  theatres  }  Probably  they  were.  Wesley's 
preaching  in  West  Street  was  regarded,  by  dramatical  actors, 
with  less  alarm  than  Whitefield's  in  Long  Acre.  They, 
probably,  felt  that,  with  the  great  dramatical  preacher  so 
near  to  them,  they  might  soon  have  to  utter  a  wailing  cry, 
analogous  to  that  of  the  old  Ephesians,  under  circumstances 
somcv/hat  similar  :  "  Not  only  is  this  our  craft  in  danger  to 
be  set  at  nought ;  but  also  that  the  temple  of  the  great 
goddess  Diana  should  be  despised,  and  her  magnificence 
destroyed."  But,,  even  admitting  that  the  theatres  began" 
the  noises,  there  cannot  be  a  doubt  that  the  vestries  of  the 
Church  continued  them.  Bishop  Pearce  undeniably  pro- 
hibited Whitefield's  preaching  ;  and,  considering  his  hatred 
of  the  Methodists,  perhaps,  it  is  not  ungenerous  to  suppose 
that  he  secretly  did  more  than  this.  As  it  respects  the 
three  threatening  letters,  it  is  probable  that  they  emanated, 
neither  from  the  theatre  nor  Church,  but  from  popish 
politicians,  who,  during  the  "  seven  years'  war,"  which  was 
now  in  terrific  progress,  were  full  of  angry  excitement,  and 
far  more  active  than  they  often  seem.ed  to  be.  Whitefield 
had  bitterly  offended  them  by  the  publication  of  a  "  Short 
Address,"  a  copy  of  which  he  sent  to  Bishop  Pearce  on 
February  23  ;^  and,  as  there  can  be  little  doubt  that  this  small 
publication  had  to  do  with  the  riots  and  the  threatening 
letters,  a  brief  description  of  it  may  be  useful. 

The  title  was,  "  A  Short  Address  to  Persons  of  all 
Denominations,  occasioned  by  the  Alarm  of  an  intended 
Invasion.      By    George    Whitefield,    Chaplain    to    the    Right 

'  Whitefield's  Works,  vol.  iii.,  p.  16. 


National  Alarm.  369 


Honourable  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon.  London,  1756."  ^75^ 
(8vo.  pp.  20.)  The  pamphlet  had  a  large  sale,  not  only  in  Age  41 
Great  Britain,  but  in  America.  Even  during  this  selfsame 
year  of  1756,  as  many  as  six  editions  were  issued  at  Boston 
in  New  England.  Its  publication  was  opportune.  A  Royal 
Proclamation  had  recently  been  published  in  the  London 
Gazette^  setting  forth  that  the  king  commanded  all  officers 
and  ministers,  civil  and  military,  within  their  respective 
counties,  to  cause  the  coasts  of  England  to  be  carefully 
watched,  and,  in  case  of  any  hostile  attempt  to  land  upon 
them,  to  immediately  order  all  horses,  oxen,  and  cattle, 
which  might  be  fit  for  draught  or  burden,  and  not  actually 
employed  in  his  Majesty's  service,  and  also,  as  far  as  prac- 
ticable, all  other  cattle  and  provisions,  to  be  removed  at 
least  twenty  miles  from  the  place  where  such  a  hostile 
attempt  was  made,  so  as  to  prevent  them  falling  into  the 
hands  of  the  enemy.  Besides  this,  "  on  the  6th  of  February, 
a  public  fast  was  observed,  by  all  ranks  of  the  people.  The 
churches  and  meeting-houses  were  thronged  ;  and  there  was, 
in  appearance,  an  entire  cessation  from  business  throughout 
London  and  the  suburbs,  and  all  over  the  kingdom."^  From 
such  facts  the  reader  may  imagine  the  state  of  the  country, 
when  Whitefield  wrote  his  "  Short  Address."  The  following 
are  extracts  from  it : — 

"An  insulting,  enraged,  and  perfidious  enemy  is  now  advancing  nearer 
and  nearer  to  the  British  borders.  Not  content  with  invading  and  ravaging 
our  rightful  sovereign  King  George's  dominions  in  America,  our  popish 
adversaries  ha\  e  now  the  ambition  to  attempt,  at  least  to  threaten,  an 
invasion  of  England  itself;  hoping,  no  doubt,  thereby,  not  only  to  throw 
us  into  confusion  at  home,  but  also  to  divert  us  from  more  effectually 
defeating  their  malicious  designs  abroad.  That  such  a  design  is  now 
actually  on  foot,  the  late  Royal  Proclamation  renders  indisputable." 

Having  referred  to  the  recent  public  fast,  Whitefield  pro- 
ceeds to  say  : — 

"Artful  insinuations  have  been  industriously  published,  in  order  to  lay 
ail  the  blame  of  this  war  upon  us.  But  bold  assertions  and  solid  proofs 
are  two  different  things  ;  for  it  is  plain,  beyond  all  contradiction,  that 
the  French,  fond  of  rivalling  us  both  at  home  and  abroad,  have  unjustly 
invaded  his  Majesty's  dominions  in  America  ;  and  have  also,  by  the  most 

'  London  Magazine,  1756,  p.  89. 
VOL.  II,  24. 


370  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

vile  artifices  and  lies,  been  endeavouring  to  draw  the  six  nations  of  Indians 
from  our  interest.  In  short,  almost  all  their  proceedings,  since  the  late 
treaty  of  Aix-la-Chapelle,  have  been  little  else  than  a  tacit  declaration  of 
war.  But  He  that  sitteth  in  heaven,  we  may  humbly  hope,  laughs  them 
to  scorn  ;  and,  as  He  once  came  down  to  confound  the  language  of  those 
aspiring  projectors,  who  would  fain  have  built  a  tower,  the  top  of  which 
should  reach  to  heaven,  so,  we  trust,  He  will  frustrate  the  devices  of  our 
adversary's  most  subtle  politicians,  and  speak  confusion  to  all  their  pro- 
jects ;  who,  by  aiming  at  universal  monarchy,  are  attempting  to  erect  a 
more  than  second  Babel." 

Whitefield  goes  on  to  shew  that  good  Christians  may  be 
soldiers,  and  writes  : — 

"  The  British  arms  were  never  more  formidable,  than  when  our  soldiers 
went  forth  in  the  strength  of  the  Lord ;  and,  with  a  Bible  in  one  hand, 
and  a  sword  in  the  other,  cheerfully  fought  under  His  banner,  who  has 
condescended  to  style  Himself 'a  man  of  war.'  What  Bishop  Saunderson 
says  of  study  may  be  said  of  fighting  :  '  Fighting  without  prayer  is  atheism, 
and  prayer  without  fighting  is  presumption.'  I  would  be  the  more  par- 
ticular on  this  point,  because,  through  ?i  fatal  scriipulosify  a^diiviSt  bearing 
arms,  even  in  a  defensive  war,  his  Majesty  has  been  in  danger  of  losing 
the  large  province  of  Pennsylvania,  the  very  centre  and  garden  of  all 
North  America.  Such  very  scrupulous  persons,  grasping  at  every  degree 
of  worldly  power,  and,  by  all  the  arts  of  worldly  policy,  labouring  to 
monopolize  and  retain  in  their  own  hands  all  parts  both  of  the  legislative 
and  executive  branches  of  civil  government,  certainly  act  a  most  incon- 
sistent part.  Say  what  we  will  to  the  contrary,  civil  magistracy  and 
defensive  war  must  stand  or  fall  together.  Both  are  built  upon  the  same 
basis  ;  and  there  cannot  be  a  single  argument  urged  to  establish  the  one, 
which  does  not  corroborate  and  confirm  the  other." 

Whitefield    then    adverts   to  the   recent    earthquakes,   at 
Lisbon  and  elsewhere,  and  proceeds  to  say  : — 

"Were  even  the  like  judgments  to  befal  us,  they  would  be  but  small,  in 
comparison  of  our  hearing  that  a  French  army,  accompanied  with  a 
popish  pretender,  and  thousands  of  Romish  priests,  was  suffered  to 
invade  England,  and  to  blind,  deceive,  and  tyrannize  over  the  souls  and 
consciences  of  the  people  belonging  to  this  happy  isle.  How  can  any 
serious  and  judicious  person  be  so  stupid  to  all  principles  of  self-interest, 
and  so  dead  to  all  maxims  of  common  sense,  as  to  prefer  a  French  to  an 
English  government ;  or  a  popish  pretender,  born,  and  bred  up  in  all  the 
arbritary  and  destructive  principles  of  the  court  and  Church  of  Rome,  to 
the  present  Protestant  succession,  settled  in  the  illustrious  line  of 
Hanover?" 

Whitefield  next  refers  to  popish  persecutions  of  Protes 
tants,  and  remarks  : — 


^opish  Persecutions,  371 


"After  perusin.s:  this,"  (a  late  declaration  of  'his  Most  Christian  1756 
Majesty'  Louis  XV.,)  "  read,  also,  I  beseech  you,  the  shocking  accounts  of  — 
the  horrid  butcheries  and  cruel  murders  committed  on  the  bodies  of  ^^^  *' 
many  of  our  fellow-subjects  in  America,  by  the  hands  of  savage  Indians^ 
instigated  thereto  by  more  than  savage  popish  priests}  And  if  this  be  the 
beginning,  what  may  we  suppose  the  end  will  be,  should  a  French  power, 
or  popish  pretender,  be  permitted  to  subdue  either  us  or  them  ?  Speak, 
Sinithjield,  speak,  and,  by  thy  dumb  but  persuasive  oratory,  declare  to  all 
who  pass  by  and  over  thee,  how  many  English  Protestant  martyrs  thou 
hast  seen  burnt  to  death  in  the  reign  of  the  cruel  popish  queen,  to  whom 
the  present  pretender  to  the  British  throne  claims  a  distant  kindred  ! 
Speak,  Ireland,  speak,  and  tell  how  many  thousands  and  tens  of  thousands 
of  innocent,  unprovoking  Protestants  were  massacred,  in  cold  blood,  by 
the  hands  of  cruel  Papists,  within  thy  borders,  about  a  century  ago  ! 
Speak,  Paris,  speak,  and  say,  how  many  thousands  of  Protestants  were 
once  slaughtered,  to  serve  as  a  bloody  dessert,  to  grace  the  solemnity  of  a 
marriage  feast  !  Speak,  Languedoc,  speak,  and  tell  how  many  Protestant 
ministers  have  been  lately  executed  ;  how  many  more  of  their  hearers 
have  been  dragooned  and  sent  to  the  galleys  ;  and  how  many  hundreds 
are  now  lying  in  prisons,  fast  bound  in  misery  and  iron,  for  no  other  crime 
than  that  unpardonable  one  in  the  Romish  Church,  hearing  and  preaching 
the  pure  gospel  of  the  meek  and  lowly  Jesus  ! 

"And  think  you,  my  countrymen,  that  Rome,  glutted  with  Protestant 
blood,  will  now  rest  satisfied,  and  say,  '  I  have  enough '  ?  No,  on  the  con- 
trary, having  through  the  good  hand  of  God  upon  us,  been  kept  so  long 
fasting,  we  may  reasonably  suppose,  that,  the  popish  priests  are  only 
grown  more  voracious,  and,  like  so  many  hungry  and  ravenous  wolves 
pursuing  harmless  and  innocent  flocks  of  sheep,  will  with  double  eagerness, 
pursue  after,  seize  upon,  and  devour  their  wished-for  Protestant  prey ; 
and,  attended  with  their  bloody  red  coats,  these  Gallic  instruments  of 
reformation,  Avho  know  they  must  either  fight  or  die,  will  necessarily 
breathe  out  nothing  but  threatening  and  slaughter,  and  carry  along  with 
them  desolation  and  destruction,  go  where  they  will." 

This  was  strong  language,  but,  under  the  circumstances, 
not  too  strong.^  No  wonder,  however,  that  infuriated 
Papists  sent  the  writer  threatening  letters.  Whitefield  ex- 
presses his  confidence  in  God's  interposition,  and  in  England's 

>  See  a  pamphlet,  entitled  "  A  Brief  View  of  the  Conduct  of  Pennsyl- 
vania for  the  Year  1755." 

^  Even  the  Monthly  Review — no  friend  to  Whitefield — in  its  number 
for  March,  1756,  wrote  concerning  Whitefield's  "  Short  Address"  :  "  Mr. 
Whitefield  here  makes  good  use  of  the  influence  he  has  acquired  over  the 
common  people,  by  endeavouring  to  animate  them,  at  this  critical  juncture, 
with  a  lively  sense  of  the  duty  they  owe  to  their  God,  their  king,  and  their 
country.  It  is  with  sincere  pleasure  we  find  that  this  seasonable  exhorta- 
tion has  had  so  considerable  a  spread  as  to  occasion  a  demand  for  three 
editions  ;  the  first  of  which  did  not  appear  till  after  the  late  general  fast." 


372  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1756     "glorious   fleet,"    and    "well-disciplined    army;"    and    then 
Age  41    finishes  with  the  following  peroration  ; — 

"  If  we  can  but  make  God  our  friend,  we  need  not  fear  what  France 
and  Rome  and  kcll  can  do  against  us.  All  the  malicious  efforts  and 
designs  of  men  and  devils  shall,  so  far  from  obstructing,  be  made  to 
subserve  the  enlargement  of  His  interests,  who,  in  spite  of  all  the  strivings 
of  the  potsherds  of  the  earth,  will  hold  the  balance  of  wtivensal  monarchy 
in  His  own  hands,  and,  at  last,  bring  about  the  fidl  establishment  of  that 
blessed  kingdom,  whose  law  is  truth,  whose  King  is  love,  and  whose 
duration  is  eternity.     Fiat !  fiat !   Amen  and  amen  ! " 

These  are  long  quotations,  but  they  help  to  shew  the 
excited  state  of  public  feeling  in  1756;  and,  perhaps,  they 
may  help  the  reader  to  understand  the  secrets  of  the  dis- 
graceful clangours,  riots,  and  threatening  letters  already 
mentioned. 

In  his  pamphlet,  Whitefield  refers  to  the  persecution  of 
Protestants  in  France.  Much  might  be  said  respecting  this  ; 
but  suffice  it  to  remark,  that,  on  the  general  fast  day, 
February  6th,  Whitefield  made  a  collection  in  his  Tabernacle, 
eighty  pounds  of  which  he  devoted  to  a  fund  which  was 
being  raised  for  the  assistance  of  these  poor  persecuted 
people.^  Remembering  that,  in  1756,  money  was  probably 
of  four  times  greater  worth  than  it  is  at  present,  this  collec- 
tion of  the  poor  Methodists  was  a  noble  one  ;  but  even  this 
fell  far  short  of  the  sum,  which  Whitefield,  three  months 
afterwards,  obtained,  within  a  week,  towards  the  erection  of 
his  Tottenham  Court  Road  chapel.  Hence  the  following, 
addressed  to  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon  : — 

"  London,  May  2,  1756. 
"  Ever-honoured  Madam, — Various  have  been  my  exercises  since  I 
wrote  you  last ;  but,  I  find,  all  things  happen  for  the  furtherance  of  the 
gospel.  I  suppose  your  ladyship  has  seen  his  Majesty's  promise  of 
pardon  to  any  who  will  discover  the  letter-writer ;  and  this  brings  you  the 
further  news  of  my  having  taking  a  piece  of  ground,  ver)'  commodious  to 
build  on,  not  far  from  the  Foundling  Hospital.  On  Sunday,  I  opened  the 
subscription,  and,  through  God's  blessing,  it  has  already  amounted  to  near 
;^6oo.  If  He  is  pleased  to  continue  to  smile  upon  my  poor  endeavours, 
and  to  open  the  hearts  of  more  of  His  dear  children  to  contribute,  I  h  >pe, 
in  a  few  months,  to  have  what  has  long  been  wanted, — a  place  for  the 


'  W'hitefield's  Works,  vol.  iii.,  p.  158. 


Tottenham   Court  Road  Chapel.  373 


gospel    at    the   other    end  of  the  town.     This  evening,    God  willing,   I     1756 
venture  once  more  to  preach  at  Long  Acre.     The  enemy  boasts  that  I  am 
frightened  away  ;  but  the  triumph  of  the  wicked  is  short.     On  Tuesday      ^ 
next,  I  hope  to  set  out  for  Wales." 

The  site  of  Whitefield's  new  chapel  was  surrounded  by- 
fields  and  gardens.  On  the  north  side  of  it,  there  were  but 
two  houses.  The  next  after  them,  half  a  mile  further,  was 
the  "  Adam  and  Eve  "  public-house  ;  and  thence,  to  Hamp- 
stead,  there  were  only  the  inns  of  "  Mother  Red  Cap  "  and 
"  Black  Cap."  ^  The  chapel,  when  first  erected,  was  seventy 
feet  square  within  the  walls.  Two  years  after  it  was  opened, 
twelve  almshouses  and  a  minister's  house  ^  were  added.  About 
a  year  after  that,  the  chapel  was  found  to  be  too  small,  and  it 
was  enlarged  to  its  present  dimensions  of  a  hundred  and 
twenty-seven  feet  long,  and  seventy  feet  broad,  with  a  dome  a 
hundred  and  fourteen  feet  in  height.  Beneath  it  were  vaults 
for  the  burial  of  the  dead  ;  and  in  which  Whitefield  intended 
that  himself  and  his  friends,  John  and  Charles  Wesley, 
should  be  interred.  "  I  have  prepared  a  vault  in  this  chapel, 
Whitefield  used  to  say  to  his  somewhat  bigotted  congrega- 
tion, "  where  I  intend  to  be  buried,  and  Messrs.  John  and 
Charles  Wesley  shall  also  be  buried  there.  We  will  all  lie 
together.  You  will  not  let  them  enter  your  chapel  while  they 
are  alive.  They  can  do  you  no  harm  when  they  are  dead."^ 
The  lease  of  the  ground  was  granted,  to  Whitefield,  by  General 
George  Fitzroy,  and,  on  its  expiration  in  1828,  the  freehold 
was  purchased  for  i^  14,000.  The  foundation-stone  of  the 
chapel  was  laid  in  the  beginning  of  June,  1756,  when 
Whitefield  preached  from  the  words,  "  They  sang  together 
by  course  in  praising  and  giving  thanks  unto  the  Lord  ; 
because  He  is  good,  for  His  mercy  endureth  for  ever  toward 
Israel.  And  all  the  people  shouted  with  a  great  shout, 
when  they  praised   the   Lord,  because  the  foundation  of  the 


'  Gospel  Magazine,  183 1,  p.  563. 

2  The  almshouses  and  the  minister's  house  do  not  now  exist.  In 
"  Whitefield  Street,"  and  annexed  to  the  chapel,  a  commodious  Day  and 
Sunday  school  has  been  built.  In  one  of  the  chapel  vestries  there  is 
a  large  original  portrait  of  Whitefield,  without,  however,  the  painter's 
name.  The  likeness  is  not  a  pleasing  one.  On  each  side  of  the  chapel  is 
a  burial  ground,  now  closed. 

*  MS.  Letter  by  John  Pawson. 


374  "^he  Life  of  Whitefield. 

^756  house  of  the  Lord  was  laid."  (Ezra  iii.  ii.)^  Among  others 
Age  41  present  on  the  occasion,  were  the  Rev.  Thomas  Gibbons,  one 
of  the  Tutors  of  the  Dissenting  Academy  at  Mile  End  ;  Dr. 
Andrew  Giffard  Assistant  Librarian  of  the  British  Museum  ; 
and  the  celebrated  Rev.  Benjamin  Grosvenor,  D.D.,  for 
many  years  the  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  congregation  in 
Crosby  Square,  and  who,  after  preaching  in  London  for  half 
a  century,  had  recently  retired  into  private  life.  The  chapel 
was  opened  for  divine  worship  on  November,  7,  1756,  when 
Whitefield  selected,  as  his  text,  the  words,  "  Other  founda- 
tion can  no  man  lay  than  that  is  laid,  which  is  Jesus  Christ " 
(l  Cor.  iii.  I  i).^ 

Tottenham  Court  Road  chapel  has  a  history  well  worthy 
of  being  written.  From  this  venerable  sanctuary  sprang 
separate  congregations  in  Shepherd's  Market,  Kentish  Town, 
Paddington,  Tonbridge  chapel,  Robert  Street,  Crown  Street, 
and  Craven  chapel."  Much  also  might  be  said  of  the  dis- 
tinguished preachers  who,  in  olden  days,  occupied  its  pulpit : 
Dr.  Peckwell,  De  Courcy,  Berridge,  Walter  Shirley,  Piercy, 
chaplain  to  General  Washington,  Rowland  Hill,  Torial  Joss, 
West,  Kinsman,  Beck,  Medley,  Edward  Parsons,  Matthew 
Wilks,  Joel  Knight,  John  Hyatt,  and  many  others  ;  but 
want  of  sp::.ce  prevents  the  insertion  of  further  details. 
Whiteficld's  Tabernacle  in  Moorfields  has  been  demolished, 
and  a  Gothic  church  erected  on  its  site.^  Whiteficld's 
Tottenham  Court  Road  chapel  is  now  his  only  erection  in 
the  great  metropolis  ;  and  long  may  it  stand  as  a  grand 
old  monument,  in  memory  of  the  man  who  founded  it! 
Thousands  have  been  converted  within  its  walls,  and  never 
was  it  more  greatly  needed  than  at  the  present  day. 

No  sooner  had  Whitefield  raised  £600  towards  the 
erection  of  his  intended  chapel,  than  away  he  went  to  the 
west  of  England,  where  he  spent  about  a  month.  He 
preached   at    Bristol,  Bath,   Westbury,  Gloucester,   Bradford, 


'  "  Centenary  Commemoration  of  the  Opening  of  Tottenham  Court 
Chapel,"  p.  5. 

■^  AVw  Spiritual  Mas;azine,  1783,  p.  2a 

»  Home  Missionary  Magazi/ie,  1827,  p.  35. 

*  Its  name  is  "Whitefield  Tabernacle,"  and  connected  with  it  are 
"Whitefield  Tabernacle  Schools,"  for  boys, girls,  and  infants. 


Rev.  Dr.    Thomas  Haweis,  375 

Frome,    Warminster,    Portsmouth,   and    other    places.      One     '756 
letter,  written  during  this  preaching  tour,  must  be  inserted.      Age  41 

The  Rev.  Thomas  Haweis,  D.D.,  was  now  a  student  at 
Christ  Church  College,  Oxford.  He  had  been  educated  at 
the  Grammar  School,  Truro,  and  had  been  converted  under 
the  preaching  of  the  Rev.  Samuel  Walker,  whose  ministry, 
in  that  town,  during  the  last  few  years,  had  been  the  means 
of  turning  a  large  number  of  people  "  from  darkness  to 
light,  and  from  the  power  of  Satan  unto  God."  Young 
Haweis  had  formed  a  Society  at  Oxford,^  analogous  to  the 
"  Holy  Club"  of  the  Wesleys  and  their  friends,  more  than  a 
quarter  of  a  century  previous  to  this.  He  and  a  iQ.\n  of  his 
fellow-collegians,  all  animated  by  the  same  views  and  feelings, 
met  together,  in  his  room,  at  stated  times,  for  the  purpose 
of  reading  the  Greek  Testament,  and  of  conversing  on  reli- 
gious subjects.  Mr.  Walker,  the  Methodist  clergyman  of 
Truro,  in  a  letter,  dated  "April,  175  7,"  wrote,  "Tom  Haweis 
is  at  Christ  Church,  and  doing  service  among  a  few  of  the 
young  gentlemen  there.  He  tells  me,  he  is  remarked  as  a 
dangerous  fellow  ;  and  adds,  that  Romaine  has  been  again 
in  the  university  pulpit,  where  he  preached  imputed  right- 
eousness, but,  it  is  said,  will  be  allowed  to  preach  no  more 
there."  ^  In  another  letter,  written  a  few  months  afterwards, 
Walker  remarked,  "  Tom  Haweis  has  good  speed  at  Oxford. 
There  are  pretty  many  already  coming  to  him  in  private, 
and  he  hopes  very  well  of  a  few  of  them."  ^  Haweis,  in 
fact,  had  founded  a  second  Society  of  "  Oxford  Methodists," 
a  Society  which  grew  into  such  importance,  and  became  so 
obnoxious  to  the  heads  of  houses,  as  to  lead,  in  1768,  to 
the  expulsion  of  six  students,  belonging  to  Edmund  Hall, 
"  for  holding  Methodistical  tenets,  and  taking  upon  them  to 
pray,  read,  aiid  expound  the  Scriptures  in  private  houses."  "* 

As  yet,  Whitefield  had  never  met  with  Haweis,  but  he 
had  heard  of  him,  and,  while  at  Bristol,  he  addressed  to  him 
the  followincj  letter  : — 


'  Wilson's  "Dissenting  Churches,"  vol.  iii.,  p.  118. 
'^  Sydney's  "  Life  of  Rev.  Samuel  Walker,"  p.  329. 
2  Ibid.,  p.  436. 
*  Si.  James's  Chronicle,  March  16,  1768. 


376  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1756  "  Bristol,  May  20,  1756. 

"  My  VERY  DEAR  SiR, — For  so  I  must  address  you,  having  had  you  in 

'^  '^  a  peculiar  manner  upon  my  heart,  ever  since  I  read  a  letter  that  came 
from  you  some  months  ago.  It  bespoke  the  language  of  a  heart  devoted 
to  Jesus.  Glory  be  to  God!  that  there  are  some  young  champions  coming 
forth.  Methinks,  I  could  now  sing  my  nttnc  dimittis  with  triumphant  joy. 
Though  I  decrease,  may  you  increase  !  O  that  you  may  be  kept  from 
conferring  with  flesh  and  blood  !  O  that  you  may  be  owned  and  blessed 
of  God  !  I  believe  you  will,  and  never  more  so  than  when  you  are  reviled 
and  despised  by  man.  It  is  a  fatal  mistake  to  think  we  must  keep  our 
characters  in  order  to  do  good.  This  is  called  prudence;  in  most,  I  fear, 
it  is  triiinnins;.  Honesty  I  find  always  to  be  the  best  policy.  Them  who 
honour  Jesus,  He  will  honour.  Even  in  this  world,  if  we  confess  Him, 
His  truth,  and  His  people,  we  shall  receive  a  hundredfold.  But  whither 
am  I  going .''  Excuse  the  overflowings  of  a  heart  that  loves  you  dearly 
for  the  glorious  Redeemer's  sake.  I  am  here  preaching  His  cross.  Next 
week,  I  have  thoughts  of  being  at  Bath  and  Westbury.  I  lead  a  pilgrim 
life.  Ere  long,  I  hope  my  heavenly  Father  will  take  me  home.  I  am 
ambitious  ;  I  want  to  sit  upon  a  throne.  Jesus  has  purchased  a  throne 
and  heaven  for  me.  That  you  may  have  an  exalted  place  at  His  right 
hand,  is  the  prayer  of,  etc., 

"George  Whitefield," 

On  his  return  to  London,  Whitefield  took  advice  respecting 
the  trust  deed  to  be  drawn  up  for  his  new  chapel,  and 
wrote  to  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon  as  follows  : — ■ 

"  London,  June  4,  1756. 

"Ever-honoured  Madam, — At  Bristol,  the  Redeemer  caused  us  to 
triumph,  and  likewise  in  Gloucestershire,  and  at  Bradford,  Frome,  War- 
minster, and  Portsmouth,  where  I  have  been  the  last  three  weeks.  I  am 
now  come  to  London,  for  about  ten  days,  to  keep  Pentecost.  I  trust  it 
will  be  a  Pentecost  to  many  souls  at  Long  Acre. 

"  Blessed  be  God  !  a  new  building  is  now  in  progress  at  Tottenham  Court 
Road.  We  have  consulted  the  Commons  about  putting  it  under  your 
ladyship's  protection.  This  is  the  answer  :  '  No  nobleman  can  license 
a  chapel  ;  a  chapel  cannot  be  built  and  used  as  such,  without  the  consent 
of  the  parson  of  the  parish ;  and,  when  it  is  done  with  his  consent,  no 
minister  can  preach  therein  without  license  of  the  Bishop  of  the  diocese.' 
There  seems  then  to  be  but  one  way, — to  license  it  as  our  other  houses 
are  :  and  thanks  be  to  Jesus  for  that  liberty,  which  we  have." 

From  this  it  is  evident  that  Whitefield  wished  his  new 
erection  to  be  a  chapel  in  connection  with  the  Established 
Church  ;  and,  that,  because  of  the  difficulties  mentioned,  he 
was  driven  to  avail  himself  of  the  Act  of  Toleration,  and 
license  it  as  a  Dissenting  meeting-house. 


Whitejield^    Wesley^  and  William  Law.         377 

Whitefield  had  another  trouble  of  a  different  kind.  Wil-  175^ 
liam  Law,  one  of  the  oracles  of  the  Oxford  Methodists,  had  Ag74i 
become  a  Behmenite  ;  and  Wesley  had  recently  published 
a  large  pamphlet,  with  the  title,  "  A  Letter  to  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Law,  occasioned  by  some  of  his  late  writings."  (8vo.  102  pp.) 
This  production  has  never  been  entirely  reprinted,  an  extract 
only  being  given  in  Wesley's  collected  works.  Its  language 
in  some  places  was  unusually,  perhaps  undeservedly,  severe. 
At  all  events,  Law  was  deeply  offended  ;  and,  what  was 
more  amusing,  Whitefield  was  implicated,  by  its  being 
rumoured  that  he  was  a  party  to  the  publication  of  Wesley's 
letter.    The  following;,  to  Lady  Huntingdon,  refers  to  this:— - 

"  London,  June  10,  1756. 

"  EvER-HONOURED  Madam, — I  have  just  come  from  bed,  where  I  have 
been  sweating  for  a  cold  and  colic.  From  your  ladyship's  kind  and 
condescending  letter,  I  see  your  ladyship  is  touched  in  a  very  tender 
point.  Onerous  minds  are  always  thus  aftected,  when  a  friend  is  abused. 
I  find  more  and  more,  that  our  own  mother's  children  will  be  permitted 
to  be  angry  with  us.  The  contradiction  of  saints  is  more  trying  than  that 
of  sinners.  I  do  not  deny  that  I  might  say,  'Some  of  Mr.  Law's  principles, 
in  my  opinion,  are  wrong  ;'  but  that  I  ever  put  Mr,  Wesley  upon  writing, 
or  had  any  active  hand  in  his  pamphlet,  is  utterly  false.  I  think  it  is  a 
most  ungentlemanlike,  injudicious,  unchristian  piece.  However,  Mr.  Law 
knows  too  much  of  the  Divine  life,  not  to  see  some  call  even  in  this  cross ; 
and  I  hope  your  ladyship  will  not  suffer  it  to  burden  your  mind  any 
longer. 

"  My  present  work  in  London  seems  to  be  over,  and,  on  Monday  or 
Tuesday  next,  I  hope  to  set  out  for  Bristol,  and  then  come,  through 
Leicestershire,  on  my  way  to  Scotland.  This,  I  hope,  will  be  a  three 
months'  circuit.  The  prospect  in  London  is  very  promising.  Every  day 
we  hear  of  fresh  conquests." 

Whitefield  did  not  set  out  to  Bristol  until  June  22  ;  and, 
instead  of  proceeding  thence  to  Scotland,  he  returned  to 
London  on  July  9.  The  foUovving  letters  belong  to  this 
period. 

Whitefield  had  a  large  family  in  America  ;  but,  because 
of  the  war,  he  could  not  visit  it.  He  wrote  to  his  house- 
keeper there  as  follows  ; — 

"London,  Jjine  21,  1756. 
"  Nothing  in  your  last  letter  concerns  me,  except  your  having  the  least 
suspicion  that  I  was  not  pleased  with  your  conduct,  or  was  not  satisfied 
with  your  being  at  Bethesda.     I  know  of  no  person  in  the  world  that  I 

I 


378  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

175^     would  prefer  to  you.     I  think  myself  happy  in  having  such  a  mother  for 
.  the  poor  children,  and  am  persuaded  God  will  bless  you  more  and  more. 

I  care  not  how  much  the  family  is  lessened.  As  it  is  a  time  of  war,  this 
may  be  done  with  great  propriety ;  and  the  plantation  will  have  time  to 
grow.  Never  fear  ;  Jesus  will  stand  by  a  disinterested  cause.  I  have 
aimed  at  nothing,  in  founding  Bethesda,  but  His  glory  and  the  good  of 
my  country.  Let  Lots  choose  the  plain  ;  God  will  be  Abraham's  shield 
and  exceeding  great  reward.  All  is  well  that  ends  well.  To-morrow,  I 
set  out  upon  a  long  range." 

The  next  letter  is  curious  and  full  of  interest.  Benjamin 
Franklin,  who,  in  later  years,  through  unhappy  embroilments, 
became  an  enemy  of  England,  and  took  an  active  part  in 
bringing  about  the  American  revolution,  was,  at  present, 
one  of  the  most  loyal  subjects  of  King  George  the  Second. 
Only  a  year  before,  when  the  expedition  of  General  Brad- 
dock,  to  dispossess  the  French  of  some  of  their  encroachments, 
was  in  preparation,  a  difficulty  arose  for  want  of  waggons, 
and  Franklin,  at  the  risk  of  ruining  his  own  fortunes,  supplied 
not  fewer  than  a  hundred  and  fifty.  After  this,  he  was 
instrumental  in  passing  a  militia  bill,  and  was  appointed 
colonel  of  the  Philadelphia  regiment  of  twelve  hundred  men, 
which  command  he  held  until  the  troops  were  disbanded  by 
order  of  the  English  government.  In  the  midst  of  these 
exciting  occurrences,  Franklin  wrote  to  Whitefield,  as  fol- 
lows : — 

"New  York,  July  2,  1756. 
"  Dear  Sir, — I  received  your  favour  of  the  24th  of  February  with  great 
pleasure,  as  it  informed  me  of  your  welfare,  and  expressed  your  continued 
regard  for  me.  I  thank  you  for  the  pamphlet  you  enclosed  to  me.'  As 
we  had  just  observed  a  provincial  fast  on  the  same  occasion,  I  thought 
it  very  seasonable  to  be  published  in  Pennsylvania ;  and  accordingly 
reprinted  it  immediately. 

"  You  mention  your  frequent  wish  that  you  were  a  chaplain  to  the 
American  army.  I  sometimes  wish  that  you  and  I  were  jointly  employed 
by  the  Crown  to  settle  a  colony  on  the  Ohio.  I  imagine  that  we  could  do 
it  effectually,  and  without  putting  the  nation  to  much  expense  ;  but,  I 
fear,  we  shall  never  be  called  upon  for  such  a  service.  What  a  glorious 
thing  it  would  be  to  settle  in  that  fine  country  a  large,  strong  body  of 
religious  and  industrious  people  !  What  a  security  to  the  other  colonies, 
and  advantage  to  Britain,  by  increasing  her  people,  territory,  strength, 
and  commerce  !     Might  it  not  greatly  facilitate  the  introduction  of  pure 

'  Doubtless,  Whitcfield's  "  Short  Address  to  Persons  of  all  Denomina- 
tions." 


Franklins  s  Scheme.  379  ' 

religion  among  the  heathen,  if  we  could,  by  such  a  colony,  shew  them  a  I75^ 
better  sample  of  Christians  than  they  commonly  see  in  our  Indian  . 
traders  ? — the  most  vicious  and  abandoned  wretches  of  our  nation  !  Life, 
lilce  a  dramatic  piece,  should  not  only  be  conducted  with  regularity,  but, 
methinks,  it  should  finish  handsomely.  Being  now  in  the  last  act,  I  begin 
to  cast  about  for  something  fit  to  end  with.  Or,  if  mine  be  more  properly 
compared  to  an  epigram,  as  some  of  its  lines  are  but  barely  tolerable,  I 
am  very  desirous  of  concluding  with  a  bright  point.  In  such  an  enter- 
prise, I  could  spend  the  remainder  of  life  with  pleasure  :  and  I  firmly 
believe  God  would  bless  us  with  success,  if  we  undertook  it  with  a  sincere 
regard  to  His  honour,  the  service  of  our  gracious  king,  and  (which  is  the 
same  thing)  the  public  good. 

"  I  thank  you  cordially  for  your  generous  benefactions  to  the  German 
schools.  They  go  on  pretty  well ;  and  will  do  better,  when  Mr.  Smith, 
who  has  at  present  the  principal  charge  of  them,  shall  learn  to  mind  party- 
writing  and  party-politics  less,  and  his  proper  business  more  ;  which,  I 
hope,  time  will  bring  about. 

"  I  thank  you  for  your  good  wishes  and  prayers  ;  and  am,  with  the 
greatest  esteem  and  affection,  dear  sir,  your  most  obedient  humble 
servant, 

"  Benjamin  Franklin. 

"  My  best  respects  to  Mrs.  Whitefield."  ' 

As  is  well  known,  this  remarkable  man  wound  up  the 
drama  of  his  eventful  life,  not  by  founding  a  new  English 
colony  on  the  Ohio,  but  by  assisting  to  wrest  the  colonies 
which  England  already  had,  from  English  government,  and 
by  becoming  the  plenipotentiary  of  the  rebellious  provinces 
to  the  court  of  France  ! 

After  his  return  from  Bristol,  on  July  9,  Whitefield,  with 
the  exception  of  a  run  to  Kent,  employed  nearly  the  next 
three  weeks  in  London.  Hence  the  following  letters,  the 
first  to  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,  the  second  to  his  house- 
keeper at  Bethesda  : — 

"  London,  July  17,  1756. 

"  Ever-honoured  Madam, — Your  kind  letter  found  me  just  returned 

from  Bristol,  and  just  setting  out  for  Maidstone  and  Chatham,  where  I 

have  been  to  preach  the  gospel,  and  to  visit  a  poor  murderer."    I  hope  my 

labours  were  not  altogether  vain  in  the  Lord.     I  am  now  preparing  for 

'  Evangelical  Magazine,  1803,  p.  51. 

*  The  following  is  taken  from  the  London  Magazine  for  1756,  p.  402  : — 
"August.  At  Maidstone  late  assizes,  Mr.  John  Lauder,  an  officer  in  a 
regiment  of  foot,  was  tried  for  killing,  with  his  sword,  in  the  heat  of  pas- 
sion and  liquor,  William  Forster,  a  post-boy.  Mr.  Lauder  behaved  very 
decently  at  his  execution." 


38o  The  Life  of  White  field. 

my  northern  expedition.  My  motions  must  be  very  quick,  because  I 
would  hasten  to  Scotland  as  fast  as  possible,  to  have  more  time  at  my 
return.  Eternity  !  Eternity  !  O  how  I  do  long  for  thee  !  But,  alas, 
how  often  must  we  be  like  pelicans  in  the  wilderness,  before  we  arrive 
there  !  Solitariness  prepares  for  the  social  hfe,  and  the  social  life  for 
solitariness  again.  Jesus  alone  is  the  centre  of  peace  and  comfort  in 
eithersituation.     Springs  fail ;  the  Fountain  never  can,  nor  will." 

"  Islington,  Jidy  27,  1756. 
"Pray  lessen  the  family  as  much  as  possible.  I  wish  I  had  none  in  the 
house  but  proper  orplians.  The  plantation  would  then  suffice  for  its 
support,  and  debts  be  paid  ;  but  we  must  buy  our  experience.  Troubles 
seem  to  beset  us  here  ;  but  we  are  all  secure  in  God.  His  gospel  flourishes 
in  London.  I  am  just  returned  from  preaching  it  at  Sheerness,  Chatham, 
and  in  the  camp.     This  afternoon  or  to-morrow  I  set  off  for  Scotland." 

Whitefield  arrived  at  Leeds  on  Sunday  evening,  August  I. 
The  account  of  his  labours  during  the  next  fortnight  is  con- 
tained in  the  following  letter  : — 

"  Sunderland,  August  14,  1756. 
"  It  is  now  a  fortnight  since  I  came  to  Leeds.  On  the  Sunday  even- 
ing, a  few  hours  after  my  arrival,  many  thousands  were  gathered  in  the 
fields,  to  whom  Jesus  enabled  me  to  speak  with  some  degree  of  power. 
The  following  week,  I  preached,  in  and  about  Leeds,  thrice  almost  every 
day,  to  thronged  and  affected  auditories.  On  Sunday  last,  at  seven  in  the 
morning,  the  congregation  consisted  of  about  ten  thousand  ;  at  noon  and 
in  the  evening,  at  Birstal,  of  near  double  the  number.  Though  hoarse,  the 
Redeemer  helped  me  to  speak,  so  that  all  heard.  It  was  a  high  day.  In  the 
evening,  several  hundred  of  us  rode  about  eight  miles,  singing  and  praising 
God.  The  next  morning,  I  took  a  sorrowful  leave  of  Leeds,  preached  at 
Tadcaster  ^  at  noon,  and  at  York  in  the  evening.  God  was  with  us.  On 
Tuesday,  I  preached  twice  at  York.  Delightful  seasons.  On  Wednesday, 
at  Warstall,  about  fifty  miles  off ;  on  Thursday,  twice  at  Yarm  ;  and  last 
night  and  this  morning  here.  After  spending  my  Sabbath  here,  and  visit- 
ing Shields,^  Newcastle,  and  some  adjacent  places,  I  purpose  to  go  on  to 
Scotland." 


*  Whitefield's  old  friend,  Benjamin  Ingham,  was  now  resident  at 
Aberford,  about  five  miles  from  Tadcaster.     ("  The  Oxford  Methodists," 

p.  139) 

2  One  of  Whitefield's  texts  was,  "  Wherefore,  glorify  ye  the  Lord  in  the 
fires"  (Isa.  xxv.  14),  in  illustrating  which  he  was  wont  to  say  :  "When 
I  was,  some  years  ago,  at  Shields,  I  went  into  a  glass-house,  and  saw  a 
workman  take  a  piece  of  glass,  and  put  it  into  three  furnaces  in  succession. 
I  asked,  '  Why  do  you  put  it  into  so  many  fires?'  He  answered,  '  Oh, 
sir,  the  first  was  not  hot  enough,  nor  the  second,  and  therefore  we  put  it 
into  the  third  ;  that  will  make  it  transparent.'  '  Oh,'  thought  I,  '  does 
this  man  put  this  glass  into  one  furnace  after  another,  that  it  may  be 
made  perfect  ?   Then,  O  my  God  !  put  me  into  one  furnace  after  another, 


Rev.   John  Fazvcett,  D.D.  381 

The    Sunday  spent   at   Bradford    and    Birstal  was  a  day    ^75^ 
never  to  be  forgotten ;    and   the  singing  cavalcade,  at  the  Age  41 
end   of    it,    lias    hardly    ever    been    equalled.       Among   the 
thousands   then  assembled,  was  a  boy,  sixteen  years  of  age, 
upon  whom  Whitefield's  sermons  had  a  powerful  and  perma- 
nent effect.      They  led   to  his  conversion  ;   and   the  youth, 
then    an    apprentice,    became    the    well-known    Rev.    John 
Fawcett,    D.D.,     for     fifty-four     years,     one     of    the     most 
faithful    preachers    among   the   West  Yorkshire    mountains. 
After    hearing  Whitefield   at   Bradford,   early   in   the  morn- 
ing,   young    Fawcett    trudged     ten    or    a    dozen    miles    to 
Birstal,  where  Whitefield   stood   on   a  platform,  at  the   foot 
of  a  hill   near  the   town,  and,  on  the  slopes  of  the  hill,  had 
twenty  thousand   people  grouped   before  him,  "  thousands  of 
whom,  during  the  delivery  of  his  two  sermons,  vented   their 
emotions   by  tears   and   groans.      Fools  who  came   to   mock, 
began  to  pray."  ^ 

One  of  the  places  "  about  Leeds,"  at  which  Whitefield 
preached,  was  Haworth,  where  a  scaffold  was  erected  in  the 
churchyard,  and  he  took  for  his  text,  "  Turn  you  to  the 
stronghold,  ye  prisoners  of  hope"  (Zech.  ix.  ^2).  Here, 
again,  there  was  a  young  Yorkshireman  who  never  forgot  that 
rremorable  season.  Samuel  Whitaker  wrote  :  "  I  got  among 
the  crowd  nearly  under  the  scaffold,  and  it  was  the  most 
affecting  time  I  ever  experienced.  Mr.  Whitefield  spoke  as 
if  he  had  been  privy  to  all  my  thoughts,  words,  and  actions, 
from  the  tenth  year  of  my  age.  The  day  following,  I  heard 
him  at  Leeds  ;  and  the  day  after  that,  at  Bradford."  Twelve 
months  subsequent  to  this,  Samuel  Whitaker  became  a 
member  of  W^esley's  Society  ;  for  many  years  was  a  class- 
leader  and  local-preacher  at  Keighley  ;  and,  exactly  sixty 
years  after  first  hearing  Whitefield  at  Haworth,  tranquilly 
expired,  in  the  eighty-second  year  of  his  age.^ 

Whitefield  has  left  no  account  of  his  labours  in  Scotland; 
but  the  following  particulars,  taken  from  the  Scots  Magazine 
for  1756,  will  partly  fill  up  the  gap. 

that  my  soul  may  be  transparent  ! ' "     (Belcher's  "  Biography  of  White- 
field,"  p.  370.) 

'  "Memoirs  of  John  Fawcett,  D.D.,"  p.  19. 

■  Methodist  Magazine,  1819,  P-  5  6. 


382  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

He  arrived  at  Edinburgh,  on  Friday,  August  20,  where 
he  remained  for  the  next  three  weeks,  and  "  preached  every- 
day, morning  and  evening,  in  the  Orphan  Hospital  Park,  to 
very  numerous  audiences"  (p.  414). 

On  Friday,  September  10,  he  went  to  Glasgow,  where  he 
preached  the  same  evening,  twice  on  Saturday,  and  four 
times  on  Sunday,  September  12,  to  large  congregations. 

Six  days  afterwards,  he  returned  to  Edinburgh  ;  and,  as 
the  new  governor  of  Georgia  desired  to  converse  with  him, 
before  embarking  for  the  colony,  Whitefield  started  for 
England,  on  Wednesday,  September  22/ 

The  Scots  Magazine  proceeds  to  say  :  "  Before  Mr.  White- 
field  set  out  for  Glasgow,  the  managers  of  the  Orphan 
Flospital  made  him  a  present  of  fifty  guineas  to  defray  his 
travelling  charges  ;  but  he  returned  ten  guineas,  saying  that 
forty  guineas  were  sufficient  to  defray  the' charges,  and  like- 
wise to  pay  upwards  of  £\A^,  which  he  had  laid  out  here  for 
coarse  linen  to  be  sent  to  his  Orphan  House  in  Georgia. 
For  accommodating  the  audience,  when  he  preached,  the 
managers  had  erected  seats  in  the  park  ;  and,  though  only  a 
halfpenny  each  was  asked  from  the  hearers  for  their  seats,  the 
money  thence  arising,  and  the  collections  at  the  park  gates, 
amounted  to  upwards  of  ^188  sterling;  so  that  the  hospital 
has  about  ^120  clear  gain,  over  and  above  the  expense  of 
the  seats,  and  the  present  made  to  Mr.  Whitefield." 

The  magazine  relates  further,  that  "  scarcity  at  home  "  had 
induced  a  greater  number  of  Highlanders  than  usual  to  come 
to  Edinburgh  for  "  harvest  work."  The  harvest,  however, 
was  not  ready.  They  had  nothing  to  live  upon.  "  Contribu- 
tions were  set  on  foot,  to  give  them  two  meals  a  day  at  the 
poorhouse  ;  and,  on  the  evening  of  September  21,  after  a 
sermon  suitable  to  the  occasion  by  Mr.  Whitefield,  a  collec- 
tion was  made  for  them,  in  the  Orphan  Hospital  Park,  which 
amounted  to  £60  lis.  4d.  sterling,  of  which  half  a  guinea 
was  given  by  Mr.  Whitefield  himself"  (p.  465). 

To  these  items  of  intelligence  maybe  added  the  following 
from  the  EdinbitrgJi  Conrant :  "  During  his  stay,  Mr.  White- 
field  preached,  morning  and  evening,  in  the  Orphan  Hospital 

'  Whitefield's  Works,  vol.  iii.,  p.  190, 


I^hitefield  helphig  Charles    Wesley.  383 


Park,  not  excepting  the  evening  of  the  day  on  which  he  ^75^ 
arrived,  or  the  morning  of  that  on  which  he  departed.  As  Age  41 
he  was  frequently  very  expHcit  in  opening  the  miseries  of 
popish  tyranny  and  arbitrary  power,  and  very  warm  in  ex- 
horting his  hearers  to  loyalty  and  courage  at  home,  and  in 
stirring  them  up  to  pray  for  the  success  of  his  Majesty's 
forces,  we  have  reason  to  believe  that  his  visit,  at  this 
juncture,  has  been  particularly  useful." 

In  I  756,  a  considerable  number  of  Wesley's  preachers  and 
Societies  were  strongly  inclined  to  declare  themselves  Dis- 
.  senters.  Charles  Wesley  was  excessively  annoyed  ;  and,  as 
soon  as  his  brother's  annual  conference  was  ended,  he  set  out 
to  entreat  the  Methodists  "  to  continue  steadfast  in  the 
communion  of  the  Church  of  England."  Throughout  life, 
Whitefield  was  a  peace-maker,  and,  on  his  return  from 
Scotland,  he  rendered  service  for  which  Charles  Wesley  was 
profoundly  thankful.  Under  the  date  of  Friday,  October  8, 
Charles  wrote  : — • 

"  Returning  to  Leeds,  I  met  my  brother  Whitefield,  and  was  much 
refreshed  by  the  account  of  his  abundant  labours.  I  waited  on  him  in  our 
Room,  and  gladly  sat  under  his  word." 

Again  :  "  Sunday,  October  lo.  At  Birstal,  my  congregation  was  less 
by  a  thousand  or  two,  through  George  Whitefield  preaching  to-day  at 
Haworth." 

"  Monday,  October  11.  Hearing  Mr.  Whitefield  and  Mr.  Grimshaw 
were  returning  to  our  watch-night,  I  waited  for  them  at  their  lodgings, 
with  zealous,  humble,  loving  Mr.  Crook.  It  rained  so  hard,  that  Mr. 
Whitefield  was  agreeably  surprised,  at  eight,  to  find  our  House  as  full  as 
it  could  cram.  They  forced  me  to  preach  first  ;  which  I  did  from  Zech. 
xiii. :  '  The  third  part  I  will  bring  through  the  fire.'  My  brother  George 
seconded  me  in  the  words  of  our  Lord  :  '  I  say  unto  all.  Watch.'  The 
prayers  and  hymns  were  all  attended  with  a  solemn  power.  Few,  if  any, 
went  unawakened  away." 

"Manchester,  Monday,  October  25.  Here  I  rejoiced  to  hear  of  the 
great  good  Mr.  Whitefield  has  done  in  our  Societies.  He  preached  as 
universally  as  my  brother.  He  warned  them  everywhere  against  apos- 
tacy  ;  and  strongly  insisted  on  the  necessity  of  holiness  ^/^r justification, 
illustrating  it  with  this  comparison  :  *  What  good  will  the  king's  pardon 
do  a  poor  malefactor  dying  of  a  fever  ?  So,  notwithstanding  you  have 
received  forgiveness,  unless  the  disease  of  your  nature  be  healed  by  holi- 
ness, ye  can  never  be  saved.'  He  beat  down  the  separating  spirit,  highly 
commended  the  prayers  and  services  of  our  Church,  charged  our  people 
to  meet  their  bands  and  classes  constantly,  and  never  to  leave  the 
Methodists,  or  God  would  leave  them.     In  a  word,  he  did  his  utmost  to 


384  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

strengthen  our  hands,  and  deserves  the  thanks  of  all  the  churches,  for  his 
abundant  labour  of  love." ' 

The  author  of  "  The  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of 
Huntingdon"  states, that, in  his  itinerancy  through  Lancashire, 
"Whitefield  was  accompanied  by  the  Revs.  Messrs.  Grimshaw, 
Ingham,  and  Milner,  and  that,  among  other  places,  they 
visited  Manchester,  Stockport,  and  Chinley."  From  an  old 
manuscript  '  History  of  Methodism  in  Leigh,'  it  appears, 
that  Whitefield  also  visited  Shackerley,  where,  at  that  time, 
a  large  number  of  Unitarians  were  located,  the  disciples  of 
Dr.  Taylor,  the  divinity  tutor  of  the  Unitarian  Academy  at 
Warrington.  The  writer  relates,  that,  Whitefield  preached 
on  Shackerley  Common,  and  that  a  man,  a  mile  distant, 
leaning  upon  a  gate,  distinctly  heard  many  of  his  sentences, 
was  convinced  of  sin,  and  soon  converted. 

Whitefield's  own  account  of  his  labours  in  Yorkshire, 
Lancashire,  and  Cheshire,  is  extremely  meagre.  On  his 
return  to  London,  from  what  he  calls  his  "  thousand  miles' 
northern  circuit," ^  he  wrote  to  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon, 
as  follows  : — 

"  London,  October  27,  1756. 
"  I  wrote  you  a  few  lines,  not  long  ago,  from  Leeds.  Since  then,  I  have 
been  in  honest  Mr.  Grimshaw's  and  Mr.  Ingham's  rounds,  preaching 
upon  the  mountains  to  many  thousands.  One,  who  was  awakened  three 
years  ago,  is  gone  to  heaven,  and  desired  to  be  buried  in  the  spot  where 
she  was  converted.  The  sacrament  at  Mr.  Grimshaw's  was  awful ;  and 
the  watch-night  at  Leeds  exceeding  solemn.  I  would  have  continued 
my  circuit,  but  I  found  that  preaching  so  frequently  in  those  cold  districts 
was  bringing  on  my  last  year's  disorder.  Being,  therefore,  grown  very 
prudent,  I  am  come  to  open  our  new  chapel  in  Tottenham  Court  Road. 
Lord,  what  am  I,  that  Thou  shouldest  suffer  me  to  put  a  pin  in  Thy  taber- 
nacle !  Never  did  I  know  the  fie'ds  more  ready  unto  harvest,  than  I  have 
seen  them  in  the  north." 

Builders,  in  former  days,  were  more  expeditious  than  at 
present.  Whitefield's  chapel  was  neither  a  small  nor  a  flimsy 
structure,  and  yet,  only  half  a  year  after  its  commencement, 
it  was  ready  for  being  opened  ! 

Whitefield  was  now  in  his  "  winter  quarters,"  where  he 
remained  for  the  next  six  months  ;— an  unusually  long  period 

'  C.  Wesley's  Journal.  ■  Vol.  i.,  p.  266. 

Whitetield's  Works,  vol.  iii.,p.  191. 


Rev.  Henry    Venn.  385 


for  him   to  spend   in  London.      The  following  extracts  fnom     ^75  > 
his  letters  will,  it  is  hoped,  interest  the  reader  : —  A2e4i 

"London,  November  17,  1756.  At  Tottenham  Court  chapel,  we  have 
had  some  glorious  earnests  of  future  blessings.  My  constant  work  now  is 
preaching  about  fifteen  times  a  week.  This,  with  a  weak  appetite,  want 
of  rest,  and  much  care  lying  upon  my  mind,  enfeebles  me.  But  the  joy 
of  the  Lord  is  my  strength  ;  and  my  greatest  grief  is,  that  I  can  do  no 
more  for  Him,  who  has  done  and  suffered  so  much  for  me." 

The  Rev.  Henry  Venn  was  now  one  of  the  most  active 
clergymen  of  the  Church  of  England.  Besides  being  curate 
of  Clapham,  he  held  three  lectureships  in  the  city.  His 
regular  duties  consisted  of  a  full  service  at  Clapham  on  the 
Sunday  morning  ;  a  sermon,  in  the  afternoon,  at  St.  Alban's, 
Wood  Street  ;  and  another,  in  the  evening,  at  St.  Swithin's, 
London-stone.  On  Tuesday  morning,  a  sermon  at  St. 
Swithin's  ;  on  Wednesday  morning,  at  seven  o'clock,  at  St 
Antholin's  ;  and,  on  Thursday  evening,  at  Clapham.^  White- 
field  had  become  acquainted  with  him,  and  wrote  to  Hervey, 
at  Weston-Favel,  as  follows  : — 

"  London,  December  9,  1756.  I  hope  that  my  dear  friend  prospers  both 
in  soul  and  body.  Conviction  and  conversion  work  goes  on  here.  Lord, 
keep  us  from  tares  !  All  is  well  at  Clapham.  I  have  expounded  there 
twice.     God  has  met  with  us  in  our  new  building." 

To  the  Rev.  Aaron  Burr,  the  President  of  New  Jersey 
College,  for  whom  he  had  done  his  best  to  obtain  a  D.D. 
degree  from  the  Edinburgh  University,  Whitefield  Avrote  :— 

"London,  December  9,  1756.  Night  and  day,  our  hands  are  lifted  up 
for  dear  America  ;  but,  I  fear,  we  are  to  be  brought  into  far  greater  ex- 
tremity, both  at  home  and  abroad,  ere  deliverance  comes.  I  am  sorry 
you  have  not  your  degree.  It  is  ready,  if  testimonials  were  sent  from 
those  who  know  you.  This  not  being  done,  it  looks  as  though  the  charac- 
ter given  you  on  this  side  the  water  was  not  justly  founded.  I  wish  you 
would  write  oftener.  How  glad  v/ould  I  be  to  see  America,  but  my 
way  is  hedged  up.  The  awakening  both  in  town  and  country  continues. 
More  ministers  are  coming  out  to  preach  the  gospel.  I  am  strengthened 
to  preach  fourteen  times  a  week,  and  I  trust  it  is  not  in  vain." 

"  London,  December  15,  1756.  Last  Sunday,  in  the  new  chapel,  there 
was  a  wonderful  stirring  among  the  dry  bones.  Some  great  people  came, 
and  begged  they  might  have  a  constant  seat  :  an  earnest  this,  I  believe, 
of  more  good  things  to  come." 

'  "  Life  of  Rev.  Henry  Venn,"  p.  24. 
VOT..  n.  2^ 


386  The  Life  of  Whitefieid. 

1756         "London,  December  30,   1756.      God    is  doing  wonders  in  the  new 
chapel.     Hundreds  went  away  last  Sunday  morning,  who  could  not  come 
■'  ^  in.     On  Christmas  Day,  and  last  Tuesday  night  (the  first  time  of  burning 

candles),  the  power  of  the  Lord  was  present,  both  to  wound  and  to  heal. 
A  neighbouring  doctor  has  baptized  the  place,  calling  it  '  Whitefield's 
Soul-Trap.'  I  pray  that  it  may  be  a  soul-trap  indeed,  to  many  wandering 
sinners.  Abundance  of  people  round  about,  I  hear,  are  much  struck.  O 
for  humility  !  O  for  gratitude  !  O  for  faith  !  Wherefore  should  I  doubt  ? 
Surely  Jesus  will  carry  me  through,  and  help  me  to  pay  the  workmen." 

In  such  a  spirit,  Whitefieid  ended  another  year  of  his 
eventful  life.  He  was  now  attracting  to  his  meeting-house 
some  of  the  ^^ great  people"  of  the  western  parts  of  the 
metropolis  ;  and,  yet,  his  preaching  was  as  faithful  as  ever. 
Let  the  following  serve  as  a  specimen  : — 

"  Woe  unto  you,  who  are  at  ease  in  Zion,  and,  instead  of  staying  to  be 
tempted  by  the  devil,  by  idleness,  self-indulgence,  and  making  continual 
provision  for  the  flesh  even  tempt  the  devil  to  tempt  you  !  Woe  unto 
you,  who,  not  content  with  sinning  yourselves,  turn  factors  for  hell,  and  make 
a  trade  of  tempting  others  to  sin  !  Woe  unto  you,  who  either  deny  Divine 
revelation,  or  never  use  it,  but  to  serve  a  bad  turn  !  Woe  unto  you,  who 
sell  your  consciences,  and  pawn  your  souls,  for  a  little  worldly  wealth  or 
honour  !  Woe  unto  you,  who  climb  up  to  high  places,  in  Church  or  State, 
by  corruption,  bribeiy,  extortion,  cringing,  flattery,  or  bowing  down  to, 
and  soothing  the  vices  of  those  by  whom  you  expect  to  rise  !  Woe  unto 
you  !  for,  whether  you  will  own  the  relation  or  not,  you  are  of  your 
father  the  devil ;  for  the  works  of  your  father  you  do.  I  tremble  for  you.. 
How  can  you  escape  the  damnation  of  hell  ?  "  ' 

Such  preaching  was  needed  in  the  days  of  Whitefieid, 
and  it  is  equally  needed  now.  For  lack  of  it,  thousands, 
even  in  churches  and  chapels,  are  dreaming  elysian  dreams, 
while  in  the  utmost  danger  of  perishing. 

In  more  respects  than  one,  the  year  1756  was  a  year  of 
turmoil  ;  but  the  Methodists  were  not  without  their  friends. 
One  pamphlet,  published  during  the  year,  undesignedly  in 
Whitefield's  favour,  had  the  following  inordinately  long  title: 
"  The  Great  Secret  Disclosed  ;  or  an  Infallible  Salve  for 
Opening  the  Eyes  of  all  such  as  the  God  of  this  World  has 
Blinded  ;  by  once  applying  which,  the  Person  will  be  able  to 
see  the  true  cause  why  Religion  decays  amongst  us,  and  why 
Methodism  started  up,  and  daily  increases  ;   and,  with   it,  all 

'  Whitefield's  Works,  vol.  v.,  p.  275. 


Balaam-like  Pamphlets.  387 

that   train  of  Vice  and   Immorality  so  common  to  be  met     ^756 
with    in    every  corner    of    the    Nation  ;    with    an    effectual   Age  42 
method    for   bringing   about   a    Reformation    by   destroying 
Methodism."    (8vo.  52  pp.) 

The  title  shews  that  the  pamphlet  was  not  intended  to 
promote  the  interests  of  Methodism.  Like  Balaam,  the 
writer  purposed  to  curse  his  enemies,  and,  yet,  he  blessed 
them.      Two  extracts  must  suffice. 

"  It  is  generally  reported  that  Mr.  Whitefield  has  a  hundred  thousand 
followers,  most  of  whom,  before  his  preaching,  were  the  vilest  of  mankind, 
but  are  now  sober  and  religious  persons,  good  members  of  society,  and 
good  subjects  of  the  king.  It  is  also  said  that  Mr.  Wesley's  preaching 
has  had  as  good  an  effect  on  the  like  numbers  ;  most  of  whom  have  been 
brought  to  be  members  of  the  Church  of  England  ;  namely,  to  baptize 
their  children,  and  to  receive  the  sacrament  there  :  for,  as  he  and  his 
brother  preach  only  betimes  in  a  morning  and  in  the  evening,  and  order 
their  followers  to  go,  the  other  parts  of  the  day,  to  their  respective  places 
of  worship;  and,  as  most  of  them  went  to  no  place  of  worship  before,  and  as 
such  always  looked  upon  themselves  as  Church  people,  they  go,  forenoon 
and  afternoon,  to  its  services.  Thus,  instead  of  weakening  (he  Church,  by 
taking  members  from  it,  the  Methodists  have  strengthened  it,  by  adding 
thousands  of  members  to  it ;  for  the  Methodists,  properly  speaking,  are 
no  Church,  having  no  ordinances  administered  among  them.' 

"Mr.  Whitefield  seems  to  have  been  the  first  whom  the  clergy  of  a  whole 
nation  agreed  to  prevent  preaching,  without  ever  proving  that  he  had 
broken  either  the  ecclesiastical,  moral,  or  national  law.  His  chief  crime 
was  that  he  appeared  to  be  in  earnest  both  in  reading  prayers  and 
preaching." 

The  author's  "  effectual  method  "  to  destroy  Methodism 
was:  I.  That  the  clergy  should  "treat  the  Methodists  as 
Church  members,  and  not  molest  them  in  performing  the 
duties  of  religion  ; "  and,  2.  They  should  "  out-pray  and 
preach  them." 

Another  pamphlet,  of  the  same  Balaam-like  character,  was 
published  in  1756,  with  the  title,  "Methodism  Displayed, 
and  Enthusiasm  Detected  ;  intended  as  an  Antidote  against, 
and  a  Preservative  from,  the  delusive  Principles  and  unscrip- 
tural  Doctrines  of  a  Modern  Sett  of  seducing  Preachers  ;  and 


'  This  is  hardly  correct.  Whitefield  and  theWesleys  administered  the 
sacraments,  in  London,  Bristol,  and  other  places.  Their  unordained 
preachers,  however,  were  not  allowed  to  do  this  until  many  a  lonj  year 
afterwards. 


388  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 


'756    as  a  Defence  of  our  Regular  and  Orthodox  Clergy,  from  their 
Agr42  unjust  Reflections."  (8vo.  '})6  pp.) 

This  was  an  enigmatical  production.  After  giving  to  the 
"  Modern  Sett  of  seducing  PreacJiers"  a  number  of  hard  names, 
the  author  writes  as  follows  :• — 

"  If  for  a  steady  adherence  and  firm  attachment  to  the  doctrines  of  the 
Church  of  England  I  am  accounted  a  MctJiodist,  I  am  content.  May  I 
live  and  die  a  Church  of  England  Methodist !  A  Methodist !  Why, 
really  it  is  a  simple  and  inoffensive  name,  and  I  do  not  see  much  reason 
to  be  ashamed  of  it.  The  world  does  not  usually  fix  this  apellation  upon 
persons  of  an  openly  wicked  and  scandalously  sinful  life.  A  gaming, 
pleasure-taking,  playhouse-frequenting  person,  who  lives  in  debauchery  and 
excess  of  drinking,  is  sure  to  escape  the  name  ol  Methodist.  Nor  has  a 
minister  that  name  given  him,  who,  notwithstanding  his  solemn  declara- 
tions, subscriptions,  and  oaths  to  assent  to  and  to  abide  by  the  Articles 
of  our  Church,  preaches  contrary  to  them,^ — denies  the  fall  of  man, — 
original  sin, — contends  for  justification  by  works,  instead  of  by  faith, — 
is  an  enemy  to  the  doctrine  of  imputed  righteousness, — from  whose  ser- 
mons you  seldom  hear  the  name  of  Jesus,  or  the  agency  and  influence  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  unless  utterly  to  deny,  inveigh  against,  and  explode  all 
spiritual  inspiraiiofi  and  inward  feelings  :  these  and  such-like  preachers 
escape  from  the  imputation  oi Methodism.  So,  again,  that  decent,  regular 
person,  who,  freed  from  the  irksome  care  of  souls,  comfortably  lolls  in  his 
chariot,  thinks  it  is  time  for  him  to  have  done  with  praying  and  preaching, 
and,  therefore,  has  left  off  trade,  and  is  content  with  a  bare  ^looo  per 
annum  Church  preferment ;  he,  who  loves  the  Church,  rails  at  your 
popular,  mob-driving  preachers,  and  is  sure  they  would  not  take  half  the 
pains  they  do,  if  views  of  money-getting  were  not  at  the  bottom, — this  sort 
of  gentleman  stands  very  clear  of  being  deemed  a  Methodist." 

Another  extract  must  be  given.  The  picture  it  draws  was 
not  a  caricature. 

"Take   knowledge  of  that  thing.      He  is  parson  of  St 's  church. 

Lest  the  people  should  be  seduced  and  deceived  by  hearing  the  doctrines 
of  the  Church  of  England  preached,  he  denies  these  true, ministers'  the 
pulpit,  and  says  they  are  Enthusiasts ;  and  the  people,  as  ignorant  as 
himself,  join  the  cry.  An  enthusiast  !  What  is  that  ?  Oh,  'tis  the  cant 
word  of  the  day  for  the  many-headed  monster,  the  bugbear  of  the  times. 
-  *  Ah,'  says  a  constant  church-goer,  *  I  heard  one  of  those  preachers  at  our 
church.  He  preached  such  a  sennon  !  It  was  almost  an  hour  long,  and 
he  said  downright,  that  all  unconverted  people  were  in  a  state  of  damna- 
tion, and  would  go  to  hell,  if  they  did  not  believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  ! 
Truly,  he  set  the  parish  in  an  uproar,  for  we  are  not  used  to  such  sort  of 
preaching.     Thank  God  for  a  good  parson,  say  I;  for  the  Sunday  after  our 

'  Meaning  the  Methodist  clergymen. 


Letters.  389 

parson  (God  bless  him  !)  preached  a  sermon  against  such  doctrine  ;  and,     1757 
though  he  was  no  longer  than  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  he  made  us  all  easy 
again.     He  told  us  we  were  in  no  danger  of  going  to  hell,  and  that  there  ''  ^   '^ 
was  no  fear  of  our  being  damned,  for  we  were  all  good  Christians,  if  we 
paid  every  one  their  own,  and  did  as  we  would  be  done  by.' " 

Whitefield  began  the  year  1757  with  mingled  feelings. 
He  rejoiced  because  of  the  prosperity  of  the  work  of  God  ; 
he  was  distressed  by  political  and  Church  contentions  ;  and 
he  was  full  of  care  respecting  his  distant  Orphan  House. 
Hence  the  following  selections  from  his  letters  : — 

"London,  January  12,  1757. 
"  A  wide  door  seems  to  be  opening  at  Tottenham  Court  chapel.  The 
word  flies  like  lightning  in  it.  O  that  it  may  prove  a  Bethel — a  house  of 
God — a  gate  of  heaven  !  I  believe  it  will.  As  the  awakening  continues, 
I  have  some  hopes  that  we  are  not  to  be  given  up.  Alas  !  alas  !  we  are 
testing  and  coniestino;,  while  the  nation  is  bleeding  to  death.  We  are 
condemning  this  and  that  ;  but  sin,  the  great  mischief-maker,  lies  un- 
molested, or  rather  encouraged  by  every  party." 

To  his  housekeeper  at  Bethesda,  Whitefield  wrote  : — 

"London,  February  5,  1757, 
"  Tottenham  Court  chapel  is  made  a  Bethel,  and  the  awakening 
increases  every  day.  O  that  it  were  so  in  Georgia  !  Surely  the  great 
Shepherd  and  Bishop  of  souls  will  bless  you,  for  taking  care  of  the  lambs 
in  that  distant  wilderness.  Mr.  P.'s  leaving  Bethesda  sadly  distresses  me. 
I  desire  that  all,  who  are  capable,  may  be  put  out,  and  the  family  reduced 
as  low  as  possible,  till  the  war  is  over,  and  the  institution  out  of  debt. 
Lord,  remember  me  and  all  my  various  concerns  !  God  bless  and  direct 
you  in  every  step  !  He  will.  He  will.  What  is  to  become  of  us  here, 
C^od  only  knows.  A  year  perhaps  may  determine.  The  best  sign  is,  that 
the  awakening  continues." 

Four  years  ago,  Whitefield  had  published  his  pamphlet 
against  Zinzendorf  and  the  Moravians.  Things  since  then 
had  altered  for  the  better.      Hence  the  following  : — 

"  London,  February  17,  1757. 
"O  to  be  an  Israelite  indeed,  in  whom  there  is  no  guile!  Simplicity 
and  godly  sincerity  are  all  in  all.  A  want  of  this,  I  fear,  has  led  the  Count 
into  all  his  mistakes.  With  great  regret,  I  speak  or  write  of  any  people's 
■weaknesses  ;  but  I  thought  Divine  Providence  called  me  to  publish  what 
you  mention.  The  Redeemer  gave  it  His  blessing.  I  do  not  find  that 
their  fopperies  are  continued,  and  I  hear  also  that  they  have  discharged 
many  debts." 

At  this  period,  one  of  the   most  popular  of  the  metro- 


390  ^^^^  Life  of  WJiitefield. 

'757  politan  actors  was  a  young  man  of  twenty-seven — Edward 
Age  42  Shuter,  born  in  a  cellar  adjoining  Covent  Garden — ^"  the 
offspring  of  a  chairman  on  the  one  side,  and  of  an  oyster- 
woman  on  the  other."  He  had  been  a  marker  at  a  bilHard 
table,  and  a  tapster  at  a  public-house.  He  had  joined  a 
company  of  strolling  players,  among  whom,  by  his  drolleries 
and  good  nature,  he  soon  acquired  the  appellation  of  Comical 
Ned.  At  length,  Garrick  engaged  him  at  Drury  Lane. 
*'  He  was  so  thoroughly  acquainted,"  says  a  critical  authority, 
"  with  the  vis  comica,  that  he  seldom  called  in  those  common 
auxiliaries,  grimace  and  buffoonery,  but  rested  entirely  on 
genuine  humour.  He  had  strong  features,  and  a  peculiar 
turn  of  face,  which,  without  any  natural  deformity,  he  threw 
into  the  most  ridiculous  shapes."  His  facetiousness  was 
irresistible.  Being  in  disgrace,  on  one  occasion,  for  some 
irregularity  in  his  performance,  the  audience  demanded  an 
apology,  and  vehemently  called  for  him,  after  he  had  made 
his  exit.  At  the  time  they  were  vociferating  "  Shuter  ! 
Shuter  ! "  an  actress  happened  to  be  the  only  person  on  the 
stage,  -when  Shuter,  poking  out  his  comical  face,  from  behind 
one  of  the  scenes,  called  out,  "Don't  shoot  her!''  which 
restored  the  good  temper  of  the  spectators  for  the  rest  of 
the  evening. 

It  is  a  strange  fact,  that,  this  remarkable  man — "  the 
greatest  comic  genius  I  ever  saw,"  said  Garrick  ^ — was  now 
one  of  Whitefield's  constant  hearers.  Hence  the  following 
to  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon  : — 

"  London,  March  2,  1757. 
"  Not  many  mighty,  not  many  noble,  are  called  ;  but  some   come  to 
hear  at  Tottenham  Court.     Shuter,  the  player,  always  makes  one  of  the 
auditory,  and,  as  I  hear,  is  much  impressed,  and  brings  others  with  him.** 

The  good  Countess,  from  this,  was  led  to  take  an  interest 
in  Shuter's  welfare.  In  a  letter,  to  Lady  Fanny  Shirley,  she 
says  : — 

'■  I  have  had  a  visit  from  Shuter,  the  comedian,  whom  I  saw  in  the 
street,  and  asked  to  call  on  me.  He  was  wonderfully  astonished  when  I 
announced  my  name.  We  had  much  conversation  ;  but  he  cannot  give 
up  his  profession  for  another  more  reputable.    He  spoke  of  Mr.  Whitefield 

'  "  Life  of  Garrick,'"  by  Fitzgerald. 


Shuier,  the  Comedian.  391 

with  great  affection,  and  with  admiration  of  his  talents.     He  promised  to     1757 
come  some  other  time,  when  he  had  more  leisure  for  conversation.     Poor       — 
fellow  !  I  think  he  is  not  far  from  the  kingdom."'  ^^  ^^ 

It  is  related  that  on  one  occasion,  when  Shuter  was  in  the 
height  of  his  reputation,  as  the  representative  of  "  Ramble," 
and  while  he  was  seated  in  a  pew  exactly  in  front  of  the 
pulpit  of  Tottenham  Court  chapel,  Whitefield  was  inviting 
sinners  to  the  Saviour,  with  his  accustomed  earnestness,  and, 
at  the  moment,  caught  Shuter's  eye,  and  exclaimed,  "  And 
thou,  poor  Ramble,  who  hast  long  rambled  from  Him,  come 
thou  also.  Oh,  end  thy  rainhlings  by  coming  to  Jesus  !  "^ 
This,  certainly,  was  more  personal  than  polite  ;  but  poor 
Shuter  bore  it.  Long  after,  when  his  friends  used  to  rate 
him  as  a  Methodist,  he  would  say,  "  A  precious  method  is 
mine  !  No,  I  wish  I  were  ;  for  if  any  be  right,  the  Methodists 
are."  ^ 

On  Moftday,  April  25,  Whitefield  set  out  for  Scotland. 
Sixteen  days  afterwards,  he  arrived  in  Edinburgh,  where  he 
at  once  commenced  preaching  in  his  old  open-air  cathedral,  the 
Orphan  Hospital  Park,  and,  for  nearly  a  month,  preached 
twice  a  day,  morning  and  evening,  "  to  very  numerous 
audiences."  * 

In  all  respects,  this  was  a  memorable  visit.  A  week 
after  Whitefield's  arrival,  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Church 
of  Scotland  met  at  Edinburgh,  Charles,  the  ninth  Baron  of 
Cathcart,  being  his  Majesty's  commissioner,- — "  a  nobleman 
no  less  distinguished  for  the  virtues  which  adorn  private  life, 
than  he  was  eminent  for  all  those  which  exalt  a  public 
character.  In  the  capacity  of  father,  husband,  and  friend, 
his  lordship  had  few  equals,  and  was  exceeded  by  none  in 
discharging,  with  dignitj^  and  ability,  the  duties  of  the  high 
stations  in  which  he  had  been  placed  by  his  sovereign."  ^ 
The  Rev.  William  Leechman,  D.D.,  Professor  of  Divinity  in 
the  University  of  Glasgow,  was   chosen   moderator.      Leech- 

'   ''  Life  and  Tim.es  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  i.,  p.  208. 
"^  "  Memoirs  of  Cornelius  Winter,"  p.  26. 

*  "  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  i.,  pp.  207,  208. 

*  Scots'  Magazine,  1757,  p.  260. 

"  Annals  of  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Church  of  Scotland,  from 
1739  to  1766,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  373. 


392  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

'757  man  was  a  celebrated  preacher,  a  popular  lecturer,  "  a  man," 
\..Te42  says  Sir  Henry  Moncreifif,  "of  primitive  and  apostolic 
manners,  equally  distinguished  by  his  love  of  literature  and 
his  liberal  opinions."^  The  sessions  of  the  Assembly  were 
continued  from  the  19th  to  the  30th  of  May,  and  Whitefield 
attended  every  one  of  them.  "On  Saturday,  the  28th,  he 
dined,  by  invitation,  with  the  commissioner,  (though  not  at 
the  same  table,)  and  said  grace  after  dinner."  ^  Much  im- 
portant business  was  transacted.  A  committee  was  ap- 
pointed "  to  consider  the  laws  relating  to  the  election  and 
qualifications  of  members  of  Assembly!^  An  act  of  the  Synod 
of  Argyle,  "  that  the  use  of  sermons  on  the  Saturday  before, 
and  Monday  after,  dispensing  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's 
supper,  be  discontinued  in  all  time  coming,"  occasioned  a 
long  debate,  but  was  ultimately  approved.  A  minister  was 
arraigned  for  attending  a  theatre.  A  second  minister,  ac- 
cused of  the  same  offence,  pleaded  "  that  he  had  gone  to 
the  playhouse  only  once,  and  endcavoiwed  to  conceal  himself 
in  a  corner.  Lengthened  discussions  followed,  and  a  resolu- 
tion was  passed,  "  earnestly  recommending  the  several  Pres- 
byteries to  take  care  that  none  of  their  ministers  do,  upon 
any  account,  attend  the  theatre."  Another  resolution  was 
approved,  forbidding  "■  simoniacal practices !'  Several  cases  of 
"  double  presentation "  to  livings  had  to  be  decided.  A 
scandal  respecting  the  Rev.  William  Brown  occupied  con- 
siderable time  ;  but  the  result  was,  the  Assembly  "  assoilzied 
Mr.  Brown."  Appeals  and  petitions  from  ministers  were 
heard,  and  resolutions  were  passed  respecting  the  fund  for 
ministers'  widows,  and  "  anent  ministers  making  agreements 
with  their  Jieritcrs  concerning  the  extent  of  their  stipends." 

Listening  to  learned  and  long  debates  on  these  and 
kindred  subjects  was  Whitefield's  daily  recreation  between 
his  morning  and  evening  preachings. 

On  June  6,  he  set  out  for  Glasgow,  where  he  continued 
several  days.^  An  extract  from  the  Scots'  Magazine  for 
1757,  page  322,  may  be  welcome  : — 

'  "Annals  of  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Church  of  Scotland,  from 
1739  to  1766,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  394. 
-'  Ibid.,  p.  102. 
^  Scot^  Magazine^  17573  P-  260. 


Thomas  Rankhi.  393 


"  In  a  letter  from  Glasgow,  of  June  19,  we  have  the  following  account :  1757 
'On  Monday  last,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Whitefield,  at  the  desire  of  several  of  our 
magistrates,  preached  a  sermon  for  the  benefit  of  the  poor  of  this  city,  ^®  ^ 
from  Mark  vi.  34.  At  the  conckision  of  his  discourse,  he  pressed  the 
charity  with  many  sohd  arguments.  A  number  of  the  magistrates  and 
elders  stood  up  to  collect  at  the  outside  of  the  congregation  ;  who  went 
away  with  regularity,  and  gave  their  contributions  very  cheerfully.  The 
whole  amounted  to  ^58  sterling,  which  is  all  to  be  applied  to  the  relief  of 
our  poor.  After  the  sermon,  the  magistrates  waited  on  Mr.  Whitefield, 
and  thanked  him  for  this  good  office,  which  has  given  great  and  general 
satisfaction.'  " 

At  Whitefield's  farewell  sermon  in  the  Orphan  Hospital 
Park,  Edinburgh,  there  was  a  young  Scotchman  present,  who 
afterwards  became  one  of  Wesley's  most  faithful  and  sturdy 
itinerants.  Thomas  Rankin,  born  at  Dunbar,  was  now 
resident  at  Leith,  and  came  to  Edinburgh  to  hear  the  great 
preacher.      He  writes  : — 

"  I  had  often  before  had  thoughts  of  hearing  Mr.  Whitefield  ;  but  so 
many  things  had  been  said  to  me  of  him,  that  I  was  afraid  I  should  be 
deceived.  He  preached  in  the  field  adjoining  the  Orphan  House  yard. 
His  text  was  Isaiah  xxxiii.  13 — 17.  The  sermon  exceeded  all  the  sermons  I 
ever  heard.  About  the  middle  of  it,  I  ventured  to  look  up,  and  saw  all  the 
crowds  around  Mr.  Whitefield  bathed  in  tears.  I  listened  with  wonder 
and  surprise,  and  had  such  a  discovery  of  the  plan  of  salvation  as  I  had 
never  known  before.  I  was  astonished  at  myself  that  I  had  listened  to 
the  idle  tales  concerning  him,  and  thereby  have  been  kept  from  hearing  a 
burning  and  shining  light,  who  had  been  instrumental  in  the  hand  of  God  • 
for  the  good  of  so  many  thousands  of  souls.  When  I  understood  he  was 
about  to  leave  Edinburgh,  1  was  distressed.  I  remembered  more  of  that 
sermon  than  of  all  the  sermons  I  had  ever  heard.  I  had  a  discovery  of 
the  unsearchable  riches  of  the  grace  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus  ;  as  also  of 
how  a  lost  sinner  was  to  come  to  God,  and  obtain  mercy  through  the  Re- 
deemer. From  this  time,  I  was  truly  convinced  of  the  necessity  of  a  change 
of  heart." ' 

As  already  stated,  Thomas  Rankin  became  one  of 
Welsey's  most  valuable  preachers.  His  labours,  both  in 
England  and  in  America,  were  of  great  importance  ;  and,  if 
no  other  end  had  been  accomplished  by  Whitefield's  present 
visit  to  the  Scotch  metropolis,  the  conversion  of  Rankin 
was  an  ample  compensation  for  all  his  toil  and  travelling. 

Whitefield's   account  of  his  visit    is    brief  and   imperfect. 

'  Thomas  Rankin's  MS.  Journal. 


394  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

'757     He  writes  on  May  31st:   "Attendance  upon   the  Assembly, 
Age  42  and    preaching,  have   engrossed   all   my  time."      In   another 
letter,  dated  Glasgow,  June  9,  1757,  he  remarks: — 

"  At  Edinburgh,  I  was  so  taken  up  all  day,  and  kept  up  so  late  at  night, 
that  writing  was  almost  impracticable.  Surely,  my  going  thither  was  of 
God.  I  came  there  on  the  12th  of  May,  and  left  the  6th  of  June,  and 
preached  just  fifty  times.  To  what  purpose,  the  great  day  will  discover. 
I  have  reason  to  believe  to  very  good  purpose.  Being  the  time  of  the 
General  Assembly,  (at  which  I  was  much  pleased,)  many  ministers  attended, 
perhaps  a  hundred  at  a  time.  Thereby  prejudices  were  removed,  and 
many  of  their  hearts  were  deeply  impressed.  About  thirty  of  them,  as  a 
token  of  respect,  invited  me  to  a  public  entertainment.  The  Lord  High 
Commissioner  also  invited  me  to  his  table  ;  and  many  persons  of  credit 
and  religion  did  the  same  in  a  public  manner.  Thousands  and  thousands, 
among  whom  were  a  great  many  of  the  best  rank,  daily  attended  on  the 
word  preached  ;  and  the  longer  I  stayed,  the  more  the  congregations  and 
Divine  influence  increased.  Twice  I  preached  in  my  way  to  Glasgow  ; 
and,  last  night,  opened  my  campaign  here.  The  cloud  seems  to  move 
towards  Ireland.  How  the  Redeemer  vouchsafes  to  deal  with  me  there, 
you  shall  know  hereafter." 

Whitefield's  previous  visit  to  Ireland  had  been  greatly 
blessed.  The  people  longed  to  give  him  another  Avelcome. 
One  section  of  his  converts  had  laid  the  foundation  of  a 
prosperous  Moravian  church.  Another  had  formed  a  Baptist 
congregation.  A  number  of  others  were  scattered,  and 
.  needed  encouragement.'^  He  went  to  help  them,  and  his 
visit  was  memorable.  To  the  day  of  his  death,  a  deep  scar 
in  his  head  was  a  memento  of  it.^  He  shall  tell  his  own 
story. 

"  Dublin,  June  30,  1757. 
"  The  door  is  open,  and  indeed  the  poor  Methodists  want  help.  Here, 
in  Dublin,  the  congregations  are  very  large,  and  very  much  impressed. 
The  Redeemer  vouchsafes  to  me  great  freedom  in  preaching,  and  arrows  of 
conviction  fly  and  fasten.  One  of  the  bishops  told  a  nobleman,  he  was 
glad  I  was  come  to  rouse  the  people.  The  nobleman  himself  told  me  this 
yesterday.  Alas!  that  so  few  have  the  ambition  of  coming  out  to  the  help 
of  the  Lord  against  the  mighty.  Not  one  clergyman,  in  all  Ireland,  is  as 
yet  stirred  up  to  come  out  singularly  for  God.  Pity,  Lord,  for  Thy 
mercy's  sake  !  I  think  God  will  yet  appear  for  the  Protestant  interest. 
My  route  now  is  to  Athlone,  Limerick,  and  Cork  ;  and  to  return  here 
about  July  21st." 

'  "  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  154. 
*  Ibid.,  p.  158. 


In  Irela7id.  395 

"Dublin,  ^///j  3,  1757.         1757 

"  The  infinitely  condescending  Jesus  still  vouchsafes  to  follow  the  chief  — 
of  sinners  with  His  unmerited  blessing".  In  Scotland,  His  almighty  arm  ^^^2 
was  most  powerfully  revealed ;  and  here,  in  Dublin,  many  have  begun  to 
say,  'What  shall  we  do  to  be  saved  ?'  Congregations  are  large,  and  very 
much  impressed.  All  sorts  attend,  and  all  sorts  seem  to  be  affected.  I 
should  be  glad  to  come  to  London,  but  cannot  in  conscience  as  yet.  Not 
one  minister,  either  in  the  Church  or  among  the  Dissenters,  in  this  king- 
dom, as  far  as  I  can  hear,  appears  boldly  for  God.  To-morrow,  therefore, 
I  purpose  to  set  out  for  Athlone,  Limerick,  and  Cork.  God  only  knows 
where,  after  that,  will  be  the  next  remove.  Perhaps  to  London  ;  perhaps 
to  the  north  of  Ireland,  which,  I  hear,  lies  open  for  the  gospel.  Winter 
must  be  the  London  harvest.  O  for  more  labourers,  who  will  account  the 
work  itself  the  best  wages  ! 

"  July  5.  Since  writing  the  above,  I  have  been  in  the  wars  ;  but,  blessed 
be  God,  am  pretty  well  recovered,  and  going  on  my  way  rejoicing.  Pray 
hard." 

"  >//  9,  1757. 

"  You  have  heard  of  my  being  in  Ireland,  and  of  my  preaching  to  large 
and  affected  auditories  in  Mr.  Wesley's  spacious  room.  When  here  last, 
I  preached  in  a  more  confined  place  on  the  week-days,  and  once  or  twice 
ventured  out  to  Oxmanton  Green,  a  large  place  like  Moorfields,  situated 
very  near  the  barracks,  where  the  Ormomi^  and  Liberty  (that  is,  Jiij^h  and 
low  party)  Boys  generally  assemble  every  Sunday,  to  fight  with  each 
other.  The  congregations  then  were  very  numerous,  the  word  seemed  to 
come  with  power,  and  no  noise  or  disturbance  ensued.  This  encouraged 
me  to  give  notice,  that  I  would  preach  there  again  last  Sunday  afternoon. 

"  I  went  through  the  barracks,  the  door  of  which  opens  into  the  Green, 
and  pitched  my  tent  near  the  barrack  walls,  not  doubting  of  the  protec- 
tion, or  at  least  interposition,  of  the  officers  and  soldiery,  if  there  should  be 
occasion.  But  how  vain  is  the  help  of  man  !  Vast  was  the  multitude  that 
attended.  We  sang,  prayed,  and  preached,  without  much  molestation  ; 
onl\  n  V  and  then,  a  few  stones  and  clods  of  dirt  were  thrown  at  me.  It 
beiny  war  time,  I  exhorted  my  hearers,  as  is  my  usual  practice,  not  only 
to  fear  God,  but  to  honour  the  best  of  kings  ;  and,  after  the  sermon,  I 
prayed  for  success  to  the  Prussian  arms.^ 

'  The  "  Ormond  Boys"  were  in  favour  of  the  popish  pretender,  and 
were  so  designated  after  the  arch-traitor,  the  Duke  of  Ormond.  The 
"  Liberty  Boys,"  of  course,  were  their  opponents. 

-  Frederick,  King  of  Prussia,  was  rendering  England  important 
service  ;  for  while  the  English  were  fighting  the  French  in  America,  he 
was  fighting  and  conquering  them  in  Europe.  "The  wonderful  battle  of 
Rossbach,"  says  Voltaire,  "was  the  most  inconceivable  and  ctnipletc  rout 
mentioned  in  history.  Thirty  thousand  French  and  twenty  thousand 
Imperial  troops  there  made  a  disgraceful  precipitate  flight  before  five 
Prussian  batallions  and  a  iew  scjuadrons."  In  England,  Frederick  was 
stvled  the  "  Protestant  hero  ;  "  his  birthday  was  kept  as  a  holiday  ;  public 
subscriptions  were  proposed  for  him  ;  and  Parliament  granted  him  a 
subsidy  of  ^670,000  per  annum  to  enable  him  to  prosecute  the  war. 


396  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1757  "  All  being  over,  I  thought  to  return  home  the  way  I  came  ;  but,  to  my 
great  surprise,  access  to  the  barracks  was  denied,  so  that  I  had  to  go 
^^  ^  near  half  a  mile,  from  one  end  of  the  Green  to  the  other,  through  hundreds 
and  hundreds  of  papists,  etc.  Finding  me  unattended,  (for  a  soldier  and 
four  Methodist  preachers,'  who  came  with  me,  had  forsook  me  and  fled,) 
I  was  left  to  their  mercy.  Their  mercy,  as  you  may  easily  guess,  was 
perfect  cruelty.  Vollies  of  hard  stones  came  from  all  quarters,  and  every 
step  I  took,  a  fresh  stone  struck,  and  made  me  reel  backwards  and  for- 
wards, till  I  was  almost  breathless,  and  was  covered  all  over  with  blood. 
My  strong  beaver  hat  served  me,  as  it  were,  for  a  skullcap  for  a  while  ; 
but,  at  last,  that  was  knocked  ofl",  and  my  head  left  quite  defenceless.  I 
received  many  blows  and  wounds  ;  one  was  particularly  large  near  my 
temples.  Providentially,  a  minister's  house  stood  next  door  to  the  Green. 
"With  great  difficulty  I  staggered  to  the  door,  which  was  kindly  opened  to, 
and  shut  upon  me.  Some  of  the  mob,  in  the  meantime,  broke  part  of 
the  boards  of  the  pulpit  into  splinters,  and  beat  and  wounded  my  servant 
grievously  in  his  head  and  arms,  and  then  came  and  drove  him  from  the 
door  of  the  house  where  I  had  found  a  refuge. 

"  For  a  while,  I  continued  speechless,  expecting  every  breath  to  be  my 
last.  Two  or  three  of  my  friends,  by  some  means,  got  admission,  and 
kindly  washed  my  wounds.  I  gradually  revived,  but  soon  found  the  lady 
of  the  house  desired  my  absence,  for  fear  the  house  should  be  pulled 
down.  What  to  do,  I  knew  not,  being  near  two  miles  from  Mr.  Wesley's 
place.  Some  advised  one  thing,  and  some  another.  At  length,  a  car- 
penter, one  of  the  friends  who  came  in,  offered  me  his  wig  and  coat,  that 

might  go  off  in  disguise.  I  accepted  of  them,  and  put  them  on,  but 
was  soon  ashamed  of  not  trusting  my  Master  to  secure  me  in  my  proper 
habit,  and  threw  them  off  in  disdain.  Immediately,  deliverance  came. 
A  Methodist  preacher,  with  two  friends,  brought  a  coach  ;  I  leaped  into 
it,  and  rode,  in  gospel  triumph,  through  the  oaths,  curses,  and  imprecations 
of  whole  streets  of  papists,  unhurt. 

"  None  but  those  who  were  spectators  of  the  scene  can  form  an  idea  of 
the  affection  with  which  I  was  received  by  the  weeping,  mourning,  but 
now  joyful  Methodists.  A  Christian  surgeon  was  ready  to  dress  my 
wounds,  which  being  done,  I  went  into  the  preaching  place,  and,  after 
giving  a  word  of  exhortation,  joined  in  a  hymn  of  praise  and  thanksgiving 
to  Him,  who  makes  our  extremity  His  opportunity,  and  who  stills  the 
noise  of  the  waves,  and  the  madness  of  the  most  malignant  people. 

"  The  next  morning,  I  set  out  for  Port  Arlington,  and  left  my  perse- 
cutors to  His  mercy,  who  out  of  persecutors  has  often  made  preachers."^ 

*  Christopher  Hopper  was  now  one  of  Wesley's  preachers  in  Dublin. 
In  his  autobiography,  Christopher  is  silent  respecting  Whitefield's  perilous 
adventure. 

^  Most  of  Whitefield's  biographers,  and  some  writers  of  the  History  of 
Methodism,  say  John  Edwards,  of  Leeds,  was  converted  under  Whitefield's 
sermon  on  Oxmanton  Green.  This  is  an  egregious  bhmder.  John 
Edwards  was  converted,  and  was  himself  a  Methodist  preacher,  many  a 
long  year  before  this.  As  a  rule,  I  refrain  from  noticing  the  errors  of 
previous  biographers. — L.  T. 


In  Ireland,  397 

The   hard    knocks   Whitefield   received    from    the   Dublin     ^757 
papists  did   not   prevent  the  carrying  out  of  his  plan  to  visit   Age  42 
the  towns  already  mentioned.      Hence  the  following  : — 

"Cork,  July  15,  1757. 
"  Everywhere  the  glorious  Emmanuel  so  smiles  upon  my  feeble  labours, 
that  it  is  hard  to  get  away  from  Ireland.  At  Port-Arlington,  Athlone, 
Limerick,  and  this  place,  the  word  has  run  and  been  glorified.  Arrows 
of  conviction  seem  to  fly  ;  and  the  cup  of  many  has  been  made  to  run 
over.  I  have  met  with  some  hard  blows  from  the  Dublin  rabble  ;  but, 
blessed  be  God  !  they  have  not  destroyed  me." 

In  another  letter,  addressed  to  the  Rev.  John  Gillies,  of 
Glasgow,  and  dated,  "  Wednesbury,  Staffordshire,  August  7, 
1757,"  he  wrote  : — 

"Though  Mr.  Hopper  promised  to  write  you  an  historical  letter,  from 
Dublin,  I  cannot  help  dropping  you  a  few  lines  from  this  place.  At 
Athlone,  Limerick,  Cork,  and  especially  at  Dublin,  where  I  preached  near 
fifty  times,  we  had  Cambuslang  seasons.  With  the  utmost  difficulty,  I 
came  away.  The  blows  I  received  were  like  to  send  me  where  all  partings 
would  have  been  over.  But,  I  find,  we  are  immortal  till  our  work  is 
done." 

Whitefield  found  it  difficult  to  get  away  ;  but  it  is  a 
notable  fact  that  he  never  went  again.  This  was  his  last 
visit  to  Ireland  !  He  went  but  twice,  and  both  of  his  visits 
put  together  were  not  of  three  months'  continuance.  Wesley 
made  twenty  visits,  most  of  them  of  long  duration.  Ireland's 
debt  to  Whitefield  is  but  small  ;    but  to  Wesley  great. 

After  an  absence  of  about  four  months,  Whitefield  got 
back  to  London.  One  of  the  first  things  that  claimed  his 
attention  was  the  business  of  his  Orphan  House,  which  had 
recently  been  visited  by  the  governor  of  Georgia.  The 
following  was  addressed  to  his  housekeeper  : — 

"  London,  August  26,  1757. 

"  I  think  myself  happy,  in  finding  you  are  satisfied  in  your  present 

situation.     I  would  rather  have  you  to  preside  over  the  orphan  family 

than  any  woman  I  know.     I  do  not  love  changes.     Sometimes  1  wish  for 

wings  to  fly  over  ;  but  Providence  detains  me  here.'     I  fear  a  dreadful 

'  Whitefield  was  strongly  urged  to  visit  America.  In  an  hitherto  un- 
published letter,  by  the  Rev.  James  Davenport,  dated,  "  Hopewell, 
January  17,  1757,"  the  writer  says:  "  Pray  come  to  see  our  dear  America 
once  more,  as  soon  as  you  can.  You  cannot  tell  what  God  might  do  at 
this  juncture.  Many,  no  doubt,  would  rejoice  greatly.  Oh,  my  dear 
brother,  that  there  were  a  heart  in  our  land,  under  our  present  dangers 


398  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1757  storm  is  at  hand.  Lord  Jesus,  be  Thou  our  refuge  I  At  Dublin,  I  was 
like  to  be  sent  beyond  the  reach  of  storms.     A  most  blessed  influence 

^^  attended  the  word  in  various  parts  of  Ireland  ;  and  here,  in  London,  the 
prospect  is  more  and  more  promising.  As  to  outward  things,  all  is  gloomy. 
I  hope  Bethesda  will  be  kept  in  peace.  I  am  glad  the  governor  has 
been  to  visit  the  house.  May  God  make  him  a  blessing  to  the  colony! 
I  wish  you  would  let  me  know  how  the  English  children  are  disposed  of. 
I  would  fain  have  a  list  of  black  and  white,  from  time  to  time.  Blessed 
be  God  for  the  increase  of  the  negroes  !  I  entirely  approve  of  reducing 
the  number  of  orphans  as  low  as  possible  ;  and  I  am  determined  to  take 
in  no  more  than  the  plantation  will  maintain,  till  I  can  buy  more  negroes. 
Never  was  I  so  well  satisfied  with  my  assistants  as  now." 

Whitefield's  stay  in  London  was  short.  Accompanied  by 
the  Revs.  Martin  Madan  and  Henry  Venn,  he  soon  set 
out,  on  a  six  weeks'  journey,  to  the  west  of  England.  Ex- 
tracts from  two  of  his  letters  will  furnish  an  idea  of  his  spirit 
and  his  work. 

"  Exeter,  September  28,  1757. 
"  Blessed  be  God  !  I  can  send  you  good  news  concerning  Plymouth. 
The  scene  was  like  that  of  Bristol,  only  more  extraordinary.  Officers, 
soldiers,  sailors,  and  the  dockmen  attended,  with  the  utmost  solemnity, 
upon  the  word  preached.  Arrows  of  conviction  flew  and  fastened  ;  and 
I  left  all  God's  people  upon  the  wing  for  heaven.  Blessed  be  the  Lord 
Jesus  for  ordering  me  the  lot  of  a  cast-out  I  I  am  glad  that  Mr.  Madan 
and  Mr.  Venn  returned  safe.  May  an  effectual  door  be  opened  for  both  ! 
If  so,  they  will  have  many  adversaries.  If  the  weather  should  alter,  I 
may  be  in  town  before  long  ;  if  not,  I  may  range  farther.  This  spiritual 
hunting  is  delightful  sport,  when  the  heart  is  in  the  work." 

The  next  is  taken  from  a  letter  to  the  Rev.  John  Gillies. 
The  "  Counsellor"  mentioned  v/as  Mr.  Madan,  who,  before 
his  ordination,  practised  at  the  bar. 

"  London,  Octobe}- 16,  1757. 

"  Reverend  and  very  dear  Sir, — I  thank  you  for  your  sympathising 

letter  sent  to  Ireland.    The  Friend  of  sinners  stood  by  me,  or  I  had  been 

stoned  to  death.     Stones  were  thrown  at  me,  not  for  speaking  against 

the  papists  in  particular,  but,  for  exciting  all  ranks  to  be  faithful  to  King 

and  distresses,  to  turn  to  God  !  Then  we  might,  in  the  Lord's  strength, 
soon  drive  out  our  temporal  enemies,  and  come  off  more  than  conquerors 
over  our  spiritual  ones.  1  hope  you  remember  our  agreement  to  pray  for 
each  other,  in  secret,  every  Sabbath  morning.  Oh,  how  sweet  are  the 
thoughts  of  heaven,  where  we  may  converse,  and  rejoice,  and  praise,  and 
enjoy  and  glorify  God,  our  Father,  KeJeemer,  and  Sanctifier,  without 
any  stop,  world  without  end.  My  soul  joins  with  yours  in  saying,  'Come, 
Lord  Jesus,  come  quickly  !     Amen  ! '  " 


Age 


♦ 


Methodist  Clergymen,  399 

Jesus,  and  to  our  dear  sovereign  King  George,  for  His  great  name's  sake.     I757 

"  Seven  gospel  ministers  were  together  at  Bristol,  when  the  Counsellor 
preached.  We  have  had  blessed  seasons,  for  these  six  weeks  last  past, 
at  Plymouth,  Exeter,  Bristol,  Gloucester,  and  Gloucestershire.  This 
comes  from  my  winter  quarters." 

Whiteficld  was  again  in  London,  where  he  continued  for 
seven  months. 

The  "  Counsellor,"  the  Rev.  Martin  Madan,  was  now  a 
red-hot  evangehst.  He  had  preached  through  Hertfordshire, 
Bedfordshire,  Buckinghamshire,  Warwickshire,  Worcestershire, 
and  Gloucestershire/  The  number  of  Methodist  clergymen 
was  rather  rapidly  increasing.  Besides  Whitefield,  the  Wes- 
leys,  Hervey,  Grimshaw,  Romaine,  Madan,  Venn,  Walker, 
and  others  already  mentioned  in  this  biography,  there  were 
now  the  Re\'.  James  Stillingfleet,  ultimately  rector  of 
Hotham,  in  Yorkshire  ;  the  Rev.  Mr.  Downing,  chaplain  to 
the  Earl  of  Dartmouth;  and  the  Rev.  William  Talbot,  LL.D., 
vicar  of  Kineton,  in.  Warwickshire,  a  man  of  aristocratic 
family.'^  In  this  year,  1757,  not  fewer  than  five  of  these 
earnest  clergymen,  Messrs.  Walker,  Talbot,  Downing,  Stil- 
lingfleet, and    Madan,  at  the   request  of  Lord   Dartmouth,^ 


'  "  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  i.,  p.  428. 

"^  Dr.  Talbot,  in  1767,  became  vicar  of  St.  Giles's,  Reading.  He  was  an 
able  preacher,  and  remarkable  for  the  gift  of  prayer.  When  Seeker,  Arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury,  was  dying,  Talbot  visited  him.  "  You  will  pray 
with  me,  Talbot,"  said  Seeker.  Talbot  rose  and  went  to  look  for  a  Prayer- 
Book.  "  That  is  not  what  I  want  now,"  remarked  the  Archbishop  : 
"  kneel  down  by  me,  and  pray  for  me  in  the  way  I  know  you  are  used  to 
do."  Dr.  Talbot  died,  on  the  2nd  of  March,  1774,  in  the  57th  year  of 
his  age,  in  the  house  of  his  friend,  the  great  philanthropist,  William 
Wilberforce.     {Evangelical  Maf^azme,  1815,  pp.  393 — 400.) 

=*  Lord  Dartmouth  succeeded  to  the  earldom  in  1750,  being  then  about 
twenty-five  years  of  age.  In  1755,  he  married  the  only  daughter  and 
heiress  of  Sir  Charles  Gunter  Nicholl.  Shortly  after  his  marriage,  he 
became  the  intimate  friend  of  Lady  Huntingdon,  to  whom  he  was  intro- 
duced by  the  Countess  of  Guildford.  It  was  in  Lady  Huntingdon's  house, 
that  he  first  became  acquainted  with  Whitefield,  the  Wesleys,  Romaine, 
Jones,  Madan,  etc.  George  the  Third  appointed  him  principal  Secretary 
of  State  for  the  American  department,  which  office  his  lordship  after- 
wards exchanged  for  that  of  Lord  Keeper  of  the  Privy  Seal.  Some  years 
later,  he  was  made  Lord  Steward  of  His  Majesty's  Household.  He  con- 
tributed largely  towards  Whitefield's  Orphan  House.  He  was  the  early 
patron  of  the  Rev.  Moses  Browne  ;  obtained  ordination  for  the  Rev. 
John  Newton  ;  and  was  celebrated  by  Cowper,  in  his  poem  on  Truth  : — 

"  We  boast  some  rich  ones  whom  the  gospel  sways. 
And  one  who  wears  a  coronet  and  prays." 


400  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

'757  had  preached  at  Cheltenham.^  On  three  or  four  occasions, 
Age  42  Mr.  Downing  obtained  the  pulpit  of  the  parish  church  ;  but 
the  rector  and  the  churchwardens  interposed,  and  the  zealous 
Methodist  was  excluded.  Lord  Dartmouth  then  opened  his 
own  house  for  preaching,  twice  a  week  ;  and,  sometimes,  the 
seminary  of  Mr.  Samuel  Wells  was  used  for  the  same  pur- 
pose.^ In  a  letter  to  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,  his  lord- 
ship wrote  : — ■ 

"  I  wish  your  ladyship  would  use  your  influence  with  Mr.  Whitfield  and 
Mr.  Romaine  to  pay  us  a  visit.  Mr.  Stillingfleet  has  been  obliged  to 
return  to  Oxiord,  and  I  know  not  where  to  direct  to  Mr.  Madan  or  Mr. 
Venn.  Mr.  Talbot  has  promised  to  come  as  soon  as  possible  ;  and,  next 
month,  I  expect  good  Mr.  Walker,  of  Truro.  The  rector  was  so  displeased 
with  Mr.  Downing  preaching,  and  the  great  crowds  who  flocked  to  hear 
him,  that  he  excluded  him  from  the  pulpit  after  three  or  four  sermons, 
and  refused  to  admit  Mr.  Stillingfleet,  though  I  said  everything  I  could 
to  induce  him  to  do  so.  Since  then,  I  have  opened  my  house,  but  find 
it  too  small  for  the  numbers  who  solicit  permission  to  attend.  I  have  no 
hopes  of  again  obtaining  the  use  of  the  parish  church.'' 

Just  at  this  time,  Madan  came  to  Cheltenham,  and  was 
soon  after  joined  by  Venn,  and  by  Maddock,  the  latter  the 
curate  of  Hervey,  of  Weston-Favel.  Contrary  to  the  ex- 
pectations of  Lord  Dartmouth,  both  Madan  and  Venn  were 
several  times  admitted  to  the  parish  pulpit.  Then  came 
Whitefield,  and  an  immense  crowd  collected,  expecting  that 
he  also  would  preach  in  the  church.  Attended  by  Lord  and 
Lady  Dartmouth,  and  by  Messrs.  Madan,  Venn,  Talbot,  and 
Downing,  the  renowned  preacher  proceeded  to  the  church  door. 
They  found  it  closed  against  them.  Whitefield,  never  at  a 
loss  for  pulpits,  mounted  a  neighbouring  tombstone,  and 
preached.  The  Rev.  Henry  Venn  shall  tell  the  remainder 
of  the  story.      In  a  letter  to  Lady  Huntingdon,  he  wrote  : — 

"Under  Mr.  Whitefield's  sermon,  many,  among  the  immense  crowd 
that  filled  every  part  of  the  burial  ground,  were  overcome  with  fainting. 
Some  sobbed  deeply  ;  others  wept  silently ;  and  a  solemn  concern  appeared 
on  the  countenance  of  almost  the  whole  assembly.  When  he  came  to 
impress  the  injunction  in  the  text  (Isaiah  li.  i)  his  words -seemed  to  cut 
like  a  sword,  and  several  in  the  congregation  burst  out  into  the  most 
piercing  bitter  cries.  Mr.  Whitefield,  at  this  juncture,  made  a  pause, 
and  then  burst  into  a  flood   of  tears.     During  this  short   interval,  Mr. 

'  Evangelical  Magazine,  181 5,  p.  394.  '  Ibid.,  p.  395. 


^* Mission   7'Veek^''  at  Chelten'iam.  401 


Madan   and    myself  stood   up,  and   requested  the    people    to    restrain     1757 
themselves,  as  much  as  possible,  from  making  any  noise.     Twice  after-       — 
wards,   we  had  to  repeat  the   same    counsel.      O  with  what  eloquence,   ^^^  '*"* 
energy,  and  melting  tenderness,  did  Mr.  VVhitefield  beseech  sinners  to  be 
reconciled  to  God  !     When  the  sermon  was  ended,  the  peoole  seemed 
chained  to  the  ground.     Mr.   Madan,  Mr.   Talbot,   Mr.   Downing,  and 
myself  found  ample  employment  in  endeavouring  to  comfort  those  broken 
down  under  a  sense  of  guilt.     We  separated  in  different  directions  amon^ 
the  crowd,  and  each  was  quickly  surrounded  by  an  attentive  rradience, 
still  eager  to  hear  all  the  words  of  this  life. 

"  The  next  day,  a  like  scene  was  witnessed,  when  dear  .Mr.  VVhitefield 
preached  to  a  prodigious  congregation  from  Isaiah  Iv.  6.  In  the  evening, 
Mr.  Talbot  preached  at  Lord  Dartmouth's,  to  as  many  as  the  rooms 
would  hold.  Hundreds  crowded  round  his  lordship's  residence,  anxiously 
expecting  Mr.  Whitefield  to  preach.  Exhausted  as  he  was  iVom  his 
exertions  in  the  morning,  when  he  heard  that  there  were  multitudes  with- 
out, he  stood  upon  a  table  near  the  front  of  the  house,  and  proclaimes 
the  efficacy  of  the  Saviour's  blood  to  cleanse  the  vilest  of  the  vile. 

"  Intelligence  of  the  extraordinary  power  attending  the  word  soon  spread, 
and  the  next  day  we  had  Mr.  Charles  Wesley  and  many  friends  from 
Bristol,  Gloucester,  Tewkesbury,  Rodborough,  and  the  villages  in  the 
neighbourhood  ;  but  all  loud  weeping  and  piercing  cries  had  subsided, 
and  the  work  of  conversion  went  on  in  a  more  silent  manner.  For  several 
days,  we  have  had  public  preaching,  which  has  been  well  attended,  and 
much  solid  good  has  been  done. 

"  Mr.  Whitefield  and  myself  purpose  leaving  this  for  London  the  day 
after  to-morrow  ;  and  Mr.  Madan  and  Mr.  Talbot  go  ui  a  few  days  to 
Northamptonshire." ' 

This  was  a  glorious  "  mission  week,"  in  Cheltenham 
churchyard,  a  hundred  and  twenty-nine  years  ago.  It  is 
rather  remarkable  that  Whitefield  himself  has  left  no  account 
of  it  ;  but,  shortly  after,  he  wrote,  as  follows,  to  Mr.  Madan, 
pursuing  his  "  mission  "  work  in  Northamptonshire. 

'•■  London,  November  3,  1757. 

"  Your  kind  letter  was  very  acceptable.  Ere  now,  I  trust,  the  Redeemer 
has  given  you  the  prospect  of  the  barren  wilderness  being  turned  into  a 
fruitful  field.  Never  fear.  Jesus  will  delight  to  honour  you.  Every 
clergyman's  name  is  Legion.  Two  more  are  lately  ordained."  The  king- 
dom of  God  suffereth  violence,  and,  if  we  would  take  it  by  force,  we  must 
do  violence  to  our  softest  passions,  and  be  content  to  be  estccnxed  unkind 
by  those  whose  idols  we  once  were.  This  is  hard  work ;  but,  Abba,  Father, 
all  things  are  possible  with  Thee  ! 

"  Blessed  be  God  !  for  putting  it  into  your  heart  to  ask  my  pulpit  for  a 

'  "Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol  i.,  p.  431. 
*  Fletcher,  of  Madeley,  was  ordained  in  1757. 

VOL.    IL  26 


402  The  Life  of  Whitefleld. 

1757     week-day  sermon.     Are  we  not  commanded  to  be  instant  in  season  and 

—      out  of  season  ?     If  dear  Mrs.  Madan  will  take  my  word  for  it,  I  will  be 

Age  42  answerable  for  your  health.     The  joy  resulting  from  doing-  good  will  be 

a  continual  feast.     God  knows  how  long  our  time  of  working  may  last. 

This  order  undoes  us.     As  affairs  now  stand,  we  must  be  disorderly,  or 

useless.     O  for  more  labourers  ! 

"  I  am  told  thousands  went  away  last  Sunday  evening  from  Tottenham 
Court,  for  want  of  room.  Every  day  produces  fresh  accounts  of  good 
being  done.  At  this  end  of  the  town,  the  word  runs,  and  is  glorified  more 
and  more.  Last  Friday,  we  had  a  most  solemn  fast.  I  preaclied  thrice. 
Thousands  attended  ;  and,  I  humbly  hope,  our  prayers  entered  into  the 
ears  of  the  Lord  of  Sabaoth.  More  bad  news  from  America  about  our 
fleet.  God  humble  and  reform  us  !  Go  on,  my  dear  sir,  and  tell  a  sinful 
nation,  that  sin  and  unbelief  are  the  accursed  things  which  prevent  suc- 
cess. Thus,  at  last,  we  shall  deliver  our  souls,  and  be  free  from  the  blood 
of  all  men. 

"  That  you  may  return  to  London  in  all  the  fulness  of  the  blessings  of 
the  gospel  of  Christ,  is  and  shall  be  the  prayer  of,  dear  sir, 

"  Yours,  etc., 

*'  George  Whitefield." 

While  Whitefield  was  acquiring  new  friends,  he  was  losing 
old  ones.  Jonathan  Belcher,  governor  of  the  province  of 
New  Jersey,  died  on  August  31,  1757;  and  Aaron  Burr, 
President  of  New  Jersey  College,  within  a  month  afterwards. 
"  The  deaths  of  Governor  Belcher,  and  President  Burr,"  wrote 
Whitefield,  "  are  dark  providences ;  but  Jesus  lives  and 
reigns.  Lord,  raise  up  Elishas  in  the  room  of  ascended 
Elijahs!"' 

Whitefield's  correspondence  was  enormous.  As  a  rule,  no 
letters  have  been  introduced  in  the  present  work,  except  such 
as  contained  facts  and  statements  illustrative  of  his  work  and 
history.  Mere  friendly  letters,  though  existing  in  great 
numbers,  have  been  excluded.  As  a  specimen  of  hundreds 
of  others,  which  might  have  been  inserted,  the  following, 
hitherto  unpublished,  may  be  welcome.  They  relate  to  the 
marriage  of  the  grandfather  and  grandmother  of  James 
Rooker,  Esq.,  solicitor,  at  Bideford,  by  whom  they  have  been 
courteously  lent  : — 

"  London,  Kjvetnber  15,  1757. 

"Dear  Miss  Molly, — Though  weak  in  body,  yet,  as  perhaps  it  may 
be  the  last  time  I  may  write  to  you  in  your  present  position,  be  pleased 
to  accept  a  few  valedictory  lines. 

'  Whitefield's  Works,  vol.  iii.,  pp.  220,  221. 


Failing  Health.  403 


"  I  think  you  may  cheerfully  say,  '  I  will  go  with  the  man.'  Providence  ^757 
seems  to  have  directed  you  to  one  who,  I  trust,  will  love  you  as  Christ  . 
loves  the  Church.  My  poor  prayers  will  always  follow  you.  That  you 
may  be  a  mother  in  Israel,  and,  in  every  respect,  be  enabled  to  walk  as 
becometh  the  wife  of  a  true  minister  of  Jesus  Christ,  is,  and  shall  be,  the 
ardent  desire  of,  dear  Miss  Molly,  your  affectionate  friend  and  ready 
servant  for  Christ's  sake, 

"  George  Whitefield. 

"To  Miss  Molly  Shepherd." 

"London,  January  17,  1758. 
"  Seven  in  the  7)ioriiing. 

"  Reverend  and  dear  Sir, — I  wish  you  joy,  from  my  inmost  soul, 
of  being  married  to  one  of  the  best  women,  and  of  being  admitted  into 
one  of  the  best  famihes  in  England.  I  never  had  the  least  doubt  of  your 
affair  being  of  God.  You  have  called  Jesus  and  His  disciples  to  the 
marriage  ;  and  your  letter  sent  me  to  my  knees  with  tears  of  joy  and 
strong  cryings  that  the  God  and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  may  bless  you 
both.  You  need  not  ask,  my  dear  sir,  the  continuance  of  my  friendship. 
I  value  you  as  a  dear  minister  of  Christ,  and  as  the  husband  of  one  who 
was  presented  by  her  honoured  father  at  the  table  of  the  Lord.  I  doubt 
not  of  her  being  a  help-meet  for  you, — a  mother  in  Israel.  May  you,  like 
Zachary  and  Elizabeth,  be  enabled  to  walk  in  all  the  ordinances  and  com- 
mandments of  the  Lord  blameless  !  I  am  glad  the  dear  little  female  flock 
at  Bideford  will  have  such  an  agreeable  addition  to  their  society.  That 
grace,  mercy,  and  peace  may  be  multiplied  on  them  and  you,  is,  and  shall 
be,  the  hearty  prayer  of,  reverend  and  dear  sir,  your  affectionate  friend 
and  ready  servant  in  our  common  Lord, 

"George  Whitefield. 

"  My  wife  joins  in  cordial  respects. 
"  To  the  Rev.  Mr.  Lavington." 

Scores  of  such  letters  might  be  introduced, — the  spon- 
taneous effusions  of  a  warm-hearted  Christian  friendship. 

Whitefield's  incessant  and  arduous  labours  began  to  affect 
his  health.  Hence  the  following  extracts  from  his  corre- 
spondence : — 

"  London,  November  26^  ^l^J-  Last  week,  my  poor  feeble  labours 
almost  brought  me  to  the  grave  ;  but  preaching  three  times,  yesterday,  on 
account  of  the  late  success  of  the  Prussians,  has  somewhat  recovered  me. 
It  was  a  high  day  :  thousands  and  thousands  attended." 

"London,  December  14,  1757.  By  New  Year's  Day,  I  hope,  we  shall 
be  able  to  discharge  our  Tottenham  Court  chapel  debts.  Every  day 
proves  more  and  more  that  it  was  built  for  the  glory  of  Christ,  and  ihe 
welfare  of  many  precious  and  immortal  souls.  But  my  attendance  on 
that,  and  the  Tabernacle  too,  with  a  weak  body,  outward  cares,  and  inward 
trials,  has,  of  late,  frequently  brought  me  near  to  my  wishcd-for  port.     I 


404  'J he  Life  of  Whitefeld. 

am  brought  to  the  short  allowance  of  preaching  but  once  a  day,  and  thrice 
on  a  Su:iday. 

"  Round  the  Tottenham  Court  chapel  there  is  a  most  beautiful  piece 
of  ground,  and  some  good  folks  have  purposed  erecting  almshouses  on 
each  side,  for  godly  widows,  I  have  a  plan  for  twelve.  The  whole  ex- 
pense will  be  ^400.  We  have  got  ^100.  The  widows  are  to  have  half  a 
crown  a  week.  The  sacrament  money,  which  will  be  more  than  enough, 
is  to  be  devoted  to  this  purpose.  Thus  will  many  widows  be  provided 
for,  and  a  standing  monument  be  left,  that  the  Methodists  were  not  against 
good  works." 

Thus  did  Whitefield  end  the  year  1757  in  caring  for 
widows,*  as,  for  the  last  twenty  years,  he  had  cared  for 
orphans. 

He  began  the  new  year,  1758,  with  a  devout  outburst  of 
patriotic  gratitude.  As  already  stated,  Frederick,  King  of 
Prussia,  had  recently  won  a  most  important  battle  ;  and 
Whitefield  wished  to  recognize  the  hand  of  God  in  the  defeat 
of  his  country's  enemies.  "  Monday,  January  2,"  says  the 
Gentleuians  Magazijie  for  1758,  p.  41,  "was  observed  as  a 
day  of  thanksgiving,  at  the  chapel  in  Tottenham  Court  Road, 
by  Mr.  Whitefield's  people,  for  the  signal  victories  gained  by 
the  King  of  Prussia  over  his  enemies." 

It  was  a  trial  to  Whitefield  to  be  obliged  to  preach  but 
once  a  day  on  week-days,  and  thrice  on  Sundays  ;  but,  as 
usual,  he  was  thankful  and  jubilant.  The  debt  on  the 
chapel  in  Tottenham  Court  Road  was  paid  ;  his  friend 
Martin  Madan  had  become  a  son  of  thunder  ;  numbers  of 
sinners  were  being  saved  ;  and  the  political  horizon  was 
growing  brighter.  The  following  are  extracts  from  his 
letters  : — 

"  London,  January  12,  1758.  A  more  effectual  door  than  ever  seems  to 
be  opening  in  this  metropolis.  A  counsellor,  lately  ordained,  turns  out  a 
Boanerges.  Thousands  and  thousands  flock  to  hear  the  everlasting  gospel. 
Let  us  wrestle  in  prayer  for  each  other." 

"  London,  January  17,  1758.  What  can  reconcile  us  to  stay  longer  on 
earth,  but  the  prospect  of  seeing  the  kingdom  of  the  Lord  Jesus  advanced  ? 
It  is  very  promising  in  London.  Mr.  Madan  is  a  Boanerges.  The  chapel 
is  made  a  Bethel.     Blessed  be  God  !  all  the  debt  is  paid." 

The  godly  and  benevolent  John  Thornton,  Esq.,  was  now 
a  young  man  rising  rapidly  into  notice.  In  his  house,  at 
Clapham,  Whitefield   frequently  expounded   to  large  assem- 


Letter  to  Professor  Francke.  405 

blies.^      To    Miss  Gideon,^  the  friend   and    correspondent  of    1758 
Venn,  Whitefield  wrote  as  follows  : —  AgT^^ 

"London,  February  3,  1758.  I  am  reduced  to  the  short  allowance  of 
preaching  once  a  day,  except  thrice  on  a  Sunday.  At  both  ends  of  the 
town,  the  word  runs  and  is  glorified.  The  champions  in  the  Church 
go  on  Hke  sons  of  thunder.  I  am  to  be  at  Clapham  this  evening.  Mr. 
Venn  will  gladly  embrace  the  first  opportunity.    Bristol,  in  all  probability, 

•will  be  my  first  spring  excursion." 

» 

In  another  letter,  of  the  same  date,  he  wrote  : — 

"  The  plan  concerted  some  time  ago  is  likely  to  be  put  into  execution. 
The  trenches  for  the  wall  are  begun  ;  and,  by  the  ist  of  May,  the  alms- 
houses are  to  be  finished.  If  possible,  I  would  furnish  them,  that  the 
poor  might  be  sure  of  goods,  as  well  as  a  house.  The  thing  has  scarce,  as 
yet,  taken  wind.  By  thoughtfulness,  frequent  preaching,  and  a  crazy  taber- 
nacle, my  nightly  rests  are  continually  broken  ;  but  the  joy  of  the  Lord  is 
my  strength.     I  hope  ere  long  to  be  where  I  shall  keep  awake  for  ever." 

The  next  letter,  addressed  to  Professor  Francke,  of  Ger- 
many, though  containing  but  little  additional  information, 
is  too  interesting  to  be  omitted. 

"London,  March  5,  1758. 

"  Most  Reverend  and  dear  Sir, — Through  grace,  the  fields  are  as 
ready  to  harvest  as  ever.  In  the  summer,  I  range  ;  and,  with  a  table  for 
my  pulpit,  and  the  heavens  for  my  sounding-board,  I  am  enabled,  gene- 
rally thrice  a  day,  to  call  to  many  thousands  to  come  to  Jesus  that  they 
may  have  life.  In  the  winter,  I  am  confined  to  London  ;  but,  to  my  great 
mortification,  through  continual  vomitings,  want  of  rest,  and  of  appetite, 
I  have  been  reduced,  for  some  time,  to  the  short  allowance  of  preaching 
only  once  a  day,  except  Sundays,  when  I  generally  preach  thrice.  Thou- 
sands attend  every  evening,  at  both  ends  of  the  town  ;  and,  on  Sundays, 
many,  many  go  away  for  want  of  room.  The  Divine  presence  is  amongst 
us,  and  every  week  produces  fresh  instances  of  the  power  of  converting 
grace. 

"  Blessed  be  God !  we  meet  with  no  disturbances  in  town,  and  very 
seldom  in  the  country  ;  but  last  year,  while  I  was  preaching  in  the  fields 
in  Ireland,  a  popish  mob  was  so  incensed  at  my  proclaiming  the  Lord  our 
Righteousness,  and  at  my  praying  for  our  good  old  King,  and  the  King  of 
Prussia,  that  they  surrounded,  stoned,  and  almost  killed  me.  But  we  are 
immortal  till  our  work  is  done.  Glad  should  I  have  been  to  have  died  in 
such  a  cause. 

'  "  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  i.,  p.  219. 

-  Miss  Gideon  was  the  daughter  of  Sampson  Gideon,  Esq.,  of  Belvidere 
House,  Kent,  and  sister  of  the  first  Lord  Eardley.  .She  was  converted 
in  the  drawing-room  of  Lady  Huntingdon.  ("  Life  and  Times  of  the 
Countess  of  Huntingdon,  vol.  ii.,  p.  3.) 


4o6  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1758  "  Mr.  "Wesley  has  Societies  in  Ireland  and  elsewhei'e  ;  and,  though  we 
—  differ  a  little  in  some  principles,  yet  brotherly  love  continues.  When 
■Age  43  itinerating,  I  generally  preach  among  his  people,  as  freely  as  among  those 
who  are  called  our  own. 

"  In  London,  several  new  flaming  preachers  are  come  forth  ;  and  we 
hear  of  others,  in  various  parts  of  the  kingdom,  who  seem  determined  to 
know  and  preach  nothing  but  Jesus  Christ,  and  Him  crucified. 

"Thousands  and  thousands  are  now  praying  daily  for  success  to  the 
Prussian  and  Hanoverian  arms.  Your  fast-days  were  kept  here  with 
great  solemnity  ;  and  will  be  so  again,  God  willing,  when  I  know  the  day. 
Our  Joshuas  are  in  the  field.  Many  a  Moses  is  gone  up  into  the  mount 
to  pray.  '  Nil  despe^-andum  Christo  diice,  auspice  Christo.'  He  who 
wrought  such  wonders  for  the  Prussian  monarch  last  year,  can  repeat 
them  this.  The  distresses  of  German  Protestants,  we  look  upon  as  our 
own.  We  have  also  endeavoured  to  give  thanks  for  the  great  mercy 
vouchsafed  your  Orphan  House,  and  the  Protestant  cause." 

In  the  third  week  of  the  month  of  May,  Whitefield  left 
his  "  winter  quarters,"  and  set  out  for  the  west  of  England, 
and  for  Wales.  He  began  his  journey  in  a  one-horse 
chaise  ;  but  driving  prevented  his  reading,  and  the  vehicle 
nearly  shook  him  to  pieces.^  His  servant,  also,  "  who  rode 
the  fore-horse,  was  often  exceedingly  splashed  with  dirt, 
when  the  roads  were  bad."  For  such  reasons,  Whitefield 
wished  to  exchange  his  humble  conveyance  for  a  more  con- 
venient one.  He  arrived  at  Gloucester,  on  Saturday,  May 
20  ;  and,  on  the  following  day,  preached  thrice  and  ad- 
ministered the  holy  sacrament.  On  Tuesday,  May  23,  he 
came  to  Bristol,  and,  for  the  next  five  days,  preached  twice 
daily,  either  at  Bristol,  Bath,  or  Kingswood.  His  chaise  still 
troubled  him,  and  he  longed  for  "  a  good  four-wheel  carriage 
for  iJ^30  or  £^0^  "  I  would  not,"  says  he,  "  lay  out  a  single 
farthing,  but  for  my  blessed  Master."  '  On  Monday,  May 
29,  in  the  best  way  he  could,  he  started  for  Wales.  On 
his  return  to  Bristol,  he  wrote  a  series  of  letters  to  a  number 
of  his  aristocratic  friends.      The  following  are  extracts  : — 

To  the  Countess  Delitz  : — 

"Bristol,  June  16,  1758.  Never  was  I  brought  so  low  as  on  my  late 
circuit  in  Wales  ;  but,  as  far  as  I  can  hear,  it  was  one  of  the  most  pros- 
perous I  ever  took.  Twice  every  day,  thousands  and  thousands  attended, 
in  various  towns  in  South  Wales  ;  and,  on  the  Sundays,  the  numbers 
were  incredible.     Welcome,  thrice  welcome,  death  in  such  a  cause  ! " 


'  Whitefield's  Woiks,  vol.  iii.,  p.  232. 


spiritual  Roiiis.''^  407 


To  Captain  H y: —  175S 

"Bristol,  June  16,  1758.  The  Welsh  roads  have  almost  demolished  my  Age  43 
open  one-horse  chaise,  as  well  as  me.  I  am  almost  ashamed  of  your 
being  put  to  so  much  trouble,  in  procuring  a  close  chaise  tor  me  ;  but  I 
like  the  purchase  exceeding  well.  The  legacy  is  wonderful.  I  can  give 
it  away  with  a  good  grace.  At  present,  I  think  the  Orphan  House  shall 
have  the  whole.     It  is  much  wanted  there." 

To  Lady  Huntingdon  : — 

"Bristol,  June  17,  1758.  This  leaves  me  returned  from  Wales.  It 
proved  a  most  delightful  trying  circuit.  I  suppose  your  ladyship  has 
heard  how  low  I  have  been  in  body, — scarce  ever  lower, — not  able  to  sit 
up  in  company  all  the  time,  yet  strengthened  to  travel  without  food,  and 
to  preach  to  thousands  every  day.  The  great  congregation  at  Haverford- 
west consisted  of  near  fifteen  thousand.  O  for  some  disinterested  soul  to 
help  at  the  chapel  during  the  summer  season  !  Spiritual,  divine  ambition* 
whither  art  thou  fled  ?  But  I  see  such  honours  are  reserved  for  few.  I 
rejoice  in  the  increase  of  your  ladyship's  spiritual  routs  ;  and  can  guess  at 
the  consolations  such  uncommon  scenes  must  afford  you." 

The  "  spiritual  routs,"  here  mentioned,  were  meetings  held 
twice  a  week,  in  the  house  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon, 
and  at  which  Romaine,  Madan,  and  Venn  officiated.  They 
were  remarkable  gatherings,  and  included,  among  others,  the 
Duchess  of  Bedford,  the  Duchess  of  Grafton,  Lady  Jane 
Scott,  Lord  and  Lady  Dacre,  Mr.  and  Lady  Anne  Connolly, 
Lady  Elizabeth  Keppell,  Lady  Betty  Waldegrave,  Lady 
Coventry,  Lord  Weymouth,  Lord  Tavistock,  the  Duchess  of 
Hamilton,  the  Duchess  of  Richmond,  Lady  Ailesbury,  Lord 
and  Lady  Hertford,  Lady  Townsend,  Lord  Trafford,  Lord 
Northampton,  Lady  Hervey,  Lady  Pembroke,  Lady  North- 
umberland, Lady  Rebecca  Paulet,  Lord  Edgecumbe,  Lord 
Lyttleton,  Lady  Essex,  etc.,  etc.^  It  is  impossible  to  estimate 
the  far-reaching  results  of  meetings  like  these.  A  current 
of  Christian  influence  was  created,  which  affected  a  large 
portion  of  the  aristocracy  of  the  land,  and,  through  them,  a 
countless  number  of  other  people. 

Whitefield  bewails  the  want  of  men  to  preach  in  his 
Tottenham  Court  Road  chapel.  At  this  very  time,  he  was 
corresponding  with  a  young  man,  twenty-three  years  of 
age,  Robert  Robinson,  afterwards  the  famous  Dissenting 
minister  at  Cambridge.      Robinson  had  recently  left  London, 


"  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  i.,  p.  228. 


408  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 


^758  and  gone  to  Norwich.  Here,  on  May  10,  1758,  he  wrote 
Age  43  Whitefield  a  long  letter,  telling  him  that,  six  years  ago, 
curiosity  drew  him  to  the  Tabernacle,  to  pity  Whitefield's 
folly,  and  to  abhor  the  doctrines  he  preached.  Whitefield 
took  for  his  text,  "  O  generation  of  vipers,  who  hath  warned 
you  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come  ?  "  Robinson  says,  he 
"  went  pitying  the  poor  deluded  Methodists  ;  but  came  away 
envying  their  happiness."  He  tronstantly  attended  the 
Tabernacle  for  two  years  and  seven  months  before  he  found 
peace  with  God.     He  had  now  begun  to  preach,  and  writes: — 

"How  often  do  I  tremble  lest  I  should  run  before  I  am  sent  ;  yet  I 
dare  not  say  the  Lord  has  left  me  without  witness.  Multitudes  of  people 
come  to  hear  the  word,  both  in  Norwich  and  the  country." ' 

Whitefield  replied  to  Robinson's  letter  as  follows  : — • 

"  Bristol,  May  25,  1758. 
"  Why  did  you  not  make  your  case  known  to  me  before  you  left  London  .^ 
What  motives  induced  you  to  leave  it  }  How  came  you  to  goto  Norwich? 
What  prospect  have  you  of  a  growing  people  ?  You  may  send  a  line  to 
London,  and  it  will  be  forwarded  to  me  in  the  country.  I  have  now 
opened  my  summer's  campaign.  The  Redeemer  has  given  us  a  good 
beginning.  Who  knows  but  we  shall  have  a  glorious  ending.''  He  is  all 
in  all.  You  find  that  He  strengthens  and  blesses  you  in  His  work,  and 
causes  your  rod  to  bud  and  blossom.  That  your  bow  may  abide  in 
strength,  that  you  may  be  clothed  with  humility,  and  that  the  arms  of 
your  hands  may  be  continually  strengthened  by  the  hands  of  the  mighty 
God  of  Jacob,  is  the  earnest  prayer  of  your  affectionate  friend  in  our 
common  Lord, 

"  George  Whitefield.''^ 

Robinson  answered  Whitefield's  questions  : — 

"  You  ask,  sir,  why  I  did  not  make  myself  known  to  you  in  London  } 
The  plain  truth  is  this,  I  had  such  a  sense  of  my  unworthiness,  that  I 
thought  your  conversation  too  great  an  honour  for  me  to  enjoy." 

Robinson  assigns  as  his  reasons  for  leaving  London,  the 
desire  of  his  relatives  to  see  him  ;  a  hope  that  residing  in 
the  country  would  improve  his  health  ;  and  especially  a  fear 
that,  if  he  stayed,  his  London  friends  would  make  him 
preach  before  God  called  him.  As  to  the  reason  of  his 
going  to  Norwich,  he  writes  : — 

"  My  intention  was  to  settle  in  the  farming  business  in  the  country  ;  but 

'  Evangelical  Magazine,  1803,  p.  333. 
■  "  Memoirs  of  Robert  Robinson,"  p.  25. 


Rev.  Robert  Robinson,  409 

there  I  found  many  souls  awakened,  who  had  the  word  preached  but  now     175;: 
and  then.     We  met  in  the  evenings  to  sing  and  pray  and  speak  our  expe-       "~ 
rience.     They  often  sohcited  mc  to  preach  among  them,  as  did  some   ^^  ' 
neighbouring  Dissenting  ministers.     I  long  refused  ;  till  they  wrung  their 
hands,  and  wept  bitterly,  and  told  me  they  were  starving  for  the  word. 
With  many  doubts  and  fears,  I,  at  last,  agreed  to  their  request.     People 
came  from   adjacent  towns   to  hear  me.     I   was   invited   higher  up  the 
country.     At  length,  some  of  Mr.  Wheatley's  friends  informed  him  of  me. 
He  sent  his  clerk,  entreating  me  to  come  to  Norwich.     I  did  come  ;  and, 
according  to  the  present  appearance  of  things,  I  apprehend  I  shall  be  fixed 
here."' 

In    reply   to   Whitefield's    fourth    question,    Robinson   re- 
marked : — 

"  As  to  the  '  prospect  of  a  growing  people,' — sometimes  I  think  it  bids 
fair  for  it ;  sometimes  I  think  otherwise.  The  church  I  preach  to  has 
near  forty  members,  and  many  more  are  desirous  of  being  received.  On 
the  Lord's-day,  we  have  several  hundreds  of  hearers,  who  seem  very 
serious,  and  enquiring  the  way  to  Zion.  On  the  week-days,  we  have 
abundance  of  people  to  hear  ;  and,  I  hope,  the  Lord  does  not  let  His 
word  return  void.  The  country  people  frequently  send  for  me,  on  the 
days  I  do  not  preach  at  Norwich  ;  and  multitudes  come  to  hear,  so  that 
the  preaching  houses  will  not  hold  them.  However,  I  can  go  upon  the 
commons  ;  and,  blessed  be  God!  there  is  room  there  ;  and,  what  is  best 
of  all,  there  is  room  enough  and  to  spare  in  my  Master's  house.  By  the 
time  I  have  preached  in  public,  and  have  visited,  exhorted,  and  prayed, 
with  the  people  in  private,  and  have  kept  a  little  time  to  enjoy  my  God  in 
my  closet,  I  find  my  day  is  gone  ;  but  it  is  an  honour  to  be  busy  for 
Christ.     O  that  my  soul  may  be  found  living  and  dying  in  it  ! 

"  My  dear  sir,  I  rejoice  in  your  prosperity  in  the  gospel.  Go  where  I 
will,  I  find  some  of  your  spiritual  children;- -some  awakened  by  hearing 
you,  and  some  by  reading  your  sermons.  Dear  sir, go  on  preaching;  and 
we  will  go  on  praying  for  you  ;  and  who  knows  what  a  prayer-hearing 
God  may  do  ?  I  am  really  ashamed  of  my  long  letter ;  but,  methinks,  I 
am  now  opening  my  heart  to  a  tender  father,  who,  I  trust,  will  excuse  my 
infirmities. 

"  I  remain,  dear  sir,  your  affectionate  son  and  servant  in  Christ, 

"  Robert  Robinson."' 

Thus  did  Robert  Robinson  become  a  preacher, — a  man 
who  rose  to  sufficient  eminence  to  have  one  of  his  pubHca- 
tions  discussed  in  both  the  House  of  Commons  and  the 
House  of  Lords  ;  whose  learning  and  services  were  such  as 
to  procure  for  him  the  offer  of  the  diploma  of  D.D.  from  a 
Scotch    University;     and    yet,    lamentable    to    relate,    who 

'  Evatigelical  Magazine,  1803,  p.  535. 


4i6  The  Life  of  Whitcfield. 

1758    became  so  loose  in  his  theology  as  to  die  under  the  imputa- 
Age  43  tion  of  being  a  Socinian. 

After  his  return  from  Wales,  Whitefield's  stay  in  London 
was  brief  Towards  the  end  of  July,  he  set  out  for  Scotland; 
in  journeying  towards  which,  he  formed  an  acquaintance 
with  another  recently  converted  clergyman,  who,  for  nearly 
thirty  years  afterwards,  annually  rendered  important  service 
in  Whitefield's  London  chapels.  John  Berridge,  the  well- 
known  Vicar  of  Everton,  had  recently  found  peace  with  God, 
through  faith  in  Christ ;  and,  six  months  after  the  time  of 
Whitefield's  visit,  occurred  those  puzzling  phenomena,  the 
stricken  cases,  mentioned  in  Wesley's  Journal.  It  is  rather 
remarkable,  that,  though  Whitefield's  preaching  was  much 
more  sensational  than  Wesley's,  no  such  effects  seem  to  have 
been  witnessed  at  Everton  by  him,  as  were  witnessed  by  his 
friend.  At  all  events,  if  such  happened,  he  is  silent  concern- 
ing them.  All  that  is  known  of  his  visit,  is  contained  in  the 
following  letter : — 

"  Newcastle,  July  31,  1758. 
"All  the  last  week  was  taken  up  in  preaching  at  Everton,  St.  Neots, 
Keysoe,  Bedford,  Olney,  Weston- Favel,  Underwood,  Ravenstone,  and 
Northampton.  Four  clergymen  lent  me  their  churches,  and  three  read 
prayers  for  me  in  one  day.  I  preached  also  in  John  Bunyan's  pulpit; 
and,  at  Northampton,  I  took  the  field.  Good  seasons  at  all  the  places. 
Mr.  Berridge,  who  was  lately  awakened  at  Everton,  promises  to  be  a 
burning  and  shining  hght.  Yesterday,  we  had  good  times  here;  and,  to- 
morrow, I  shall  set  off  for  Edinburgh.  My  bodily  strength  increases  but 
very  little.  Sometimes  I  am  almost  tempted  to  turn  back  ;  but  I  hope  to 
go  forward,  and  shall  strive,  as  much  as  in  me  lies,  to  die  in  this  glorious 
work." 

Whitefield  arrived  at  Edinburgh  on  August  4,  and, 
despite  physical  weakness,  preached,  for  nearly  a  month,  in 
the  Orphan  Hospital  Park,  to  enormous  congregations, 
morning  and  evening,  every  day.i  Mr.  Gillies  invited  him 
to  Glasgow  ;    but  he  replied  : — 

"  I  fear  your  kind  invitation  cannot  be  complied  with.  For  above 
three  months  past,  I  have  been  so  weak,  that  I  could  scarcely  drag  the 
crazy  load  along.  I  preach  at  Edinburgh  twice  a  day ;  but  I  grow  weaker 
and  weaker.  I  suppose  you  have  heard  of  the  death  of  Mr.  Jonathan 
Edwards.     Happy  he  !" 


'  Scoti  Magazine,  1758,  p.  388. 


Thavksoivivg  Strvio7is.  411 

In  another  letter  he  wrote  : —  175^ 

"  Edinburgh,  August  19,  1758.  Age  43 
"I  came  here  a  fortnight  ago,  very  low  indeed;  but,  by  preaching 
about  thirty  times,  I  am  a  good  deal  better.  Multitudes,  of  all  ranks, 
flock  twice  every  day.  I  thought  to  have  moved  on  Tuesday  next,  but, 
as  it  is  the  race  week,  and  my  health  is  improving,  friends  advise  me  to 
stay." 

On  August  29,  he  went  to  Glasgow,  where  he  remained 
a  week.  Here,  after  one  of  his  sermons,  he  made  a  collec- 
tion, amounting  to  nearly  £60,  on  behalf  of  a  Society, 
established  in  1727,  for  educating  and  putting  to  trades  the 
sons  of  Highlanders,  and  of  which  the  Duke  of  Argyll  was 
the  principal  member.^ 

Whitefield  also  preached  three  thanksgiving  sermons,  for 
the  taking  of  Cape  Breton,  by  Boscawen,  Amherst,  and 
Wolfe  ;  for  the  defeat  of  the  Russians,  at  the  great  battle 
of  Custrin,  by  Frederick,  King  of  Prussia  ;  and  for  the  victory 
over  the  Austrians  and  Imperialists,  at  Crevelt,  by  Prince 
Ferdinand  of  Brunswick.  "  By  his  warm  and  repeated 
exhortations  to  loyalty,  and  a  steady  adherence  to  the  Pro- 
testant interest,"  said  the  Glasgozv  Conraiit,  "  Mr.  Whitefield's 
visit  here  has  been  useful  to  the  community  in  a  civil,  as 
well  as  a  religious,  light." 

On  September  6,  Whitefield  returned  to  Edinburgh, 
and,  during  another  week,  preached  twice  every  day.  On 
September  13,  he  set  out  for  London.  "  By  his  visit,"  says 
the  Scots'  Magazine,  "  the  Edinburgh  Orphan  Hospital  has 
drawn  upwards  of  ;^200,  by  the  collections  at  the  entry  to 
the  Park,  and  by  the  seat-rents." 

Remembering  the  value  of  money  in  1758,  these  were 
enormous  sums.  No  wonder,  that,  even  on  such  a  ground, 
the  canny  Scots  were  always  ready  to  give  to  Whitefield  a 
hearty  welcome. 

Glimpses  of  his  preaching  tour  to  London  will  be  obtained 
in  the  following  extracts  from  his  letters  : — 

"  Darlington,  September  21,  1758. 
"  At  Edinburgh  and  Glasgow,  my  health  grew  better,  and  I  was  enabled 
to  preach  always  twice,  and  sometimes  thrice  a  day,  to  very  large  and 

*  Scots'  Magazine,  1758,  p.  609. 


412  TJie  Life  of  Whitefield. 


1758     affected  auditories.      In  my  way  to  Newcastle,  I  preached  twice;  and 
—      thrice  in  and  about  that  place.     Yesterday,  I  hope,  some  gospel  seed 
Age  43  ^gjj  ^^  gQQ^  ground  at  Durham  and  Bishop-Auckland.     I  am  now  on  my 
way  to  Yarm,  and  hope  next  Lord's-day  to  be  at  Leeds." 

"  Leeds,  October  11,  1758. 
"  Though  I  have  preached  twice  and  sometimes  thrice  a  day  for  above 
a  fortnight  past,  preaching  does  not  kill  me.  God  has  been  giving 
blessed  seasons.  By  next  Lord's-day,  I  am  to  be  at  Rotherham  and 
Sheffield.  Change  of  weather  will  alone  drive  me  to  winter  quarters. 
Lord,  prepare  me  for  winter  trials  !  They  are  preparative  for  an  eternal 
summer." 

To  his  friend  Mr.  Gillies,  of  Glasgow,  he  wrote  : — 

"  Rotherham,  October  15,  1758. 
"  Since  my  leaving  Scotland,  in  various  parts  of  the  north  of  England, 
as  at  Alnwick,  Newcastle,  Leeds,  etc.,  the  ever  loving,  altogether  lovely 
Jesus  has  manifested  His  glory.  •  Thousands  and  thousands  have  flocked 
twice,  and  sometimes  thrice  a  day  to  hear  the  word.  Never  did  I  see  the 
fields  whiter  for  a  spiritual  harvest.  Praise  the  Lord,  O  our  souls  !  If 
the  weather  continues  fair,  I  hope  to  prolong  my  summer's  campaign. 
It  shocks  me  to  think  of  winter  quarters  yet.  How  soon  does  the  year 
roll  round  !  Lord  Jisus,  quicken  my  tardy  pace  !  As  they  were  in  debt, 
at  Leeds,  for  their  building,'  last  Lord's-day  I  collected  for  them  near  ^50, 
Lord  Jesus,  help  me  to  know  no  party  but  Thine  !  This,  I  am  persuaded, 
is  your  catholic  spirit.     O  for  an  increase  of  it  among  all  denominations !" 

From  Sheffield,  Whitefield  proceeded  to  Staffordshire  ; 
and  intended  to  go  from  there  to  Bristol  ;  but  "  change  of 
weather  and  the  shortness  of  the  days  drove  "  him^  to  his 
"  winter  quarters."      On  reaching  London,  he  wrote  : — 

"  October  28.  My  health  is  somewhat  improved,  but  a  very  little 
thing  soon  impairs  it.  Lord,  help  me  !  How  very  little  can  I  do  for 
Thee  !     We  have  had  fine  gospel  seasons.     Grace  !  grace  ! "  "^ 

These  fragmentary  records  are  truly  marvellous.  How  a 
man,  in  such  health,  performed  such  labours,  for  months 
together,  it  is  difficult  to  imagine. 

'  There  can  be  little  doubt  that  this  was  Wesley's  chapel,  in  St.  Peter's 
Street.     It  was  built  in  1757. 

-  The  Daily  Advt7-tiser,  of  October  27,  1758,  says:  "We  hear  that,  for 
this  month  past,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Whitefield  has  been  preaching  twice  a  day, 
to  very  large  audiences,  in  various  parts  of  Yorkshire,  Lancashire,  and 
Staffordshire,  and  is  expected  in  town  this  week."  The  same  journal, 
on  the  following  day,  announced,  "  On  Thursday  evening  (October  26), 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Whitefield  came  to  town,  from  Scotland  and  the  north  of 
England ;  and  will  preach  to-morrow  at  Tottenham  Court  chapel,  and  at 
the  Tabernacle  in  Moorfields." 


Death  of  Hervey.  413 

Once  again  in  London,  his  Orphan  House  demanded  his  '753 
attention.  The  family  had  been  reduced,  and  he  now  had  Age  43 
it  in  his  "  power  to  pay  off  all  Bethesda's  arrears."  He  sent 
a  number  of  "  Bibles  and  other  books."  "  He  longed  for  an 
opportunity "  to  go  himself ;  but  the  war  prevented  him, 
and  he  knew  not  how  to  get  supplies  for  his  two  London 
chapels.  He  was,  however,  quite  satisfied  with  the  manage- 
ment of  his  housekeeper,  and  sent  her  "  ten  thousand  thousand 
thanks."  He  wished  his  superintendent  to  consign  him  "  a 
little  rice  and  indigo,"  that  his  "  friends  might  see  some  of 
the  Orphan  House  produce."  Taken  altogether,  his  affairs 
in  Georgia  were  less  embarrassing  than  usual. ^ 

During  the  year,  Whitefield  had  gained  a  new  clerical 
friend,  in  Berridge  of  Everton  ;  but,  before  it  ended,  he  lost 
a  friend,  whom  he  dearly  loved.  James  Hervey  died  on 
Christmas-day,  1 7  5  8.  Within  a  week  of  this  mournful 
occurrence,  Whitefield  wrote  the  following  pathetic  letter  to 
the  dying  rector  of  Weston-Favel ; — 

"  London,  December  19,  1758. 
"  And  is  my  dear  friend  indeed  about  to  take  his  last  flight  ?  I  dare 
not  wish  your  return  into  this  vale  of  tears.  But  our  prayers  are  con- 
tinually ascending  to  the  Father  of  our  spirits  that  you  may  die  in  the 
embraces  of  a  never-failing  Jesus,  and  in  all  the  fulness  of  an  exalted 
faith.  O  when  will  my  time  come!  I  groan  in  this  tabernacle,  being 
burdened,  and  long  to  be  clothed  with  my  house  from  heaven.  Farewell  I 
My  very  dear  friend,  f— a — r— e— well  !  Yet  a  little  while,  and  we  shall 
meet, — 

'  Where  sin,  and  strife,  and  sorrow  cease, 
And  all  is  love,  and  joy,  and  peace.' 

"  There  Jesus  will  reward  you  for  all  the  tokens  of  love  which  you  have 
showed,  for  His  great  name's  sake,  to  yours  most  affectionately  in  our 
common  Lord, 

"  George  Whitefield." 

"P.S.  God  comfort  your  mother,  and  relations,  and  thousands  and 
thousands  more  who  will  bewail  your  departure  !  "^ 

In  the  year  1758,  Whitefield,  comparatively  speaking, 
"  had  rest  "  from  persecution.  The  only  exception  was  in 
the  case  of  scurrilous  Dr.  Free,  Vicar  of  East  Coker,  and 
Lecturer  at  St.  Mary  Hill,  London,  and  at  Newington,  Surrey, 

'  Whitefield's  Works,  vol.  iii.,  pp.  246 — 250. 
^  New  Spiritual  Magazine,  1783,  p-  164. 


414  "I^i^  Life  of  Wliittfield. 

1759  On  Whitsunday,  this  vehement  defender  of  the  Church, 
Age  44  preached  a  sermon,  before  the  University,  at  St.  Mary's, 
Oxford,  which  he  immediately  published,  with  a  "  Preface  " 
and  an  "  Appendix,"  and  a  "  Dedication  "  to  the  Archbishop 
of  Canterbury.  {8vo.  65  pp.)  In  his  "  Dedication,"  Free 
informs  the  Archbishop,  that,  Wesley  and  Whitefield  "  have, 
by  secret  adx'ances,  so  far  stolen  upon  the  commo)i  people,  as 
to  seduce  many  of  all  denommations  ^rova  their  proper /^j-/^ri',- 
and,  aided  by  this  mixed  multitude,  they  threaten  the  Church 
of  England,  the  bnhvark  of  the  Protestant  cause,  with,  a 
general  alteration,  or  total  subversion!'  Free  s  "  Appendix  " 
chiefly  consists  of  extracts  from  Whitefield's  Journals,  by 
which  he  pretends  to  prove — i.  That  the  "Methodists 
experiment  upon  women  in  hysteric  fits,  and  upon  young 
persons  in  convulsions,  under  pretence  of  exorcising  devils.** 
2.  That  Whitefield  professed  to  have  received  "extraordinary 
inspirations  in  his  office  as  a  preacher!'  3.  That  he  and 
others  had  "  attempted  to  set  up  a  new  form  of  church- 
government,  through  the  kingdom,  in  contempt  of  the 
authority  of  the  Bishops,  and  without  any  authority  from  the 
state."  4.  That  they  had  propagated  "  atheistical  doctrines 
aJid propositions,  quite  destructive  to  the  morality  and  well- 
being  of  a  state."  5.  That  they  had  "  abused  the  clergy  in 
general,  and  the  great  lights  of  the  Church  in  particular!' 
6.  That  they  "  imagined  God  had  made  tliem  the  instruments 
of  a  great  zi>ork!'  7.  That  they  used  "  religiously  amorous, 
melting,  and  rapturous  expressions." 

Whitefield  treated  the  ravings  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Free  with 
silent  contempt.  Wesley  wrote  the  doctor  two  "  letters,"  and 
then  left  him  "  to  laugh,  and  scold,  and  witticise,  and  call 
names,  just  as  he  pleased." 

Little  is  known  respecting  Whitefield's  health,  labours, 
and  success,  during  the  first  four  months  of  1759. 

On  the  4th  of  Januaiy,  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon  went 
to  Bristol  to  meet  Wesley,  who  accompanied  her  to  Bath, 
and  preached,  to  several  of  the  nobility,  in  her  house.  Early 
in  February,  her  ladyship  returned  to  London,  and,  on 
Friday,  the  i6th,  the  day  appointed  for  a  public  fast, 
she  went  to  the  Tabernacle,  where  Whitefield  addressed 
an    immense    congregation    from    the    words,    "  Rend  your 


Remarkable  Meetings.  4  1 5 

hearts,  and  not  your  garments."  At  half-past  eight  in  the  i759 
evening,  she  heard  Wesley  at  the  Foundery,  where  he  ^gg  44 
preached,  to  an  overflowing  multitude,  from  '*  Seek  the 
Lord  while  He  may  be  found."  Her  ladyship,  profoundly 
impressed  with  a  conviction  of  the  necessity  and  power 
of  prayer,  arranged  for  a  series  of  intercession  meetings 
in  her  own  mansion.  On  Wednesday,  February  21,  the 
officiating  ministers  were  Whitefield,  Charles  Wesley,  Venn, 
and  Thomas  Maxfield.  .  On  Friday,  the  23rd,  the  meeting 
was  conducted  by  Romaine,  Wesley,  Madan,  and  Jones. 
On  Tuesday,  the  27th,  Wesley  writes  :  "  I  walked  with  my 
brother  and  Mr.  Maxfield  to  Lady  Huntingdon's.  After 
breakfast,  came  in  Messrs.  Whitefield,  Madan,  Romaine, 
Jones,  Downing,  and  Venn,  with  some  persons  of  quality, 
and  a  few  others.  Mr.  Whitefield,  I  found,  was  to  have 
administered  the  sacrament  ;  but  he  insisted  upon  my 
doing  it :  after  which,  at  the  request  of  Lady  Huntingdon, 
I  preached  on  i  Cor.  xiii.  13.  O  what  are  the  greatest 
men,  to  the  great  God  !  As  the  small  dust  of  the  balance."^ 
Charles  Wesley  adds  to  this  account,  by  saying,  "  My 
brother  preached,  and  won  all  our  hearts.  I  never  liked 
him  better,  and  was  never  more  united  to  him  since  his 
unhappy  marriage.  We  dined  at  Mr.  Madan's,  who  took  us 
in  his  coach. "^  On  Wednesday,  the  28th,  the  service  was 
conducted  by  Wesley,  Venn,  and  Madan,  and,  at  its  close, 
Whitefield  delivered  a  short  exhortation.  On  Thursday, 
March  i,  the  Rev,  Thomas  Jones  preached,  and  Romaine 
prayed.  On  Friday,  the  2nd,  Charles  Wesley  gave  an 
address,  and  Whitefield,  Romaine,  Downing,  and  Venn 
prayed. 

These  remarkable  meetings  seem  to  have  been  concluded 
on  Tuesday,  March  6,  when,  besides  the  clergymen  already 
mentioned,  there  was  another  present,  who  afterwards  attained 
a  distinguished  eminence — John  Fletcher,  the  immortal  Vicar 
of  Madeley.  First  of  all,  the  sacrament  was  administered  by 
Whitefield.  Among  the  communicants  were  the  Earl  and 
Counters  of  Dartmouth,  the  Countess  of  Chesterfield,  Lady 
Gertrude  Hotham,  Sir   Charles  Hotham,  Mrs.   Carteret,  Mrs. 

'  Wesley's  Journal.  *  C.  Wesley's  Journal,  vol.  ii.,  p.  219. 


4i6  The  Life  of  Whitefield 

*759  Cavendish,  Sir  Sidney  Halford  Smythe,  Mr.  Thornton  (of 
Age  44  Clapham),  the  Rev.  Messrs.  Venn,  Jones,  Maxfield,  Downing-, 
Fletcher,  and  others.  Whitefield  addressed  the  communi- 
cants ;  "  and  all  were  touched  to  the  heart,"  said  Lady 
Huntingdon,  "  and  dissolved  in  tears."  Whitefield,  Romaine, 
and  Madan  prayed.  The  sacramental  service  being  ended, 
the  Earls  of  Chesterfield  and  Holderness,  and  several  others 
of  distinction,  were  adniitted.  Whitefield  preached,  with  his 
accustomed  eloquence  and  energy,  from  "  Him  that  cometh 
unto  me,  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out."  The  word,  remarked 
Lady  Huntingdon,  "  drew  sighs  from  every  heart,  and  tears 
from  every  eye.  Mr.  Fletcher  concluded  with  a  prayer, 
every  syllable  of  which  appeared  to  be  uttered  under  the 
immediate  teaching  of  the  Spirit ;  and,  he  has  told  me  since, 
that,  he  never  had  more  intimate  communion  with  God,  or 
enjoyed  so  much  of  His  immediate  presence,  as  on  that 
occasion."  ^ 

Glorious  men,  and  glorious  meetings  !  No  wonder  God 
was  present  !  Who  can  estimate  the  results  of  these  godly 
gatherings  ?  Fresh  from  such  meetings,  the  Countess  of 
Huntingdon  went  to  Brighton,  longing,  panting,  and  praying 
for  the  salvation  of  sinners.  She  carried  to  the  mansions 
of  the  nobility  the  influence  of  the  services  held  in  her 
London  residence.  She  took  to  the  houses  of  the  poor 
the  glad  tidings  of  salvation.  A  soldier's  wife,  at 
Brighton,  manifested  such  anxiety,  that  the  Countess  was 
induced  to  repeat  her  visit.  The  apartment  was  con- 
tiguous to  a  public  bakehouse,  and  the  people,  who  came 
to  the  oven,  listened,  through  *a  crack  in  the  partition, 
to  her  ladyship's  conversations,  readings,  expositions,  and 
.  prayers.  In  a  little  while,  she  had,  in  this  humble  home, 
a  regular  congregation.  At  first,  none  but  females 
were  admitted  ;  but  a  blacksmith,  named  Joseph  Wall,  a 
man  notorious  for  his  profligacy,  by  some  means,  gained 
admission,  was  converted,  and,  for  a  period  of  twenty-nine 
years,  adorned  the  doctrine  of  God  his  Saviour.  The  Countess 
had  become  a  preadieress,  and  a  successful  one  !  In  the 
midst    of    her  Brighton   meetings   she    sent    for    Whitefield. 

*  "  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  i.,  p.  307. 


Methodism  at  Brighton.  417 

Whitefield  went.  His  first  sermon  was  preached  under  a  ^7:'^ 
tree,  in  a  field  behind  the  White  Lion  Inn.  Among  his  Age  ,.; 
hearers  was  a  youth,  eighteen  years  of  age,  Thomas  Tuppen, 
ready  to  stone  the  preacher,  but  who  was  so  affected  by 
Whitefield 's  cry  of  "  Turn  ye  !  turn  ye  !  "  that  he  was  con- 
verted, and  became  the  predecessor  of  the  well-known 
William  Jay  of  Bath.  Another  convert,  gained  on  the  spot, 
was  Edward  Gadsby,  who,  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a 
century  afterwards,  "  walked  in  the  commandments  and 
ordinances  of  the  Lord  blameless."  After  this,  conversions 
were  multiplied  ;  and  the  Countess  built  a  small,  but  neat 
meeting-house,  on  the  site  of  the  present  one  in  North 
Street,  the  expense  of  which  she,  either  wholly,  or  in  part, 
defrayed  by  the  sale  of  her  jewels.  In  1761,  the  chapel 
was  opened  by  Martin  Madan  ;  and,  in  succession,  Romaine, 
Berridge,  Venn,  and  Fletcher,  severally  took  charge  of  the 
congregation.^ 

As  usual,  Whitefield  was  greatly  encouraged  by  the 
prosperity  of  the  work  of  God  in  London.  In  a  letter  to 
his  housekeeper  at  Bethesda,  dated  "March  26,  1759,"  he 
wrote,  "  We  live  in  a  changing  world,  but  Bethesda's  God 
liveth  for  ever  and  ever.  His  word  runs  and  is  glorified 
daily,  especially  at  Tottenham  Court.  Strange  !  that 
nobody  will  relieve  me,  that  I  may  once  more  flee  to 
America.  But,  heavenly  Father,  our  times  are  in  Thine 
hands  :   do  with  us  as  seemeth  good  in  Thy  sight !" 

Before  leaving  London  for  his  "  spring  campaign,"  White- 
field  issued  a  small  publication  with  the  following  title : 
"  A  Sermon  on  Christ  Crucified.  Preached  at  Paul's  Cross, 
the  Friday  before  Easter.  By  John  Foxe,  the  Martyrologist. 
With  a  recommendatory  preface  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Whitefield. 
London,   1759." 

Nothing  need  be  said  of  John  Foxe's  sermon,  but  White- 
field's  preface  is  too  good  to  be  omitted. 

"  To  all  who  attend  on  the  word,  preached  at  the  Tabernacle,  near  Moor- 
fields,  and  at  Tottenham  Court  chapel, 

"  My  dear  Hearers, — The  ensuing  discourse  was  lately  put  into  rny 
hands.  The  title-page  informs  you  when,  where,  and  by  whom  it  was 
delivered — namely,  near  two  hundred  years  ago,  in  the  open  air,  from  a. 

'  "  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  i.,  p.  314. 
VOL.  IL  27 


4i8  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1759  pulpit  made  in  the  shape  of  a  cross  in  Cheapside,  commonly  called  Paul's 
Cross,  and  by  that  venerable  man  of  God,  Mr.  John  Foxe,  Prebend  of  St. 
^  ^  Paul's,  whose  Book  of  Martyrs  was,  by  order  of  the  government  in  Queen 
Elizabeth's  reign,  fixed  in  all  churches,  and  remains  in  many  to  this  day. 
Though  some  of  the  expressions  in  this  sermon  may  seem  to  be  obsolete, 
and  others  want  a  little  explication,  I  choose  to  publish  it  in  its  native  dress, 
not  only  on  account  of  its  being  designed  for  the  instruction  and  comfort  of 
heavy-laden  souls,  who  are  too  deeply  impressed  to  mind  the  elegancy  and 
correctness  of  the  words  and  phrases,  but  also  chiefly  that  you  might  have 
a  specimen  of  that  foolishness  of  preaching,  which,  in  the  days  of  our  fore- 
fathers, was  so  mighty  through  God  to  the  pulling  down  of  the  outAvard 
strongholds  of  popery  in  these  kingdoms  ;  and  what  was  infinitely  more 
(though  less  discernible  by  the  natural  man),  the  mightier  inward  strong- 
holds of  sin  and  corruption,  in  the  hearts  of  both  Papists  and  Protestants. 
"  And  would  to  God,  that  not  only  all  the  ministers  of  our  Established 
Church,  but  of  all  the  Protestant  Reformed  Churches,  were  not  only 
almost,  but  altogether,  such  preachers  !  How  would  their  hearers'  hearts 
then  bum  within  them,  whilst  they  were  opening  to  them,  from  the 
Scriptures,  man's  original  apostacy  from  God, — the  only  means  of  re- 
conciliation through  faith  in  the  blood  of  Christ, — a  universal  morality, 
as  the  sole  fruit  and  proof  of  such  a  faith, — an  establishment  and  growth 
ill  grace  here, — and,  as  the  blessed  and  cei'tain  consequences  of  all  these, 
H  perfect  consummation  of  bliss,  both  of  body  and  soul,  in  the  full  and 
eternal  enjoyment  of  a  Triune  God  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven  hereafter. 
These  are  the  grand  truths  delivered  in  the  following  sermon. 

"  My  chief  reason  for  dedicating  it  to  you  is  to  let  you  see  that  the 
doctrines  you  daily  hear  are  no  new  doctrines,  but  the  very  same  which 
were  preached  two  hundred  years  ago,  and  that  in  the  streets  too,  by  the 
excellent  compilers  of  the  Liturgy  and  Articles,  and  who  had  the  honour 
of  being  banished  and  burned,  in  the  bloody  reign  of  Queen  Mary,  for 
adhering  to  the  same.  And,  if  it  should  ever  happen  in  our  times,  that 
any  of  their  true-born  faithful  sons  and  successors  should  be  excluded 
pulpits,  denied  licenses,  or  put  into  spiritual  courts  for  preaching  in  the 
same  manner,  let  them  remember,  that  we  live  under  a  reign,  when,  though 
pulpits  are  shut,  the  highways  and  hedges  lie  open.  Paul's  Cross,  as  I 
am  informed,  was  burnt  down  at  the  Fire  of  London  ;  but  Christ  crucified, 
whom  Paul  preached,  may  yet  be  exalted  in  the  streets  and  lanes  of  the 
city.  Our  Lord  has  given  us  a  universal  commission  :  *  Go  ye,  and 
preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature.'  When  thrust  out  of  the  synagogues, 
a  mountain,  a  ship  were  his  pulpit,  and  the  heavens  were  his  sounding- 
board.  Thus  Latimer,  Cranmer,  Ridley,  and  Mr.  John  Foxe,  the  famous 
martyrologist,  preached.  And  who  needs  be  ashamed  of  copying  after 
such  unexceptionable  examples  ?  But  I  am  detaining  you  too  long.  Haste, 
and  read  ;  and  if,  in  reading,  you  feel  what  I  did,  you  will  be  glad  of  this 
sermon. 

"  I  am,  my  dear  hearers,  your  affectionate  friend  and  ready  servant,  in 
our  common  Lord,  "George  Whitefield. 

"  London,  May  4,  1759." 


In    Scotland.  4 1  9 


A    few   days    after   the    date    of  this    Protestant   preface,     ^759 
Whitefield    left    London    on    another   of  his   gospel    tours.  Age  44 
Hence  the  following  ; — 

"  Bristol,  May  25,  1759. 
"  This  day  se'nnight,  I  came  hither.  The  next  day,  the  spring  campaign 
was  opened.  On  the  Lord's-day,  we  took  the  field.  Thousands  and 
thousands  attended  :  full  as  many  as  in  London.  The  power  of  the  Lord 
was  present  at  the  three  meetings,  as  well  as  at  the  holy  sacrament.  Ever 
since,  I  have  been  enabled  to  preach  twice,  and  sometimes  thrice  a  day. 
Never  did  I  see  the  Bristol  people  more  attentive  or  impressed.  My 
body  feels  the  heat,  but  no  matter.     If  souls  are  benefited,  all  is  well." 

Leaving  Bristol,  Whitefield  made  his  way  to  Scotland, 
arriving  at  Edinburgh  on  Saturday,  the  30th  of  June.^  Three 
days  afterwards,  he  wrote  as  follows  : — 

"  Edinburgh,  July  3, 1759.  There  has  been  a  long  interval  between  my 
last  and  this.  My  quick  motions  and  frequent  preaching  have  been  the 
causes.  O  what  am  I  that  I  should  be  employed  for  Jesus  !  In  Glouces- 
tershire, the  cup  of  many  of  His  people  ran  over.  In  Yorkshire,  I  preached 
for  a  week  twice  a  day.  Great  congregations  !  great  power  !  Blessed  be 
the  name  of  the  Great  God  for  ever  and  ever  !  Here,  also,  people,  high 
and  low,  rich  and  poor,  flock  as  usual,  morning  and  evening.  I  am  grow- 
ing fat ;  but,  as  I  take  it  to  be  a  disease,  I  hope  I  shall  go  home  the  sooner. 
Happy  they  who  are  safe  in  harbour." 

Whitefield  spent  nearly  seven  weeks  in  Scotland,  a  fortnight 
in  Glasgow,  and  the  remainder  of  the  time  in  Edinburgh.  Of 
course,  his  cathedral  in  the  latter  city  was  the  Orphan  Hos- 
pital Park,  as  usual,  where  he  preached  every  morning  and 
evening  without  exception.  He  did  the  same  in  Glasgow,  ^ 
only  on  the  two  Sundays  that  he  was  there,  he  preached  ten 
times!  He  set  out  for  London  on  Tuesday,  August  14;'* 
but,  before  following  him,  further  extracts  from  his  letters 
must  be  given.     To  the  Rev.  John  Gillies,  he  wrote  : — 

"Edinburgh,  July  7,  1759.  ^  purpose  to  see  Glasgow;  but  cannot  as 
yet  fix  the  day.  I  preach,  and  people  flock  as  usual  ;  but  Scotland  is  not 
London.  The  Redeemer  is  doing  wonders  there.  Every  post  brings 
fresh  good  news.  God's  Spirit  blows  when  and  where  it  listeth.  O  for  a 
gale  before  the  storm  !  I  expect  one  is  at  hand.  The  refuge  is  as  near. 
Jesus  is  our  hiding-place.  O  for  a  hiding-place  in  heaven  !  When  will 
my  turn  come?  Some  say,  not  yet  ;  for  I  am  growing  fat.  So  did  Mr. 
Darracot  a  little  before  he  died." 

'  Scots'  Magazine^  1759,  P-  37^.  '  Ibid. 


420  Tile  Life  of  Whitcfield. 

1/59  Whitefield's  obesity  was  one  of  his  troubles.  He  disliked 
Age  44  it ;  for  it  was  cumbersome,  and  made  his  work  more  diflficult. 
It  was  not  the  result  of  less  labour,  or  of  more  physical 
indulgence.  Disease  had  already  seized  the  strong,  active 
man,  and,  as  Whitefield  judged,  this  was  one  of  its  early 
symptoms.  It  helped,  however,  to  cure  him  of  a  fault. 
"  My  friend  Mr,  Whitefield,"  says  Romaine,  "  one  day  told 
me,  that  there  was  a  time  in  his  life  when  he  thought  he 
had  never  well  closed  a  sermon  without  a  lash  at  \X\g  fat, 
downy  doctors  of  the  Establishment.  '  At  that  period,'  said 
he,  '  I  was  not  lean  myself,  though  much  slenderer  than  since. 
I  went  on,  however,  and  seldom  failed  to  touch  pretty  smartly 
upon  the  objects  of  my  dissatisfaction,  till  one  day,  on  enter- 
ing the  pulpit  at  Tottenham  Court  Road,  I  found  the  door 
apparently  narrowed,  and  moved  in  obliquely.  The  idea 
then  struck  me,  that  I  was  becoming,  at  least  in  appearance, 
a  downy  doctor  myself ;  and,  from  that  time,  I  never  more 
made  the  do\A-ny  doctors  a  subject  of  castigation.'"^ 

"Edinburgh,  July  12,  1759.  ^t  is  well  that  there  is  a  heaven  to  make 
amends  for  our  disappointments  on  earth.  It  is  a  dead  time  in  Scotland. 
There  is  little  or  no  stirring  among  the  dry  bones.  It  is  not  so  in  London, 
and  several  other  parts  of  England.  On  Monday,  God  willing,  I  go  to 
blow  the  gospel  trumpet  at  Glasgow.  Lord,  what  am  I,  that  I  should  be 
one  of  Thy  run-abouts  !     If  this  be  to  be  vile,  Lord,  make  me  more  vile." 

"  Glasgow,  July  18,  1759.  I  see  the  disease,  but  know  not  how  to  come 
at  a  ciu'e.  I  dread  a  corpulent  body ;  but  it  breaks  in  upon  me  like  an 
armed  man.  O  that  my  heart  may  not  wax  gross  at  the  same  time  t 
Congregations  in  Scotland  are  very  large." 

During  his  present  visit  to  Scotland,  Whitefield  preached 
nearly  a  hundred  times,  to  ever-increasing  congregations.  His 
collections,  for  the  Orphan  Hospital,  amounted  to  ;£'2i5.  In 
most  of  his  sermons,  he  stirred  up  the  zeal  of  the  people  for 
God,  for  King  George  II.,  and  for  their  country.  His  last 
service,  on  Sunday  evening,  August  12,  was  a  thanksgiving 
sermon  for  the  victory  of  Prince  Ferdinand  of  Brunswick 
over  the  French,  at  Minden,  on  July  31.  Another  fact  also 
must  be  mentioned.  Miss  Henderson,  a  young  lady  of 
considerable  fortune,  offered  him  a  gift  of  ;!^700,  which  he 
courteously  refused.      She   then   proposed   to  give   it    to  his 

'  Cadogan's  "  Life  of  Rev.  W.  Romaine,"  p.  37. 


The   Or/'han  House.  421 


Orphan    House  ;  but,  for   some    reason,   this    offer  also  was    '759 
declined.^      This  was  the  mercenary  man,  who,  according   to  A<Te  44 
his  enemies,  was  always  endeavouring  to  amass  a  fortune  for 
himself ! 

At  the  end  of  August,  Whitefield  was  once  more  in 
London,  and,  a  fortnight  afterwards,  wrote  the  following 
concerning  his  Orphan  House  : — 

"London,  September  13,  1759.  Your  letter,  dated  May  25,  which  I 
received  yesterday,  gave  me  unspeakable  satisfaction.  God  be  praised 
for  your  success  in  silk-worms  !  God  be  praised  that  Bethesda  is  out  of 
debt !  God  be  praised  for  all  His  tender  mercies  to  me  and  mine  !  Praise 
the  Lord,  O  our  souls  !  I  wish  some  of  the  children  could  be  bred  up  for 
the  ministry.  What  a  pity  that  I  cannot  have  a  grammar  school  !  I  shall 
think  and  pray,  and  then  write  to  you  on  this  head.  It  is  a  most  dis- 
couraging thing,  that  good  places  cannot  be  found  for  the  boys  when  fit  to 
go  out.  By  this  means,  they  are  kept  in  the  house  beyond  their  time, 
both  to  their  own  hurt,  and  to  the  further  expense  of  the  institution. 
Could  you  let  me  know  what  stock  of  cattle  you  have,  and  what  hogs  you 
kill  }  The  more  particular  you  are  about  everything,  the  better.  I  long 
for  the  account.  I  am  glad  you  received  the  books.  More  are  to  be  sent 
from  Scotland.  I  do  not  much  care  for  R — — 's  being  at  Bethesda,  unless 
he  is  a  true  penitent.     How  does  my  nephew  go  on .'' " 

It  is  a  remarkable  fact,  that  hardly  anything  is  known  of 
Whitefield's  public  ministry  for  the  next  five  months.  During 
this  interval,  however,  he  is  not  entirely  shrouded  from  the 
public  eye. 

Nearly  sixty  years  ago,  had  died  the  Rev.  Samuel  Clarke, 
M.A.,  one  of  the  noble  brotherhood  of  Christian  clergymen, 
ejected  from  their  pulpits  by  the  Act  of  Uniformity  in  1662. 
His  father  was  one  of  the  best  oriental  scholars  of  the  age  ; 
and  father  and  son  combined  quitted  livings  worth  £600  a 
year.  The  son  settled  at  High  Wycombe, — "  a  man  of  con- 
siderable learning;  a  good  critic,  especially  in  the  Scriptures; 
a  great  textuary  ;  an  excellent  preacher  ;  a  great  enemy 
of  superstition  and  bigotry;  yet  zealous  for  unaffected  piety 
and  extensive  charity."  ^  He  was  the  author  of  several  works, 
but  his  principal  publication  was  "  Annotations  on  the  Bible," 
— a  work  designed  at  the  Oxford  University,  and  the  labour 
of  his   life.      A    new    edition    of  this    valuable,  but    almost 

'  Gillies'  "  Life  of  Whitefield." 

*  Calamy's  "  Nonconformist's  Memorial,"  voL  i.,  p.  237. 


42  2  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1759   unknown,  Commentary,  was  published  in  1759  ;   and,  for  the 

Age  44  new    edition,  Whitefield    wrote    a   recommendatory  preface, 

which  is  dated  "London,  October  i,  1/59."      No  useful  end 

would  be   answered  by  the  insertion   of  Whitefield's  preface. 

A  brief  extract  from  it  must  suffice  : — 

"  In  my  poor  opinion,  next  to  holy  Mr.  Matthew  Henry's  incomparable 
Comment  upon  the  Bible,  the  Rev.  Samuel  Clarke's  Annotations  seem 
to  be  the  best  calculated  for  universal  edification.  Though  short,  they 
contain,  generally  speaking,  a  full  and  spiritual  interpretation  of  the  most 
difficult  words  and  phrases.  A  great  many  parallel  scriptures  are  most 
judiciously  inserted.  And  an  analysis  of  the  contents  of  every  book  and 
chapter  is  added.  It  may  be,  that,  the  curious  and  very  critical  reader 
may  meet  with  a  few  exceptionable  expressions  ;  but,  alas  !  if  we  forbear 
reading  any  book  or  comment,  till  we  meet  with  one  that  will  suit  every 
taste,  and  is  liable  to  no  exception,  I  fear,  we  must  never  read  at  all.  The 
best  of  men's  books,  as  well  as  the  best  of  men  themselves,  are  but  men 
and  the  books  of  men,  at  the  best.  It  is  the  peculiar  property  of  Thy  life, 
and  of  Thy  Book,  O  blessed  Jesus  !  to  be  exempt  from  all  imperfections." 

News  having  arrived  of  Boscawen's  capture  of  the  Toulon 
fleet  off  Cape  Lagos,  in  Portugal  ;  and  of  the  victory  on  the 
heights  of  Abraham,  and  the  surrender  of  Quebec,  White- 
field,  too  impulsive  to  wait  for  royal  proclamations,  preached 
three  thanksgiving  sermons,  on  Friday,  October  19.  This, 
forsooth !  gave  great  offence  to  the  notorious  anti-Methodist, 
Dr.  Free,  who  wrote  :— 

"  From  Mr.  Whitefield's  great  booth,  we  had  a  pompous  article  in 
.9/.  Jameses  Evening  Post,  of  October  20,  1759,  stating  that,  the  day 
before,  '  the  Rev.  Mr.  Whitefield  preached  three  thanksgiving  sermons, 
two  in  the  morning  at  the  Tabernacle,  and  one  at  his  chapel  at  Tottenham 
Court,  to  numerous  audiences  of  persons  of  distinction.'  By  which,  it 
appears,  that,  being  without  law,  he  did  not  think  it  decency  to  wait  till 
his  Majesty  appointed  the  day  of  thanksgiving  ;  but  pert, — forward, — an 
enthusiast, — he  sounds  his  own  trumpet,  sets  up  his  own  standard,  and 
is  attended  in  his  irregularities  by  numerous  persons  of  distinction."  ' 

Dr.  Free  was  not  the  only  clergyman  who  pleased  him- 
self by  attacking  Whitefield.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Downes,  rector 
of  St.  Michael's,  Wood  Street,  and  lecturer  of  St.  Mary-le- 
Bow,  published  his  "  Methodism  Examined  and  Exposed  ** 
(8vo.  106  pp.),  in  which  Whitefield  and  Wesley  were  abused 
with  a  vehemence  unbefitting  a  Christian  minister. 

'  Free's  edition  of  Wesley's  Second  Letter. 

-  See  "  Life  and  Times  of  Wesley,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  343. 


Sermon  against  Theatres.  423 

Towards  the  end  cf  the  }  car,  Whitcficld  stirred  a  1760 
nest  of  hornets.  He  preached  a  sermon  against  attending  w  ^5 
theatres.  This  evoked  a  sixpenny  pamphlet,  with  the  title, 
*' A  Discourse  concerning  Plays  and  Players.  Occasioned 
by  a  late  and  very  extraordinary  Sermon,  in  which  some 
sentiments  relative  to  the  above  subjects  were  delivered  in 
a  very  copious  and  affecting  manner,  from  the  Pulpit  of  a 
certain  popular  Preacher  of  the  Society  called  Methodists." 
The  writer  of  the  pamphlet  professed  to  be  a  Methodist 
himself.  As  such,  he  had  long  entertained  an  "  ignorant  " 
zeal  against  theatres  ;  but  he  had  recently  been  cured  of  his 
"  blind  prejudice,"  by  conversing  with  a  comedian,  and  by 
seeing  Garrick  act.  In  consequence  of  this  conversion,  he 
had  been  much  offended  by  the  sermon  in  question,  because 
it  threatened  attenders  at  theatres  with  damnation.  White- 
field's  sermon  brought  upon  him  other  attacks,  besides  this 
of  a  professed  Methodist;  but  it  must  suffice  at  present  to 
insert  an  extract  from  the  Monthly  Revieiv,  for  November, 
1759,  in  which  the  "Discourse"  of  the  theatre-going 
Methodist  is  noticed  : — 

"  We  hope  the  pious  orator,  Mr.  Whitefield,  made  some  reserve  in  favour 
of  those  who  frequent  the  theatres  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Moorfields, 
Tottenham  Court,  Cow  Cross,  and  Broad  St.  Giles.  But,  after  all,  it  were 
no  wonder,  that  a  Whitefield,  or  a  Wesley  should  be  jealous  of  so  powerful 
a  riial  as  a  Garrick  ;  or  even  a  Woodward,  a  Shuter,  or  a  Yates.  How- 
ever, it  must  be  allowed  uncharitable  in  any  performers,  or  manrg^rs, 
thus  to  consign  each  other's  audiences  to  the  devil.  We  hope  our  good 
friends  of  Drury  Lane  and  Covent  Garden  have  never  been  chargeable 
with  such  unfair  and  unchristian  dealings.  Emulation  is  certainly  com- 
mendable, while  accompanied  with  honesty  and  decency ;  and  if  we  can- 
improve  and  extend  our  traffic  by  furnishing  a  better  commodity  than 
another  can,  why,  it  is  all  fair  ;  but  neither  decency  nor  honesty  will  allow 
us  to  break  the  windows,  or  to  abuse  or  frighten  away  the  customers,  of 
our  7'ivals  in  trade,^' 

These  were  the  first  mutterings  of  one  of  the  most  violent 
storms  that  ever  burst  upon  the  head  of  Whitefield  ;  but 
more  of  this  anon. 

Whitefield  began  the  year  1760  by  enlarging  the  Tot- 
tenham Couft  chapel,  opened  only  three  years  before.  He 
wrote  to  a  friend  in  America  : — 

"London,  February  5,  1760.  I  am  growing  very  corpulent,  but,  I  trust, 
not  too  corpulent  for  another  voyage,  when  called  to  it.     Every  day  the 


424  The  Lije  of  Whitefield. 

work  increases.     On  Sunday  last,  a  new  enlargement  of  the  chapel  was 
opened,  and  a  great  concourse  of  people  assembled." 

Immediately  after  this,  Whitefield  published  a  i2mo. 
pamphlet  of  twenty-four  pages,  entitled  "  Russian  Cruelty ; 
being  the  substance  of  several  Letters  from  sundry  Clergy- 
men, in  the  New  Marche  of  Brandenburg."  The  letters 
are  full  of  horrible  details  respecting  the  cruelties  practised 
by  the  Russian  army  in  Germany;  and,  in  his  preface, 
Whitefield  ardently  asks  for  sympathy  and  help  on  behalf 
of  the  distressed  Protestants  in  that  country.  The  prefacL; 
is  dated  "March  2,  1760."  Friday,  March  14,  was  ap- 
pointed to  be  observed  by  a  general  fast ;  •  and,  on  the 
Sunday  previous,  says  LloycTs  Evening  Post,  "  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Whitefield  preached  at  his  Tabernacle,  at  Tottenham  Court 
Road,  to  a  very  numerous  audience.  In  his  discourse,  he 
took  occasion  to  mention  the  cruelties  exercised  by  the 
Russian  Cossacks  upon  the  Protestant  subjects  of  the  Duchy 
of  Mecklenburg,  and  earnestly  to  recommend  a  collection  for 
their  relief  on  the  day  of  the  public  fast.  The  money  is  to 
be  paid  into  the  hands  of  the  minister  of  the  Lutheran 
chapel  in  London,  by  him  to  be  transmitted  to  Germany, 
and  there  to  be  distributed  in  a  proper  manner  to  the  objects 
worthy  of  relief."  Remembering  the  worth  of  money  a 
hundred  years  ago,  Whitefield's  collections  were  enormous. 
The  following  is  taken  from  Lloyd's  Evening  Post,  of  ]\Iarch 
17,  1760  : — 

"  On  the  Fast-day,  upwards  of  ;^4oo  were  collected  at  Mr.  Whitefield's 
.  chapel  in  Tottenham  Court  Road,  and  at  the  Tabernacle,  in  Moorfields, 
for  the  relief  of  the  distressed  Protestants  in  and  about  Custrin,  in  the 
New  Marche  of  Brandenburg ;  many  of  whom  have  been  not  only  plundered 
and  stripped  of  all  they  had,  but  have  likewise  been  cruelly  tortured  and 
abused  by  the  savage  Cossacks  and  other  irregular  troops  of  the  Russian 
army." ' 

'  Whitefield's  text,  at  Tottenham  Court  Road,  was  Hosea  xi.  8,  9  ;  and 
the  collection  ^222  8s.  gd.  At  the  Tabernacle,  his  text  was  Psalm  Ixxx. 
iq;  and  the  collection  ^182  15s.  gd.  (Gillies' "  Life  of  Whitefield.")  The 
Rev.  John^Newton  stated,  that,  at  one  of  these  services,  after  the  sermon, 
Whitefield' said,  "  We  shall  sing  a  hymn,  during  which  those  who  do  not 
choose  to  give  their  mite  may  sneak  off."  None  of  the  congregation 
stirred.  Whitefield  ordered  all  the  doors  to  be  shut  but  one  ;  at  which 
he  himself  held  the  plate.  ("  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huniing- 
don,"  vol.  i.,  p.  92,) 


Earl  Ferrers.  425 

It  is  a  strange  and  disgraceful  coincidence,  that,  on  the  ^76o 
very  Fast-day,  when  Whitefield  was  so  nobly  exerting  himself  Age  45 
to  redress  the  Russian  cruelties  in  Germany,  one  of  White- 
field's  friends,  within  a  dozen  miles  of  London,  was  being 
treated  with  cruelty  dishonourable  to  the  character  of  old 
England.  Hence  the  following  taken  from  Lloyd's  Evening 
Post,  of  March  2  1,  1760  : — 

"  Last  Friday  (the  Fast-day)  a  terrible  riot  happened  at  Kingston,  in 
Surrey,  occasioned  by  a  Methodist  preacher,  who  came  there,  and 
assembled  a  great  number  of  people  together  in  a  barn  to  hear  him. 
Whilst  he  was  preaching,  an  impudent  fellow  threw  some  dirt  at  him, 
which  created  a  great  disturbance  ;  and  the  mob,  at  last,  dragged  the 
preacher  into  the  street,  and  rolled  him  in  a  ditch ;  and,  had  it  not  been 
for  the  humanity  and  good-nature  of  a  gentleman  near  the  spot,  who  took 
him  into  his  house,  he,  in  all  likelihood,  would  have  been  murdered. 
Some  of  the  Inniskilling  dragoons  being  there  among  the  mob,  with  their 
swords,  wounded  and  bruised  several  of  the  people,  and  put  the  whole 
town  into  an  uproar  ;  but,  by  the  prudent  behaviour  of  their  commanding 
officer,  all  ill  consequences  were  prevented.  He  ordered  the  drums  to 
beat,  assembled  the  dragoons  in  the  yard  of  the  Sun  Inn,  and  kept  them 
there  for  some. time,  and  then  ordered  them  to  their  quarters." 

One  of  the  notable  events  of  1760  was  the  trial  and  the 
execution  of  the  half  mad  and  intensely  wicked  Earl 
Ferrers,  for  the  brutal  murder  of  Mr.  Johnson,  his  steward. 
The  notorious  Earl  being  nearly  related  to  the  Countess  of 
Huntingdon,  she  and  all  her  Methodist  friends  felt  a  pro- 
foundly painful  interest  in  the  case.  The  trial,  which  lasted 
three  days,  commenced  in  Westminster  Hall,  on  April  16. 
Charles  Wesley  writes  : — 

"April  17,  1760.  Yesterday  morning,  my  heart  was  overwhelmed  with 
sorrow.  Not  in  my  own  will  did  I  enter  the  place  of  judgment.  George 
Whitefield  and  his  wife  sat  next  me.  The  lords  entered  with  '.Ae  utmost 
state  :  first  the  barons,  then  the  lords,  bishops,  earls,  dukes,  and  Lord 
High  Steward.  Most  of  the  royal  family,  the  peeresses,  and  chief  gentry 
of  the  kingdom,  and  the  foreign  ambassadors  were  present,  and  made  it 
one  of  the  most  august  assemblies  in  Europe  ;  but  the  pomp  was  quite 
lost  upon  me." ' 

After  his  condemnation,  the  Earl  was  often  visited,  in  the 
Tower  of  London,  by  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,  and 
twice  by  Whitefield,  to  whom  he  behaved  with   great  polite- 

'  C.  Wesley's  Journal,  vol.  ii.,  p.  235. 


426  The  Life  0/  TVkife field. 

^760  ness.  At  her  ladyship's  request,  Whitefield  repeatedly  offered 
A^^S  up  public  prayer  for  the  unhappy  murderer.  "  That  imper- 
tinent fellow,"  said  Horace  Walpole,  "  told  his  enthusiasts 
that  my  lord's  heart  was  stone."  So  it  was.  Earl  Ferrers 
ended  his  ignoble  life,  on  the  scaffold.  May  5,  1760.  "With 
all  his  madness,"  sneered  the  flippant  writer  just  mentioned, 
*'  Lord  Ferrers  \vas  not  mad  enough  to  be  struck  with  Lady 
Huntingdon's  sermons.  The  Methodists  have  nothing  to 
brag  of  his  conversion,  though  Whitefield  prayed  for  him, 
and  preached  about  him."^ 

At  the  period  when  Whitefield  was  visiting  Earl  Ferrers 
in  the  Tower,  there  was  another  convict,  belonging  to  an- 
other class  of  society,  who  secured  his  pity  and  attentions. 
Robert  Tilling,  coachman  to  Mr.  Lloyd,  a  merchant  living 
in  Devonshire  Square,  Bishopsgate  Street,  had  presented 
himself  at  the  bedside  of  his  master,  at  four  o'clock  in  the 
morning  of  February  1 9  ;  pointed  a  pistol  at  his  head  ; 
demanded  the  keys  of  his  escritoir  ;  and  threatened  to  blow 
out  his  brains,  unless  the  demand  was  granted.  The  keys 
were  given  up  ;  the  merchant  was  robbed  of  his  money  ; 
the  coachman  was  arrested  ;  was  tried  at  the  Old  Bailey  ; 
confessed  his  crime  ;  was  sentenced  to  be  hanged  ;  and,  in 
company  with  three  others,  was  executed,  at  Tyburn,  on 
Monday,  April  28.  The  body  was  conveyed  to  White- 
field's  Tabernacle  in  Moorfields,  where,  Jiorrcsco  rcfcj'ens ! 
it  was  exposed  to  the  public  view.  On  April  30,  it  was 
carried  to  Tindall's  burying  ground  in  Bunhill  Fields.  The 
rest  of  the  story  may  be  told  by  an  extract  from  Lloyd's 
Evening  Post,  of  the  5th  of  May: — 

"  We  are  informed  that  there  was  a  prodigious  concourse  of  people  to 
hear  Mr.  Whitefield  speak  in  Bunhill  Fields,  at  the  grave  of  Robert 
Tilling  ;  some  think  not  less  than  twenty  thousand.  There  was  no  burial 
office  read  ;  but,  after  the  corpse  had  been  laid  in  the  ground  some  time, 
Mr.  Whitefield  came,  and,  in  a  declamatory  way,  shewed  how  the  wages 
of  sin  was  death, — gave  some  account  of  the  malefactor's  penitence, — 
exhorted  all  in  general  to  turn  from  their  vices  hnd  come  to  Christ, — and 
pressed  all  servants  in  particular  to  take  warning  by  the  criminal's  execu- 
tion, and  shew  all  fidelity  to  their  masters." 

Having  "spent  all   the    last    winter  in    London,"   White- 
'  "  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol-  i.,  p.  408. 


Preaching  Journeys.  427 

field  set  out,  in  the  month  of  May,  on  another  of  his  evan-  ^76o 
gelistic  tours.  First  of  all,  he  went  to  Gloucestershire  ;  in  Age  45 
June  he  went  to  Wales  ;  in  July,  to  Bristol ;  and  in  August 
came  back  to  London.  In  September  and  October,  he  had 
"  a  ramble  of  two  months  in  Yorkshire  ;  "^  after  which,  as 
usual,  he  returned  to  his  "winter  quarters,"  in  the  metro- 
polis.' Hardly  anything  is  known  of  these  preaching 
journeys.      The  following  are  extracts  from  his  letters  : — 

"Bristol,  July  5,  1760,  When  in  the  fields, ten  thousand, perhaps  more, 
assemble  here.  When  under  cover,  there  are  more  than  the  Tabernacle 
will  hold  ;  at  least,  in  the  evening.  Every  time,  the  house  is  a  Bethel,  a 
house  of  God,  a  gate  of  heaven.  I  thought  my  wife's  illness  would  have 
hastened  me  to  London  ;  but,  as  she  is  now  recovering,  I  would  fain 
proceed  in  my  summer's  campaign.  I  am  persuaded  I  am  the  better  for 
your  prayers.  Never  were  they  more  charitably  bestowed.  I  am  a 
worm,  and  no  man.  O  blessed  Jesus,  how  good  Thou  art  !  With  all  Thy 
other  mercies,  give,  O  give  me  an  humble  and  a  thankful  heart  !" 

"Bristol,  July  8,  1760.  I  have  sympathised  with  you,  in  respect  to 
your  fears  about  the  Indian  war.  Lord  Jesus,  grant  the  Indians  may  not 
come  near  Bethesda  !  In  heaven,  all  alarms  will  be  over.  I  long  for 
those  blessed  mansions.  But  nothing  kills  me.  My  wife  was  late?y  just 
got  into  harbour,  but  is  driven  back  again.  Blessed  be  God,  we  are  sure 
of  getting  in  at  last.  Jesus  is  our  pilot.  I  am  going  on  in  my  old  way, 
saving  that  I  grow  fatter  and  fatter  every  day.  Lord,  help  me  to  work 
it  down  !     But  it  seems  working  will  not  do  it." 

"  London,  August  15,  1760.  How  do  I  long  to  hear  of  God's  appearing 
for  Georgia  and  Bethesda  !  I  trust  the  Indians  will  not  be  permitted  to 
disturb  a  family  planted  by  God's  own  right  hand,  and  for  His  own  glory. 
But  the  Divine  judgments  are  a  great  deep.  I  trust  some  Bethesda  letters 
will  soon  put  me  out  of  suspense.  I  wrote  to  you  by  the  convoy  that 
took  your  new  governor.  I  hope  he  will  behave  friendly  to  the  Orphan 
House.  If  we  make  the  Lord  Jesus  our  friend,  all  will  be  well.  Many 
here  are  seeking  His  friendship.  Satan  is  angry.  I  am  now  mimicked 
and  burlesqued  upon  the  public  stage.  All  hail  such  contempt !  God 
forbid  that  I  should  glory,  save  in  the  cross  of  Jesus  Christ !  It  is  sweet  ! 
It  is  sweet !  What  a  mercy  is  it,  that  we  have  got  an  abiding  inheri- 
tance in  the  kingdom  of  heaven  !  Of  this  we  can  never  be  robbed. 
Hallelujah  /" 


'  Lady  Huntingdon  also  was  now  in  Yorkshire.  Whitefield  joined  her, 
at  Ingham's,  at  Aberford.  Great  confusion  prevailed  in  Ingham's  Societies. 
The  Countess  and  Whitefield  tried  to  restore  peace  ;  but  their  efforts 
were  ineffectual.  Sandemanianism  produced  a  schism.  Out  of  eighty 
flourishing  Societies,  only  thirteen  continued  under  Ingham's  care. 
("  Oxford^Methodists,"  p.  145.) 

^  Whitefield's  Works,  vol.  iii.,  pp.  260 — 263. 


428  The  Life  of  Whifefield. 

1760  It  is  a  remarkable  fact,  that,  though  the  burlesquing  of 
Age  45  Whitefield,  in  1760,  was  a  most  disgraceful,  and  almost 
unparalleled  outrage  against  all  propriety,  the  above  and 
another  introduced  hereafter  are  the  only  instances,  in  White- 
field's  published  letters,  where  he  mentions  it.  The  subject 
is  disgusting  ;   but  it  must  be  noticed. 

Samuel  Foote  was  born  at  Truro,  in  Cornwall.  His  father 
was  member  of  Parliament  for  Tiverton.  Young  Foote  was 
educated  at  Worcester  College,  Oxford.  On  leaving  the 
University,  he  became  student  of  law  in  the  Temple. 
He  married  a  young  lady  of  a  good  family  and  some  for- 
tune ;  but,  their  tempers  not  agreeing,  harmony  did  not 
long  subsist  between  them.  Foote  now  launched  into  all 
the  fashionable  follies  of  the  age,  gambling  not  excepted  ; 
and,  in  a  few  years,  squandered  all  his  money.  His 
necessities  led  him  to  the  stage.  In  1747,  when  about 
twenty-six  years  of  age,  he  opened  the  little  theatre  in  the 
Haymarket,  taking  upon  himself  the  double  character  of 
author  and  performer.  His  first  dramatic  piece  was  called 
"  The  Diversions  of  the  Morning,"  and  was  chiefly  a  descrip- 
tion of  several  well-known  living  persons.  For  years  after, 
Foote  continued  to  select,  for  the  entertainment  of  the  town, 
such  public  characters  as  seemed  most  likely  to  amuse  the 
attendants  at  his  theatre.  In  1760,  he  published  and  per- 
formed "  The  Minor,"  a  filthy  and  profane  burlesque  of 
Whitefield  and  his  followers.  Six  years  afterwards,  he  broke 
his  leg,  and  was  compelled  to  undergo  an  amputation.  His 
last  piece  was  brought  out  in  1776,  and  was  called  "The 
Trip  to  Paris."  In  this,  he  made  a  pointed  attack  on  the 
character  of  the  Duchess  of  Kingston.  The  Lord  Chamber- 
lain interdicted  the  performance.  Foote  made  some  altera- 
tions in  the  play,  and  brought  it  out  under  the  title  of 
"  The  Capuchin."  In  this,  he  levelled  his  satire,  not  only 
against  the  Duchess,  but  against  her  bosom  friend,  Dr. 
Jackson,  the  editor  of  a  newspaper.  Foote  grew  in  wicked- 
ness, as  he  grew  in  years.  He  was  charged  with  an 
unnatural  crime,  but  was  acquitted.  The  man,  however, 
who  had  been  stigmatizing  public  and  living  persons,  for  the 
last  thirty  years,  was  annoyed  at  being  stigmatized  himself 
H'S  spirits  sank ;   his  health  failed  ;   and,  while  on  the  stage, 


Samuel  Foote.  429 


he  was  seized  with  paralysis.  Soon  afterwards,  he  set  out  '^^^'^ 
for  France;  but  died  suddenly,  at  Dover,  on  October  21,  Age 45 
1777.  He  was  privately  interred  in  Westminster  Abbey.^ 
"  Foote,"  said  Boswell  to  Johnson,  both  of  whom  were  well 
acquainted  with  the  zany,  "  Foote  has  a  great  deal  of 
humour."  Johnson  :  Yes,  sir."  BoswcU  :  "  He  has  a  sin- 
gular talent  for  exhibiting  character."  Johnson  :  "  Sir,  it  is 
not  a  talent — it  is  a  vice  :  it  is  what  others  abstain  from. 
It  is  not  comedy,  which  exhibits  the  character  of  a  species, 
as  that  of  a  miser  gathered  from  many  misers  :  it  is  a  farce, 
which  exhibits  individuals."  Boswell  :  "  Pray,  sir,  is  not 
Foote  an  infidel .''''  Johnson  :  "  I  do  not  know,  sir,  that  the 
fellow  is  an  infidel  :  but  if  he  be  an  infidel,  he  is  an  infidel 
as  a  dog  is  an  infidel  ;  that  is  to  say,  he  has  never  thought 
upon  the  subject." 

This  profane  and  filthy-minded  comedian  was  the  author 
of  the  infamous  production,  which  brought  upon  Whitefield 
an  unequalled  torrent  of  abuse  and  ridicule.  Its  title  was, 
"  The  Minor,  a  Comedy,  written  by  Mr.  Foote.  As-  it  is 
now  acting  at  the  New  Theatre  in  the  Hay-Market.  By 
authority  from  the  Lord  Chamberlain.^  Taiituvi  RcUgio 
potuit  siiaderc  malonim.      London,  1760."     (8vo.  91  pp.) 

"The  Minor"  was  first  acted  early  in  July,  1760.^  It 
would  be  far  worse  than  offensive  to  give  an  outline  of  it 
in  a  work  like  this.  How  educated  and  respectable  people 
could  listen  to  such  ribald  and  blasphemous  outpourings  it 
is  difficult  to  imagine.  The  whole  thing  is  so  steeped  in 
lewdness,  that  it  would  be  criminal  even  to  reproduce  the 
plot.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that  Foote  was  not  only  the  author 
of  the  piece,  but  its  chief  actor.  He  performed  the  three 
characters,  "  Shift,"  "  Smirk,"  and  "  Mrs.  Cole."  He  de- 
claimed against  "  the  Itinerant  Field  Orators,  who  are  at 
declared  enmity  with  common  sense,  and  yet  have  the 
address  to  poison  the  principles,  and,  at  the  same  time,  to 
pick  the  pockets  of  half  our  industrious  fellow-subjects."  He 
lays  it  down,  that,  "  ridicule  is  the   only  antidote  against  this 

'  Cook's  "  Memoirs  of  Foote  ; "  and  "  Biographica  Dramatica." 

Boswell's  "Life  of  Johnson." 
^  The  Duke  of  Devonshire  was  Lord  Chamberlain. 

Lloyd's  Evening  Post,  July  14,  1760. 


43 O  Tlie  Life  of  VVhitefield. 

pernicious  poison.  Methodism  is  a  madness  that  arguments 
can  never  cure  ;  and,  should  a  Httle  wholesome  severity  be 
applied,  persecution  would  be  the  immediate  cry.  Where 
then  can  we  have  recourse  but  to  the  comic  muse.-'  Perhaps 
the  archness  and  severity  of  her  smile  may  redress  an  evil, 
that  the  laws  cannot  reach,  or  reason  reclaim."  Such,  for- 
sooth, were  the  virtuous  motives  which  prompted  Foote,  in. 
the  profanest  language,  and  in  the  character  of  a  bazvd,  to 
ridicule  the  greatest  evangelist  of  his  age,  and  one  whom  all 
men  now  delight  to  honour.  In  a  literary  point  of  view, 
"The  Minor"  is  despicable  ;    in  a  moral,  it  is  wtquoiable. 

The  Countess  of  Huntingdon  waited  on  the  Duke  of 
Devonshire,  the  Lord  Chamberlain,  and  requested  its  sup- 
pression ;  but  was  told  her  request  could  not  be  granted. 
She  had  an  interview  with  Garrick,  who  professed  to  be 
offended  with  the  comedy  ;i  and  yet,  shortly  after,  admitted 
it  into  his  own  theatre  in  Drury  Lane. 

In  the  very  month  when  it  first  appeared,  even  the 
Monthly  Revietu,  no  friend  to  the  Methodists,  condemned 
it.      Hence  the  following  : — 

"The  spirit  of  puffing,  which  so  strongly  characterizes  the  present  age, 
is  become  so  universal,  that  almost  every  class  seems  to  be  moved  by  it. 
In  time  past,  it  was  chiefly  confined  to  quack  doctors,  booksellers,  and 
advertising  tailors  ;  but  now  even  the  wits  of  the  town  are  seized  by  it, 
and  every  farce-writer  ostentatiously  styles  "his  petit  piece  of  three  acts,  a 
comedy.  This  of  Mr.  Foote's  is  one  of  the  number;  but  it  no  more 
deserves  the  title  of  a  comedy  than  '  The  Stage  Coach,'  '  The  Devil  to 
Pav,'  or  any  of  those  inferior  dramatic  productions,  which  usually  appear 
as  the  humble  attendants  upon  works  of  the  higher  order — the  tragedies 
and  comedies  oifive  acts, 

"The  success  of  the  present  performance,  during  the  representation, 
arose  from  the  author's  extraordinary  talent  at  mimicry  ;  but  it  is  not 
calculated  to  please  equally  in  the  perusal.  The  satire  levelled  at  the 
great  leader  of  the  Methodists  seems  to  be  extremely  out  of  character. 
It  is  no  less  unjust  to  Mr.  Whitefield,  than  absurd,  to  suppose  a  man  of 
his  penetration,  either  conniving  at,  or  being  the  dupe  of,  an  old  bawd's 
hypocrisy,  in  continuing  to  follow  her  iniquitous  occupation,  while  she 
frequents  the  Tabernacle,  and  cants  about  the  new  birth.  And  when  we 
are  told  that  an  occasional  hymn  is  given  out,  and  a  thanksgiving  sermon 
preached,  on  occasion  of  Mother  Cole's  (Douglas's)  recovery  from  sick- 
ness, who  can  forbear  smiling — not  with  approbation  of  the  conceit,  but, 

'  "  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  i.,  p.  209. 


"  The  Minor:'  431 


with  contempt  for  the  author  of  such  improbable  scandal?  We  despise  1760 
and  abhor  all  enthusiastic  flights,  and  high  pretentions  to  extraordinary  a  ~  - 
sanctity,  as  much  as  Mr.  Foote  can  do  ;  but,  without  entering  into  the 
enquiry  whether  or  not  these  are  proper  objects  of  playhouse  ridicule,  it 
is  most  certain,  that  no  man,  or  body  of  men,  ought  to  be  charged  with 
more  than  they  are  guilty  of;  and  that  there  is  not  a  juster  maxim  in  the 
moral  world,  than,  *  Give  the  devil  his  due!  " ' 

In  the  month  of  August,^  1760,  there  appeared  a  pam- 
phlet with  the  title,  "  Christian  and  Critical  Remarks  on  a 
Droll,  or  Interlude,  called  '  The  Minor,'  now  acting  by  a 
Company  of  Stage-Players  in  the  Hay-Market,  and  said  to 
be  acted  by  Authority  ;  in  which  the  Blasphemy,  Falsehood, 
and  Scurrility  of  that  Piece  are  properly  considered,  answered, 
and  exposed.  By  a  Minister  of  the  Church  of  Christ. 
London,  1760."  (8vo.  41  pp.)  The  writer  says  Foote 
"  has  gone  beyond  any  of  his  competitors  in  debauching,  if 
possible,  and  debasing  the  stage.  He  has  done  this,  by 
doing  that  which  nobody  else  in  these  kingdoms  had  the 
confidence  to  attempt  ;  I  mean  by  the  introduction  of  real 
and  living  characters  into  his  pieces."  And  then,  it  is  correctly 
added,  "  The  name  of  the  Spirit  of  God  is  bandied  about 
from  the  mouth  of  vagabond  to  vagabond,  in  order  to  raise 
a  laugh  in  honour  of  the  devil." 

A  month  later,  was  published  a  4to.  shilling  pamphlet, 
entitled,  "  A  Satyrical  Dialogue  between  the  celebrated 
Mr.  F — te  and  Dr.  Squintum,"  which  the  MontJily  Rc- 
vieiv  pronounced,  "  Dirty  trash  :  intended  to  vilify  Mr. 
Whitefield."  Also,  a  folio  publication  (price  is.),  with 
the  title,  "  A  Letter  of  Expostulation  from  the  Manager  of 
the  Theatre  in  Tottenham  Court,  to  the  Manager  of  the 
Theatre  in  the  Hay-Market,  relative  to  a  new  Comedy, 
called  '  The  Minor.'  "  In  this  infamous  and  lewd  produc- 
tion, Whitefield  is  represented  as  laeing  jealous  of  Foote  in 
gulling  the  public,  and,  therefore,  proposes  that  they  become 
partners.  Much  of  it  cannot  be  quoted.  The  following  are 
among  the  less  objectionable  lines.  Addressing  Foote, 
Whitefield,  at  the  Tabernacle,  is  made  to  say  : — 

"  Your  talent  of  humour  shall  have  its  full  swing, 
Here  pleasure  and  profit  arc  both  on  the  wing  : 

'  Monthly  Revicwy  ]vl\y,  1760.  "  Ibid  ,  August,  1760. 


43i  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1760  Love-feasts — and  ladies  intriguing — and  cash — 

—  Keep  on  but  the  vizor, — have  at  'em  slap-dash — 

^^  ^5  Nq  ijjiit  shall  be  wanting  the  trade  to  advance, 

We'll  now  and  then  tip  'em  a  drum  and  a  dance." 

In  the  month  of  October,  the  storm  was  continued,  and, 
if  possible,  became  more  furious.  A  long  letter  was  in- 
serted in  Lloyd's  Evening'  Post,  in  which,  after  praising 
Foote  for  his  mimicry  in  "  The  Minor,"  the  writer  adds  :  "  Re- 
ligion is  too  sacred  (be  it  exercised  in  ever  so  absurd  a 
manner)  to  become  the  butt  of  public  mockery.  If  the 
exercise  of  it  should  be  unwarrantable,  the  laws  will  check 
it,  without  calling  theatrical  buffoonery  to  their  assistance." 

Three  months  before,  as  soon  as  "  The  Minor  "  appeared, 
there  was  published,  a  shilling  pamphlet,  with  the  false 
title :  "  A  Genuine  Letter  from  a  Methodist  Preacher  in 
the  Country,  to  Laurence  Sterne,  M.A.,  Prebendary  of  York." 
Now,  in  the  month  of  October,  the  same  "  nonsensical  and 
profane "  thing  was  re-issued  with  an  altered  title :  "  A 
Letter  from  the  Rev.  George  Whitefield,  B.A.,  to  the  Rev. 
Laurence  Sterne,  M.A.,  the  supposed  Author  of  '  The  Life 
and  Opinions  of  Tristram  Shandy.' "  Even  the  MontJdy 
Review  now  became  indignant,  and  said,  "  The  impudence 
of  our  low  dirty,  hedge-publishers  is  risen  to  a  most  shame- 
ful height.  To  take  such  scandalous  liberties  with  names, 
as  is  here  done  with  that  of  Mr.  Whitefield,  is  surely  insuffer- 
able in  any  well-regulated  community.  If  it  is  not  in  that 
gentleman's  power  to  procure  redress  of  such  a  flagrant 
injury,  it  is  high  time  to  provide  the  means  of  punishing 
such  audacious  proceedings  for  the  future." 

The  volatile  Foote  also  added  to  his  previous  crime,  the 
publication  of  an  8vo.  pamphlet,  of  40  pages,  entitled,  "  A 
Letter  from  Mr.  Foote  to  the  Reverend  Author  of  the 
Remarks,  Critical  and  Christian,  on  *  The  Minor."  The  men- 
dacious reviler  writes  : — - 

"  I  am  extremely  puzzled  in  what  manner  to  address  you  ;  it  being 
impossible  to  determine,  from  the  title  you  assume,  whether  you  are  an 
authorised  pastor,  or  a  peruke-maker, — a  real  clergyman,  or  a  corn- 
cutter." 

Again  : — 

"  I  have  heard  George  Whitefield's  mother  frequently  declare  that  he 


''The  Minor:'  433 

was  a  dull,  stupid,  heavy  boy,  totally  incapable  of  their  business  at  the     176- 
'  Bell,'  a  principal  inn  at  Gloucester.  — 

"  The  force  and  miserable  effects  of  Whitefield's  mystic  doctrines  are  ^^  " 
obvious  enough.  Bedlam  loudly  proclaims  the  power  of  your  preacher, 
and  scarce  a  street  in  town  but  boasts  its  tabernacle  ;  where  some, 
from  interested  views,  and  others — unhappy  creatures  !  mistaking  the  idle 
offspring  of  a  distempered  brain  for  divine  inspiration,  broach  such  doc- 
trines as  are  not  only  repugnant  to  Christianity,  but  destructive  even  to 
civil  society. 

"I  believe  Whitefield  is  too  cunning  to  let  anybody  into  the  secret  as 
to  the  quantity  of  wealth  he  has  amassed  ;  but,  from  your  own  computa- 
tion of  males  fit  to  carry  arms,  who  are  listed  in  his  service,  and  the  price 
they  are  well  known  to  pay  for  admittance,  even  into  the  gallery  of  his 
theatre,  I  should  suppose  his  annual  income  must  double  the  primate's. 
To  this  maybe  added  private  benefactions  and  occasional  contributions." 

One  more  specimen  of  Foote's  audacious  scurrility  must 
suffice.      He  concludes  his  pamphlet  thus  : — 

*'  You  a  reformer  !  Are  these  the  proofs  of  your  mission  ?  Repent,  and, 
by  way  of  atonement  and  mortification,  summon  your  misguided  flock  ; 
reveal  your  impious  frauds,  and  restore  the  poor  deluded  people  to  their 
senses  and  their  proper  pastors.  If  you  still  persist,  I  must,  after  your 
example,  conclude  with  wishing  that  those  teachers  amongst  you,  who  are 
mad,  were  confined  closely  in  Bedlam,  and  those  who  are  wicked,  were 
lodged  safely  in  Bridewell;  and  then,  I  think  the  public  would  get  rid  of 
you  all.  But,  whilst  you  continue  triumphantly  at  large,  spiritualized  and 
divine  as  you  may  think  yourselves,  I  shall  still  take  the  liberty  to  follow 
you,  as  the  boy  did  Philip,  with  a  loud  memento  that  you  arc  merely 
men. 

The  reader  must  pardon  these  long  extracts  from  such  a 
writer ;  for,  without  them,  it  is  difficult  to  convey  an 
adequate  idea  of  what  a  sensitive  man  like  Whitefield  must 
have  suffered  from  the  publication  of  such  falsehoods  and 
abuse.      Unfortunately  more  must  follow. 

In  the  month  of  November,  Garrick  permitted  "The  Minor" 
to  be  acted  in  Drury  Lane  Theatre,  but  with  some  insit^ni- 
ficant  alterations,  the  chief  of  which  was,  in  lieu  of  a  filthy 
and  profane  sentence,  which  cannot  be  quoted,  Mrs.  Cole, 
the  bawd,  was  represented  as  saying,  "  Dr.  Squintum  washed 
me  with  the  soap-suds  and  scouring  sand  of  the  Tabernacle, 
and  I  became  as  clean  and  bright  as  a  pewter-platter."^  The 
theatre  was    crowded,    and   thus    even    Garri:k,    as    well    as 

'  Lloyd'' s  Evening  Post,  Nov.  24,  y]to. 
VOL.  II.  28 


434  '^f^^  Life  of  WJtitefeld. 

1760  Foote,  began  to  make  money  by  holding  up  Whitefield  to 
•Age  45  the  ridicule  of  the  large  and  fashionable  assemblies  of  the 
Theatre  Royal  in  Drury  Lane.  It  was  now  that  one  of  the 
personal  friends  of  Whitefield  stepped  into  the  lists.  The 
Rev.  Martin  Madan  ^  published  an  8vo.  pamphlet  of  48  pages, ' 
entitled,  "  A  Letter  to  David  Garrick,  Esq.  ;  occasioned  by 
the  intended  Representation  of  '  The  Minor'  at  the  Theatre 
Royal  in  Drury  Lane."  In  an  advertisement,  Mr.  Madan 
states  that  the  first  performance  of  'The  Minor'  in  Drury- 
Lane  had  been  fixed  for  October  25,  but  the  sudden 
death  of  King  George  the  Second,  on  the  morning  of  that 
day,  occasioned  a  short  postponement.  Madan  refrains 
from  discussing  "  the  absolute  unlawfulness  of  stage  enter- 
tainments," because  that  point  had  been  "  ably  and  un- 
answerably proved  by  the  masterly  pen  of  the  Rev.  Mr. 
William  Law."  He  says,  "  Mr.  Whitefield  knows  nothing 
of  the  writing  of  this  letter  ;  ^  and  I  will  not  say  one  word  in 
behalf  of  him.  I  shall  put  him  as  much  out  of  the  case  as 
if  there  was  no  such  man  breathing.  I  profess  no  attempt 
to  defend  anything  but  the  truths  of  the  Bible,  and  conse- 
quently the  religion  of  this  country,  as  by  law  established," 
Madan  declares  that,  instead  of  "The  Minor"  being  styled 
a  comedy,  it  deserved  the  name  of  "  A  Dramatic  Libel 
against  the  Christian  Religion  ;"  and,  by  quotations,  pro- 
ceeds to  state  his  reasons,  for  this  assertion,  adding : — • 

"  Does  Mr.  Garrick  think  such  language  as  this  is  fit  for  the  entertain- 
iTient  of  polite  ears  ?  Would  any  one  imagine  that  these  speeches,  if 
weighed  one  moment  in  the  balance  of  reason  (to  say  nothing  of  religion), 
could  possibly  be  introduced,  with  the  least  degree  of  approbation,  before 
any  audience,  except  the  inhabitants  of  Bridewell  or  Newgate  ?  I  blush 
for  my  countrymen,  when  I  recollect,  that  even  this  vile  staff  wa.?,  attended 
to  in  the  Hay-Market,  by  crowded  audiences,  for  above  thirty  nights,  and 
that  with  applause  ;  whereas  it  was  dismissed,  with  deserved  abhorrence, 
after  being  one  night  only  offered  to  the  people  of  Ireland,  at  one  of  their 
theatres.  This  I  have  been  credibly  informed  of,  and  believe  it  to  be 
true." 

After  furnishing  other  quotations  from  "The  Minor,"  Madan 
again  addresses  Garrick  thus  :- — 

'  "  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  i.,  p.  209. 
^  Madan  did  not  attach  his  name  to  his  letter,  but  signed  it,  "  Anti- 
Profanus ." 


MadarCs  ^'■Letter  fo  David  GariHck.''^         435 

"  Now,  sir,  give  me  leave  to  appeal  to  your  own  good  sense  and  judgment,     1760 
whether,  upon  the  foregoing  view  of  'The  Minor,'  you  think  it  a  proper       — 
entertainment  for  his  Majesty's  comedians  to  exhibit,  or  his   Majesty's    ^S^  45 
subjects  to  attend  to  ;   whether  you  think  there  is  such  a  veneration  for 
our  holy  religion  among  the  people,  as  to  need  any  retrenchment  ;  and 
whether  making  the  language  of  the  Scriptures  and  the  doctrines  of  the 
gospel  ridiculous,  can  be  likely  to  answer  any  other  end,  than  increasing 
the  daily  growth  of  impiety  and  infidelity  amongst  people  of  all  degrees?" 

"As  to  Mr.  Foote,  I  would  charitably  think,  that  all  the  knowledge  he 
has  of  the  several  expressions  and  doctrines  he  has  ridiculed,  is,  in  con- 
sequence of  his  attendance  upon  the  preaching  of  Mr.  Squintum,  in  order 
to  laugh  at  him.  Hence  he  thought  (as  he  had  not  been  used  to  such 
language)  that  they  were  the  vapours  of  a  distempered  brain,  and  treated 
them  accordingly  ;  so  that,  like  Solomon's  madman,  he  has  been  casting 
about  firebrands,  arrows,  and  death,  and  saying,  'Am  I  not  in  sport  ?'  I 
hope,  however,  Mr.  Foote  will  endeavour  to  inform  himself  better,  and 
then  make  what  amends  he  can  to  the  public,  for  having  been  the  pro- 
moter of  an  open  attack  upon  the  truths  and  language  of  the  sacred 
iiolume,  by  the  mouths  of  the  most  profligate  and  wicked  of  the  people  ; 
for  we  can  hardly  walk  the  streets,  but  we  hear  ballads,  in  which  the  ve7y 
word3  of  our  blessed  Saviour  are  blasphemed,  and  treated  as  the  rare 
doctrine  of  Dr.  Squintum." 

It  is  hoped  that  quotations  like  these  will  justify  the 
treating  of  this  subject  at  so  great  a  length.  To  say  nothing 
of  Foote,  and  his  lewd  audiences  in  the  little  theatre  in  the 
Haymarket,  it  was  a  serious,  almost  a  national,  crime  and 
evil  when  such  profanity  and  pollution  were  introduced  into 
His  Majesty's  Theatre  Royal,  in  Drury  Lane  ;  and  when, 
prompted  by  such  a  high  example,  Grub  Street  began  to 
supply  ballads,  of  the  same  horrible  description  as  the  farce 
of  Foote,  to  the  boys  and  girls,  the  drunkards  and  profligates, 
of  England's  great  metropolis.^ 

Besides  Mr.  Madan's  pamphlet,  another  was  published,  in 
Whitefield's  favour,  in  November,  1 760,  namely  :  "  A  Letter 
to  Mr.  Foote,  occasioned  by  his  Letter  to  the  Reverend 
Author  of  the  Christian  and  Critical  Remarks  on  '  The 
Minor  ; '  containing  a  Refutation  of  Mr.  Foote's  Pamphlet, 
and  a  full  Defence  of  the  Principles  and  Practices  of  the 
Methodists.  By  the  Author  of  the  Christian  and  Critical 
Remarks."      (8vo.  28  pp.) 

'  It  might  be  added,  that  portraits — hideous  ones — of  Whitefield  were 
published,  with  the  offensive  words  "Dr.  Squintum"  underneath  them. 
One  lies  before  me. 


436  7 lie  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1760  This  was  a  well-written  pamphlet ;  but  another,  by  the 
Ao-e  45  same  author,  published  in  the  same  month,  was  not  so  pru- 
dently composed.  Its  title  was,  "  An  Exhortatory  Address 
to  the  Brethren  in  the  Faith  of  Christ,  Occasioned  by  a 
Remarkable  Letter  from  Mr.  Foote  to  the  Reverend  Author 
of  Christian  and  Critical  Remarks  on  '  The  Minor.'  With  a 
serious  word  or  two  on  the  present  Melancholy  Occasion, 
By  a  Minister  of  the  Church  of  Christ."  The  "serious  word 
or  two"  spoilt  all  the  rest  ;  for  the  author  rashly  insinuated 
that  the  encouragement  given  to  Foote  was  the  sin  which 
had  brought  upon  the  nation  a  Divine  judgment,  in  the 
recent  sudden  death  of  George  II.  As  might  be  expeci:ed, 
this  gave  an  advantage  to  Foote  and  to  his  friends.  On 
reading  the  pamphlet,  the  MontJily  Revieiv  exclaimed,  "(7 
thou  zvrong-headed  leader  of  tJie  wrojig-Jieads  !  Fie  on  thee  ! 
Fie  on  thee  !  " 

On  the  other  side,  a  long  letter,  filling  nearly  a  page, 
was  inserted  in  Lloyd's  Evening  Post,  of  November  14.  It 
began  as  follows  :  "  We  now  have  the  pleasure  of  seeing 
Methodism  ushered  in  in  comic  characters,  and  the  ridiculous 
gesture  of  the  Tabernacle  Impostor  mimicked  in  the  easier 
attitude  of  the  stage."  The  writer  proceeds  to  criticise  what 
he  calls  Methodism's  "  favourite  tenet,  the  grace  of  assurance, 
good  works  being  not  significant;"  and  then  wishes  "we 
had  some  formal  Court  of  Judicature,  to  detect  the  cunning 
cant  and  hypocrisy  of  all  pretenders  to  sanctity  and  devotion, 
for  then  we  should  be  able  to  guard  against  those  who  preach 
to  us  salvation  with  a  view  to  make  us  undergo  a  temporal 
Jleecing!'     With  a  sneer,  he  concludes  thus  : — 

"  What  a  monstrous  piece  of  inhumanity  are  we  venerators  of  apostolic 
doctrine  and  episcopal  dignity  to  these  pretend?d  saint  errants  and  non- 
apostolical  preachers  !  To  complete  their  unhappiness,  we  have  made 
them  a  theatrical  scoff,  and  the  common  jest  and  scorn  of  every  chorister 
in  the  street." 

Five  days  afterwards,  there  appeared,  in  the  same  journal, 
a  letter  by  Wesley,  replying  to  this  "  very  angry  gentleman," 
Avhom  he  presumed  to  be  "  a  retainer  of  the  theatre."  This 
evoked  a  disgracefully  abusive  answer,  on  November  24, 
which  concluded  with  the  polite  assertion,  that  '*  arguing 
with  Methodists  is  like  pounding  fools  in  a  mortar,"     Wesley 


Painful  Year.  437 

again   replied,   on   December   3 ;  and   his  opponent,  angrier    1760 
than   ever,  in  a  long  epistle,  on   December  12.      In   one  of  A't^4S 
his  quiet,   but  caustic  letters,  Wesley  concluded   the  corre- 
spondence on  December  26. 

During  this  lengthened  controversy,  between  Wesley  and 
his  nameless  adversary,  two  more  pamphlets  were  given  to 
the  public.  The  first  was  entitled,  "  A  Letter  to  Mr.  F — te. 
Occasioned  by  the  Christian  and  Critical  Remarks  on  his  In- 
terlude, called  'The  Minor.'  To  which  is  added  an  Appendix, 
relative  to  a  Serious  Address  to  the  Methodists  themselves." 
(i  2  mo.  28  pp.)  The  thing  was  full  of  banter  and  badness, — 
bespattering  Whitefield,  and  extolling  Foote.  The  second 
was  an  equally  vile  production  :  "  Observations,  Good  or 
Bad,  Stupid  or  Clever,  Serious  or  Jocular,  on  Squire  Foote's 
Dramatic  Entertainment,  entitled  'The  Minor.'  By  a  Genius."' 
(i2mo.  15  pp.)  In  the  Gcumss  estimation,  "the  fable  of 
'The  Minor'  is  pretty  and  entertaining  ;  the  manners  happily 
described  ;  the  sentiments  just  and  natural  ;  and  the  language 
easy  and  spirited  !  ]  !  "  The  critique  of  the  Monthly  Review 
on  this  production  of  "  a  Genius  "  was  contained  in  a  single 
line  :  "  All  the  humour  of  this  lies  in  the  title-page." 

These  lengthened  details  may  be  somewhat  tedious  ;  but 
they  shew  the  terrible  fracas  in  which  Whitefield  was  in- 
volved during  the  year  1 760.  This  certainly  was  one  of  the 
most  painful  years  of  his  eventful  life.  The  persecution  also 
was  novel.  He  had  been  abused  by  clergymen  in  England, 
Scotland,  and  America,  by  pamphleteers  learned  and  illiterate, 
and  by  mobs  ;  but  now,  for  the  first  time,  he  was  ridiculed 
by  theatrical  comedians  and  their  friends.  Other  opponents 
had  been  severe  ;  but,  as  a  rule,  they  had  not  been  ribald 
and  profane.  Now  it  was  otherwise.  The  farce  of  Foote, 
and  the  ballads  in  the  streets,  were  steeped  in  blasphemy 
and  filth.  And  yet,  with  the  exception  already  mentioned, 
they  are  never  noticed  in  any  of  Whitefield's  published 
letters.  That  he  suffered — keenly  suffered — it  is  impossible 
to  doubt  ;  but  there  is  no  evidence  that  he  murmured  or 
complained.  No  man  more  fully  realized  the  truth  and 
meaning  of  the  Saviour's  beatitude,  "  Blessed  are  ye,  when 
men  shall  revile  you,  and  persecute  you,  and  shall  say  all 
manner  of  evil  against  you  falsely,  for  my  sake." 


438  The  Life  of  Whifefield. 

1761  «  xhe  Minor  "   was  not   the  only  farce  published   against 

Age  46  Whitefield.  At  least,  three  other  kindred  productions  were 
printed  during  the  ensuing  year.  First,  there  was  "  An 
Additional  Scene  to  the  Comedy  of  '  The  Minor.'  London, 
1 761."  (8vo.  19  pp.)  In  this,  Whitefield  was  described  as 
"a  priestly-looking  man, with  a  cast  in  his  eyes,  and  wearing 
a  white  flaxen  wig,"  and  who,  on  being  introduced  to  Foote, 
presented  a  comedy  of  his  own  composing,  and  requested 
Foote  to  act  it.  Then,  there  was  "  The  Register  Office  :  a 
Farce  of  Two  Acts.  Acted  at  the  Theatre  Royal  in  Drury 
Lane.  By  J.  Reed.  London,  1761."  (8vo.  47  pp.)  A 
filthy  thing,  in  which  Whitefield  is  called  "  Mr.  Watchlight," 
instead  of  "  Dr.  Squintum  ;  "  and  "  Mrs.  Snarewell  "  answers 
to  "Mrs.  Cole"  in  "The  Minor"  by  Foote.  "  Lady  Wrinkle  " 
and  "  Mrs.  Snarewell  "  are  both  dramatis  personce  in  the 
printed  farce  ;  but  a  foot-note  states,  "  These  two  characters 
were  not  permitted  to  be  played."  Then,  finally,  there  was 
"  The  Methodist  :  a  Comedy :  being  a  Continuation  and 
Completion  of  the  Plan  of  'The  Minor'  written  by  Mr.  Foote  : 
as  it  was  intended  to  have  been  acted  at  the  Theatre  Royal 
in  Covent  Garden,  but  for  obvious  reasons  suppressed.  With 
the  original  Prologue  and  Epilogue.  London,  1761."  (8vo. 
60  pp.)  This,  if  possible,  was  even  more  profane  and  pol- 
luted than  "The  Minor"  itself  ;  and,  though  not  acted,  it  soon 
passed  through  three  editions.  "  Squintum  "  and  "  Mrs. 
Cole  "  were  both  among  the  leading  characters  ;  but  to  quote 
what  they  are  made  to  say  would  be  a  crime.  Half  a  dozen 
lines,  however,  taken  from  the  prologue,  may  be  given  : — 

"  No  private  pique  this  just  resentment  draws. 
Or  brands  a  wretched  Sguiniitin,  or  his  cause; 
But,  since  the  laws  no  punishment  provide 
For  .such  as  draw. the  mukitude  aside, 
The  poet  ;>eizes  the  corrective  rod, 
To  scourge  the  Ijold  blasphemer  of  his  God." 

A  disgusting  specimen  of  the  audacious  falsehoods  of  the 
blaspheming  Foote  !  To  use  one  of  Whitefield's  own  expres- 
sions, none  but  a  wretched  being,  "  half  a  beast  ami  Iialf  a 
devil"  could  have  written  "The  Minor"  and  "The  Methodist." 
The  following  is  the  Montldy  Review's  critique  on  the  latter 
of  these  infamous  productions  : — 


Foote  afier   Whitefield'' s  Death.  439 

"Mr.  Foote's  'Minor'  is  the  foundation  of  this  despicable  superstructure,  1761 

by  means  of  which  the  scandalous  abuse  of  Mr.  Whitefield,  under  the  — 

opprobrious  name  of  Dr.  Squintum,  is  carried  to  such  a  height,  as,  in  our  §^  ^ 
judgment,  reflects  the  utmost  disgrace  upon  literature." ' 

It  is  mournful  to  relate,  that  the  wretched  Foote  hunted 
Whitefield,  with  undiminished  hatred,  to  the  end  of  White- 
field's  life.  Two  months  after  the  great  preacher's  death,  in 
1770,  Foote  was  acting  "The  Minor"  in  the  theatre  at  ■ 
Edinburgh.  The  first  night's  audience  was  large  ;  but  the 
indecency  of  the  piece  so  shocked  the  people,  that,  at  the 
following  night's  performance,  only  ten  of  the  female  sex  had 
effrontery  sufficient  to  witness  such  profane  impurit}^.  Mean- 
while, the  news  arrived  of  Whitefield's  decease,  and  loud  was 
the  outcry  against  ridiculing  the  man  after  he  was  dead. 
The  Revs.  Dr.  Erskine,  Dr.  Walker,  and  Mr.  Baine  denounced 
Foote's  outrageous  behaviour  from  their  respective  pulpits. 
"  How  base  and  ungrateful,"  exclaimed  the  last-mentioned 
minister,  "  is  such  treatment  of  the  dead  !  and  that,  too,  so 
very  nigh  to  a  family  of  orphans,  the  records  of  whose 
hospital  will  transmit  Mr.  Whitefield's  name  to  posterity 
with  honour,  when  the  memory  of  others  will  rot.  How 
illiberal  such  usage  of  one,  whose  seasonable  good  services 
for  his  king  and  country  are  well  known  ;  and  whose  inde- 
fatigable labours  for  his  beloved  Master  were  countenanced 
by  heaven  !  "  ^ 

Here,  while  the  buffoon,  as  it  were,  gesticulates,  capers, 
and  makes  grimaces  over  Whitefield's  corpse,  we  take  our 
leave  of  Foote  for  ever. 

Before  passing  from  the  year  1760,  one  more  publica-  ' 
tion  must  be  mentioned.  Its  title  was  "  Pious  Aspirations 
for  the  use  of  Devout  Communicants,  either  before,  at,  or 
after  the  Time  of  Receiving.  Founded  on  the  History  of  the 
Sufferings  of  Christ,  as  related  by  the  Four  Evangelists. 
Extracted  from  the  English  Edition  of  the  three  Volumes 
of  the  Rev.  Mr.  J.  Rambach,  late  Professor  of  Divinity  in 
the  University  of  Giessen.  By  George  Whitefield,  Chaplain 
to    the    Right    Honourable    the    Countess    of    Huntingdon. 


'  Monthly  ReTicw,  November,  176 1. 
*  Gillies'  "  Life  of  Whitefield.'' 


440  The  Life  of  White/it  Id. 

'761     London,     1760."      (i2mo.     104    pp.)      This    little    book   is 
ige  46  often  beautiful,  and  always  intensely  earnest  and  devout. 

The  first  glimpse  of  Whitefield,  in  1761,  is  on  February 
21,  when  he  wrote  as  follows  : — 

"  London.  The  distance  that  Plymouth  lies  from  London,  is  one  great 
cause  of  my  coming  there  so  seldom.  What  can  I  do,  who  have  so  many 
calls,  and  so  few  assistants  ?     London  must  be  minded  ;  for,  surely,  there 

•  the  word  runs,  and  is  glorified  more  and  more.     I  returned  in  post-haste, 

last  month,  from  Bristol.     Both  in  going  and  coming,  dear  Mr.  H 

and  I  were  in  great  jeopardy.  Once  the  machine  fell  over  ;  and,  at 
another  time,  we  were  obliged  to  leap  out  of  the  post-chaise,  though  going 
very  fast.  Blessed  be  God,  we  received  little  hurt.  Good  was  to  be  done. 
On  the  Fast-day,  near  /600  were  collected  for  the  German  and  Boston 
sufferers.  Grace  !  grace  !  I  wish  you  had  collected  at  Bristol.  When 
can  you  move  ?  Pray  let  me  know  directly.  I  want  my  wife  to  ride  as 
far  as  Plymouth.     Nothing  but  exercise  will  do  with  her." 

The  general  fast,  here  mentioned,  was  held  on  Friday, 
February  13.  On  that  day,  Whitefield  preached  early  in 
the  morning,  at  the  Tabernacle,  from  Exodus  xxxiv.  i,  etc., 
and  collected  £\\2.  In  the  forenoon,  at  Tottenham  Court 
Roar'  h  selected,  as  his  text,  "  Blow  the  trumpet  in  Zion, 
sancl  y  a  fast,  call  a  solemn  assembly."  Here  the  collection 
was  ;G242.  In  the  evening,  he  preached  again  in  the 
Tabernacle,  choosing  for  his  text,  "  The  Lord  said  unto 
Noah,  Come  thou  and  all  thy  house  into  the  ark  ;  for  thee 
have  I  seen  righteous  before  me  in  this  generation."  The 
third  collection  amounted  to  £2  i  o.^  The  ridicule  of  Foote, 
so  far  from  lessening,  had  increased  Whitefield's  popularity. 
On  the  day  in  question,  not  only  did  his  congregations  crowd 

*  the  two  chapels,  but  comprised  an  assemblage  of  the  aristo- 
cracy of  England  rarely  witnessed  in  a  Methodist  meeting- 
house. Among  others  present,  there  were  the  Countess  of 
Huntingdon,  Lady  Chesterfield,  Lady  Gertrude  Hotham, 
Lady  Fanny  Shirley,  Lord  Halifax,  Lord  Holdernesse,  Secre- 
tary of  State  ;  Lord  Bute,  who  soon  succeeded  him  in  his 
office  ;  the  Duke  of  Grafton,  then  rising  rapidly  into  public 
life  ;  Lady  Harrington  ;  Charles  Fox  then  a  boy,  but,  after- 
wards, the  celebrated  statesman  and  orator  :  William  Pitt, 
Lord   Villiers,   and    Soame  Jennys,   who  held   office    in   the 

•  Gillies' "Life  of  Whitefield. 


Berridge  helping  Whitejield.  441 

Board  of  Trade,  and  acquired  imperishable  fame  by  his  ^76i 
"  View  of  the  Internal  Evidences  of  the  Christian  Religion,"  Age  46 
The  collections,  made  on  the  occasion,  were  for  a  twofold 
purpose,  partly  for  the  benefit  of  the  plundered  Protestants 
in  the  Marche  of  Brandenburg,  and  partly  to  relieve  the 
distresses  of  the  inhabitants  of  Boston,  in  New  England, 
v.'here  a  fire  had  destroyed  nearly  four  hundred  dwelling- 
houses.  No  wonder  that  they  amounted  to  upwards  of 
^560/ 

Soon  after  this,  Whitefield  received  assistance  in  his 
London  work,  from  Berridge,  of  Everton,  late  moderator 
of  Cambridge.  Hence  the  following  extracts  from  his 
letters  : — 

"London,  February  23,  1761. 
"The  Redeemer's  work  is  upon  the  advance.     All  opposition  is  over- 
ruled for  the  furtherance  of  the  gospel.     A  new  instrument  is  raised  up 
out  of  Cambridge  University.     He  has  been  here  preaching  like  an  angel 
of  the  churches." 

Again,  to  the  Rev.  John  Gillies,  of  Glasgow  : — 

"  London,  March  14,  1761. 
"  One  Mr.  Berridge,  late  moderator  of  Cambridge,  has  been  preaching 
here  with  great  flame.    The  awakening  is  rather  greater  than  ever.    Satan's 

artillery  has  done  but  little  execution. 

"  '  Thoughts  are  vain  r.gainst  the  Lord, 
All  subserve  His  standing  word  ; 
Wheels  encircling  wheels  must  run, 
Each  in  course  to  bring  it  on. 

Hallelujah!'" 

The   truth   is,   Whitefield  needed    help.      During  his   late  * 
visit  to   the  city  of  Bristol,  he   had   caught  a  cold,  which  so 
seriously   affected    his    health,   that,   in   one   of   the    London 
newspapers,    it    was    announced    that    he    was    dead.^      His 

'  "  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,''  vol.  i.,  p.  210. 

At  and  about  this  period,  Whitefield  made  several  other  collections 
for  the  suffering  Protestants  in  Germany,  the  aggregate  amount  of  which 
was  upwards  of  ^1500.  For  this,  he  received  the  thanks  of  the  King  of 
Prussia,  Frederick  the  Great.  ("  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of 
Huntingdon,"  vol.  i.,  p.  209.)  The  freeholders  of  Boston,  also,  held  a 
meeting,  at  which  they  passed  a  vote  of  thanks  to  Whitefield  for  the 
assistance  he  had  rendered  them.    (Gillies'  "  Life  of  Whitefield.") 

-  Lloyd's  Evening  Post,  March  27,  1760. 


442  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1761    illness    disabled    him    during   the    whole    of  the   months    of 
Age"46  March  and  April.      Hence  the  following,  from  Lloyd's  Even- 
ing Post : — 

"April  13.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Whitefield  is  so  well  recovered  fr>m  his  late 
illness,  that  he  appeared  abroad  on  Saturday  last. 

"  April  29.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Whitefield  was  so  well  on  Sunday,  as  to  assist 
in  administering  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's  supper." 

The  following  letters  were  written  when  Whitefield   was 

convalescent : — 

"  Canonbury  House,  April  27,  1761. 

"  My  very  dear  Friend, — Accept  a  few  lines  of  love  unfeigned  from 
a  worthless  worm,  just  returning  the  from  borders  of  the  eternal  world. 

0  into  what  a  world  was  I  launching  !  But  the  prayers  of  God's  people 
have  brought  me  back.  Lord  Jesus,  let  it  be  for  Thy  glory,  and  the 
welfare  of  precious  and  immortal  souls  !  O  how  ought  ministers  to 
work  before  the  night  of  sickness  and  death  comes,  when  no  man  can 
work  !  You  will  not  cease  to  pray  for  me,  who  am  indeed  less  than  the 
least  of  all.  Weakness  forbids  my  enlarging.  Hearty  love  to  all  who  are 
so  kind  as  to  encjuire  after  a  hell-deserving,  but  redeemed,  creature.  Not 
only  pray,  but  also  give  thanks  to  the  never-failing  Emmanuel,  who  has 
been  ease  in  pain,  health  in  sickness,  life  in  death,  to  yours,  for  His  great 

name's  sake, 

"  George  Whitefield." 

The  next  was   addressed    to   the    Rev.   John    Gillies,   of 

Glasgow, 

"Canonbury  House,  May  2,  1761. 
"Indeed,  my  dear  friend,  the  news  you  have  heard  was  true.  I  have 
been  at  the  very  gates  of  what  is  commonly  called  death.  They  seemed 
opening  to  admit  me,  through  the  alone  righteousness  of  the  blessed 
Jesus,  into  everlasting  life.  But,  at  present,  they  are  closed  again. 
For  what  end,  an  all-wise  Redeemer  can  only  tell.  I  have,  since  my 
•  illness,  once  assisted  a  little  at  the  Lord's  supper,  and  once  have  spoken 
a  little  in  public.  But  my  locks  are  cut.  Natural  strength  fails.  Jesus 
can  renew ;  Jesus  can  cause  to  grow  again.     By  His  divine  permission, 

1  have  thoughts  of  seeing  Scotland.  If  I  relapse,  that  will  be  a  desirable 
place  to  go  to  heaven  from.  I  love,  I  love  the  dear  people  of  Scotland  ! 
Ten  thousand  thanks  to  you,  and  all  my  dear  Glasgow  friends." 

It  is  a  disgraceful  fact,  that,  while  Whitefield  was  thus 
tottering  back  from  the  margin  of  the  grave,  the  Si.  James's 
Clu'oniclc,  of  April  28,  filled  a  column  and  a  half  of  its  folio 
sheet,  with  what  it  was  pleased  to  call  "  Similes,  Metaphors, 
and  Familiar  Allusions  made  use  of  by  Dr.  Squintum."  Only 
the  last  in  the  list  shall  be  e^iven. 


Whitejitld  a7i  Invalid.  443 


"I  will  tell  you  the  very  picture  of  damned  souls  in  hell.     Have  you      1761 
never  seen  a  potter's  oven,  where  he  bakes  his  pots  ?     Now  the  longer    . 
these  pots    bake,  the   harder  they   grow.     Just   so   does   one   of  these      '' 
damned  souls.     God  keep  you  and  me,  dear  brethren,  from  ever  being 
one  of  their  unhappy  number  !     (Sighing  by  the  people.)" 

For  the  next  twelve  months,  Whitefield  was  an  invalid, 
and,  with  a  few  exceptions,  was  obliged  to  refrain  from 
preaching.  The  following  extracts  from  his  letters  are 
painfully  interesting.  His  health  was  gone,  and  yet,  when 
he  could,  he  tried  to  preach. 

"  Plymouth,  J:i7ie  5,  1761. 
"Through  Divine  mercy,  I  am  somewhat  improved  in  my  health  since 
my  leaving  London.  At  Bristol,  I  grew  sensibly  better,  but  hurt  my- 
self by  too  long  journeys  to  Exeter  and  hither.  However,  blessed  be 
God  !  I  am  now  recovered  from  my  fatigue,  and  hope  bathing  will  brace 
me  up  for  my  glorious  Master's  use  again.  The  few  times  I  have  been 
enabled  to  preach,  the  infinitely  condescending  Redeemer  has  breathed 
upon  the  word.  Who  knows  but  I  may  get  my  wings  again  ?  Abba, 
Father,  all  things  are  possible  with  Thee  !  " 

"Bristol,  June  11,  1761. 
"These  few  lines  leave  me  rather  hurt  by  my  late  western  journey.  I 
strive  to  put  out  to  sea  as  usual,  but  my  shattered  bark  will  not  bear  it. 
If  this  air  does  not  agi-ee  with  me,  I  think  of  returning,  in  a  few  days, 
to  my  old  nurses  and  physicians.  Blessed  be  God  for  an  interest 
in  an  infinitely  great,  infinitely  gracious,  and  sympathising,  unchangeable 
Physician  !  I  hope  you  and  yours  enjoy  much  of  His  heart-cheering 
consolations.  These  have  been  my  support  in  my  younger  days  ;  these 
will  be  my  cordials  in  the  latter  stages  of  the  road.  Jesus  lives  when 
ministers  die." 

In  the  beginning  of  July,  Whitefield  had  returned  to 
London.  Meanwhile,  news  had  arrived  of  the  English 
fleets  having  taken  Belleisle,  on  the  coast  of  Brittany,  and 
Dominica  in  the  West  Indies.  Pondicherry,  also,  the  capital 
settlement  of  the  French  in  the  East  Indies,  had  been 
surrendered  to  the  British  troops,  and  the  English  were  left 
undisputed  masters  of  the  rich  coast  of  Coromandel,  and 
of  the  whole  trade  of  the  vast  Indian  Peninsula,  from  the 
Ganges  to  the  Indus.  Considering  how,  for  the  last  quarter 
of  a  century,  Whitefield's  whole  soul  had  been  absorbed  in 
the  great  work  of  preaching  Christ  and  saving  souls,  it  is 
curious  to  see  him  so  profoundly  interested  in  the  war 
which   was   now    raging   in  the  four  quarters  of  the  earth, 


444  '^f^^  Life  of  Whitefield. 

'761     and  in  the  victories  won  by  the  British  arms.      Hence  the 
Age  46  following  : — 

"  London,  July  6,  1761.  Blessed  be  God,  I  am  better !  Blessed  be 
God  that  you  are  so  likewise  !  Who  knows  what  rest  and  time  may 
produce  ?  Oh  to  be  blanks  in  the  hands  of  Jesus  !  When  shall  this 
once  be  ?     What  good  news  by  sea  and  land  !     Grace  !  Grace  ! " 

Wesley  was  now  in  Yorkshire,  and  was  anxious  about  the 
health  of  his  old  and  much-loved  friend.  He  had  been  in 
company  with  Venn,  who  had  become  vicar  of  Huddersfield, 
and  Venn  had  created  fears  that  Whitefield's  labours  and 
life  were  almost  ended.  Hence,  in  a  letter  to  Mr.  Ebenezer 
Blackwell,  the  London  banker,  Wesley  wrote  : — 

"Bradford,  July  16,  1761.  Mr.  Venn  informs  me  that  Mr.  Whitefield 
continues  very  weak.  I  was  in  hope,  when  he  wrote  to  me  lately,  that  he 
was  swiftly  recovering  strength.  Perhaps,  sir,  you  can  send  me  better 
news  concerning  him.  What  need  have  we,  while  we  do  live,  to  live  in 
earnest ! " ' 

For  weeks  after  this,  Whitefield  was  almost  entirely  silent. 
To  an  afflicted  friend,  he  wrote  : — 

"London,  October  13,  1761. 
"  My  dear  Fellow-prisoner, — I  hope  the  all-wise  Redeemer  is 
teaching  us  to  be  content  to  be  buried  ourselves,  and  to  bury  our  friends. 
This  is  a  hard  but  important  lesson.  I  have  not  preached  a  single  sermon 
for  some  weeks.  Last  Sunday,  I  spoke  a  little  ;  but  I  have  felt  its  effects 
ever  since.  Father,  Thy  will  be  done  !  Glory  be  to  God,  that  some  good 
was  done  at  Plymouth  !  The  news  drove  me  to  my  knees,  and  stirred  up 
an  ambition  to  be  employed  again.     I  have  met  with  changes.     My  two 

old  servants  are  married,  and  gone.     Mr.  E "  (query  John  Edwards  .'') 

*'  has  preached  for  me  some  time.   As  yet,  the  congregations  are  kept  up." 

Immediately  after  this,  Whitefield  set  out  for  Edinburgh, 
to  obtain  medical  advice.  While  halting  at  Leeds,  he  re- 
ceived news  of  the  death  of  one  of  his  assistants  at  Bethesda ; 
and  wrote  as  follows  : — 

"Leeds,  October  24,  176 1.  I  am  still  in  this  dying  world,  but  fre- 
quently tempted  to  wish  the  report  of  my  death  had  been  true,  since  my 
disorder  keeps  me  from  my  old  delightful  work  of  preaching.  But  Jesus 
can  teach  us  to  exercise  our  passive  as  well  as  active  graces.  Fain  would 
I  say,  *  Thy  will  be  done  ! '  I  know  now  what  nervous  disorders  are. 
Blessed  be  God  that  they  were  contracted  in  His  service  !     I  am  riding 

*  Wesley's  Works,  vol.  xii.,  p.  i  'j']. 


WJiiteficld  an  Invalid.  445 

for  my  health  ;  but  I  think  a  voyage  would  brace  me  up.     I  impute  my     1 761 
present  disorder,  in  a  great  measure,  to  the  want  of  my  usual  sea  voyages. 

"  What  sudden  changes  here  !     O  that  my  great  change  were  come  !      ^^ 
Happy  Polhiil  !    Bethesda's  loss  is  thy  gain !    To  be  carried  to  heaven  in 
an    instant  ;    from    a  ship's   cabin   into  Abraham's  bosom  ;    O  what  a 
blessing  !      God  sanctify  and   make   up  the  loss  !      We  shall  find  few 
Poihills. 

"  I  see  you  are  running  in  arrears.  Some  way  or  other,  I  trust,  they 
will  be  discharged.  But  I  would  have  the  family  reduced  as  low  as  can  be. 
The  keeping  of  those  who  are  grown  up  hurts  them,  and  increases  my 
expense.  I  have  little  comfort  in  many  whom^  I  have  assisted.  But  our 
reward  is  with  the  Lord.  I  can  at  present  bear  very  little  of  outward 
cares." 

Five  days  later,  Whitefield  had  reached  Newcastle,  where 
he  wrote  the  following  to  Mr.  Robert  Keen,  of  London  : — 

"Newcastle,  October  29,  1761. 
"My  dear  steady  Friend,— Hitherto  the  Lord  has  helped  me. 
Surely  His  mercy  endureth  for  ever.  I  bear  riding  sixty  miles  a  day  in  a 
post-chaise  quite  well.  Friends,  both  here  and  at  Leeds,  are  prudent,  and 
do  not  press  me  to  preach  much.  But,  I  hope,  I  am  travelling  in  order  to 
preach.  If  not,  Lord  Jesus  help  me  to  drink  the  bitter  cup  of  a  continued 
silence  with  a  holy  resignation,  believing  that  what  is,  is  best  !  Every- 
where, as  I  came  along,  my  spiritual  children  gladly  received  me.  ,  I  hope 
you  go  on  well  at  London.  It  is  the  Jerusalem — the  Goshen.  To-morrow, 
I  may  set  forwards  towards  Edinburgh." 

At  Edinburgh,  Whitefield  consulted  four  eininent  phy- 
sicians.^ There  are  only  two  more  letters  to  tell  the 
remainder  of  his  story  during  the  year  1761  :  the  first 
addressed  to  the  Rev.  John  Gillies,  of  Glasgow  ;  the  second 
to  Mr.  Robert  Keen,  of  London. 

"Edinburgh,  November  9,  1761.  Though  I  have  been  very  ill  since 
my  coming  to  Edinburgh,  yet  I  must  cope  to  see  my  dear  friends  at 
Glasgow.  I  cannot  be  there  till  noon  on  the  12th  inst.  Little,  very 
little,  can  be  expected  from  a  dying  man." 

"  Leeds,  December  r,  1761.  It  is  near  ten  at  night  and  I  am  to  set 
off  to-morrow  in  the  Leeds  stage  for  London.  Silence  is  enjoined  me 
for  a  while  by  the  Edinburgh  physicians.  They  say  my  case  is  then 
recoverable.     The  great  Physician  will  direct." 

The  poor  fellow  apparently  was  dying  ;  but,  even  under  such 
circumstances,  his   enemies  could  not    restrain    their  malice. 

•  Gil'.ies'  "  Life  of  Whitefield." 


446  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

^761     It  is  a  painful   thing  to  advert   again  to  hostile  publications, 
Age  46  but    Whitefield's    history    cannot   be    fully   told   without    it. 
Some,  belonging  to  1761,  have  been  already  noticed  ;  others, 
unfortunately,  are,  as  yet,  unmentioned  : — 

1.  "A  Funeral  Discourse,  occasioned  by  the  much-lamented 
Death  of  Mr.  Yorick,  Prebendary  of  Y — k,  and  Author  of 
the  much-admired  '  Life  and  Opinions  of  Tristram  Shandy.' 
Preached  before  a  very  mixed  Society  of  Jemmies,  Jessamies, 
Methodists,  and  Christians,  at  a  nocturnal  meeting  in  Petticoat 
Lane  ;  and  now  Published,  at  the  unanimous  request  of  the 
hearers,  by  Christopher  Flagellan,  A.M.  London,  1761." 
(8vo.  48  pp.)  It  is  enough  to  say  that  this  profane  and 
filthy  production  was  dedicated  to  "  the  Right  Honourable 
the  Lord  F g,  and  to  the  very  facetious  Mr,  Foote  !  " 

2.  "  A  Journal  of  the  Travels  of  Nathaniel  Snip,  a 
Methodist  Teacher  of  the  Word.  Containing  an  Account 
of  the  many  Marvellous  Adventures  which  befel  him  in  his 
way  from  the  town  of  Kingston-upon-Hull  to  the  City  of 
York.  London,  1761."  (8vo.  32  pp.)  This  was  an  infamous 
production,  full  of  burlesque  and  banter  ;  but  the  foot-note, 
at  the  end  of  it,  will  be  quite  enough  to  satisfy  the  reader's 
craving  : — - 

"  As  Snip's  manuscript  concludes  thus  abruptly,  I  beg  leave  to  finish 
the  whole  with  an  account  of  what  I  observed  at  a  puppet  show,  exhibited 
at  one  of  the  principal  towns  in  the  west  of  Yorkshire.  Punch  was  intro- 
duced in  the  character  of  Parson  Squintum,  the  field-preacher,  holding 
forth  to  a  number  of  wooden-headed  puppets,  mostly  composed  of  old 
women  and  ungartered  journeymen  of  different  callings.  The  more  noise 
Punch  {alias  Squintum)  made,  the  more  the  audience  sighed  and  groaned. 
At  last,  Squintum  said  something  about  a  woman  with  the  moon  tender 
h;r  feet,  and  pointed  up  to  the  sky,  on  which  he  desired  them  to  fix  their 
eyes  with  steadfastness.  They  did  so  ;  and,  while  their  eyes  were  thus 
fixed,  he  very  fairly  picked  all  their  pockets,  and  stole  off.  Oh,  Punch, 
Punch!  Thou  Alexander  the  Coppersmith!  thou  Ananias  Inlignante! 
what  will  become  of  thee  hereafter,  for  thus  vilifying  the  Inspired  of 
Heaven,  the  Grand  Obstetrix  of  those  chosen  few,  who  are  impregnate 
with  the  New  Birth  !  " 

3.  A  third  of  these  malignant  productions  professed  to 
have  for  its  author  the  most  notorious  quack  of  the  age, 
"  Dr.  Rock,"  and  was  entitled,  "A  Letter  to  the  Reverend  Mr. 
G— e  Wh d,  A.B.,  late  of  Pembroke  College,  Oxford." 


Disgrace  fill  Piihlicatio)is.  447 


(i2mo.  8    pp.)      The  purport  of  this  bantering  tract  was,  a     1761 
proposal   that,   as    Rock   and    Whitefield   were  both   quacks,  Ag746 
they  should   enter  into  partnership.       The   thing  displayed 
cleverness, — perhaps   too  great   to   affiliate   it  on   the   great 
empiric.     One  or  two  extracts  must  suffice  : — 

"  If  you  set  up  for  a  copy  of  St.  Paul  (as  it  is  observed  you  do,  even  to 
the  mimicking  of  Raphael's  picture  of  him  at  Hampton  Court).  I  do  the 
same  by  the  old  stager — Hypocrites,  I  think  they  call  him.  If  you  under- 
take to  cleanse  and  purify  the  soul,  I  do  the  like  by  the  body.  If  you  are 
an  enemy  to  the  regular  drones  of  your  profession,  I  am  as  much  to  those 
of  ours.  If  you  profess  to  serve  the  public  for  the  sake  of  the  public,  so 
do  I.  Do  you  pocket  the  fee  when  it  is  offered  1 — I  do  the  same.  Are  the 
mob  your  customers  .' — they  are  mine  likewise.  Are  you  called  a  quack  in 
doctfinals? — I  bear  the  same  leproach  in  practice.  Are  you  the  scorn  and 
jest  of  men  of  sense  ? — I  want  but  very  little  of  being  as  much  their  jest 
and  scorn  as  you.  In  a  word,  as  it  is  said  that  you  turn  the  brains  of 
your  patients,  it  is  affirmed,  with  equal  truth,  that  I  destroy  the  constitu- 
tions of  mine." 

Supposing  Whitefield  might  have  objections  to  the  pro- 
posed partnership.  Rock  pretends  that  he  has  objections  too ; 
for,  says  he  :. — 

"  Nobody,  I  thank  God,  can  upbraid  me  with  devouring  widows'  houses  ; 
leading  captive  silly  women  ;  confounding  the  peace  and  ruining  the  sub- 
stance of  families  ;  preaching  up  Christ,  and  playing  the  devil  ;  blindly 
recommending  charity,  and,  at  the  same  time,  guilty  of  the  worst  oppres- 
sion by  squeezing  the  last  mite  out  of  the  pockets  of  the  poor." 

Dr.  E.ock  concludes  by  stating  that  Whitefield  "is  a  public 
pest,  an  incendiary  of  the  worst  kind,  and  a  deceiver  of  the 
people." 

This  was  bad  to  bear,  especially  for  a  man  in  Whitefield's 
state  of  health  ;  but  more  must  follow  : — 

4.  "  The  Crooked  Disciple's  Remarks  upon  the  Blind 
Guide's  Method  of  Preaching  for  some  years  ;  being  a 
Collection  of  the  Principal  Words,  Sayings,  Phraseology, 
Rhapsodies,  Hyperboles,  Parables,  and  Miscellaneous  Incon- 
gruities of  the  Sacred  and  Profane,  commonly,  repeatedly, 
and  peculiarly  made  use  of  by  the  Reverend  Dr.  Squintum, 
delivered  by  him,  z'iva  voce  ex  CatJicdra,  at  Tottenham  Court, 
Moorfields,  etc.  A  work  never  before  attempted.  Taken 
verbatim  from  a  constant  attendance.  Whereby  the  honesty 
of  this  Preacher's  intentions  may  be  judged  of  from  his  own 


448  Tiic  Life  of  WJiitefield. 

"7^1    doctrine.   By  the  learned  John  Harman,  Regulator  of  Enthu- 
Age46  siasts.      London,  1761."      (8vo.  48  pp.) 

Tliis  was  one  of  the  vilest  pamphlets  ever  published.  Its 
trash  cannot  be  quoted.  It  is  enough  to  say  that,  besides 
"  A  Short  Specimen  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Squintum's  Extemporary 
Sermons,"  it  contains  what  it  calls  one  of  Whitefield's 
prayers,  prefaced  thus  : — 

•'  The  following  preamble  is  Dr.  Squintum's  fervent,  solemn  form  of 
prayer  ;  delivered  by  him  in  an  attitude  similar  to  that  oi  Ajax,  in  Ovia's 
Metamorphoses.  His  body  erect,  his  hands  extended,  his  face  thrown 
upwards,  with  his  eyes  gazing  towards  the  stars.  Torvo  vulto,  tendens  ad 
sidera  pahnas.  Alternately  changing  from  his  theatrical  astonishments 
into  violent  enthusiastical  agitations  and  distortions,  accompanied  with 
weeping,  wailing,  and  gnashing  of  teeth  1  Strange  vicissitudes !  which 
he  strictly  keeps  up  to,  throughout  the  whole  of  his  preaching." 

5.  "  The  Spiritual  Minor.  A  Comedy.  London."  (8vo. 
32  pp.)  Another  infamous  production,  with  a  "  Prologue," 
by  Mrs.  Cole,  and  an  "  Epilogue,"  by  Dr.  Squintum.  The 
dramatis  personce  are  Mr.  Squintum,  Mr.  Rakish,  Mr.  Scream- 
well,  Mr.  Scn'ple,  Mr.  Chcatwcll,  Feeble,  Mrs.  Cole,  and  Mis.s 
Ogle. 

All  this  is  extremely  loathsome,  and  worthy  of  Foote,  the 
comedian.  Two  other  names,  much  more  respectable  than 
Doctor  Rock  and  John  Harrnan,  must  now  be  introduced. 

6.  Jonas  Hanway,  the  distinguished  merchant,  traveller, 
and  philanthropist,  was  now  in  the  fiftieth  year  of  his  age. 
Eight  years  before,  he  had  published  his  travels,  in  four  4to. 
volumes,  under  the  title  of  "  An  Historical  Account  of  the 
Caspian  Trade  over  the  Caspian  Sea  ;  with  a  Journal  of 
Travels  from  London,  through  Russia,  into  Persia,  etc.  ;  to 
which  are  added  the  Revolutions  of  Persia  during  the 
present  Century,  with  the  particular  History  of  the  Great 
Usurper,  Nadir  Kouli."  In  1754,  he  called  the  attention  of 
the  Government  to  the  bad  state  of  the  streets  in  London  and 
Westminster.  In  1756,  he  took  steps  which  ultimately 
led  to  the  establishment  of  the  Marine  Society.  In  1758, 
he  made  strenuous  exertions  to  improve  the  Foundling,  and 
to  establish  the  Magdalen  Hospitals.  And  now,  in  1761,  he 
published  "  Reflections,  Essays,  and  Meditations  on  Life  and 
Religion  ;    with   a   Collection    of    Proverbs    in    Alphabetical 


yonas  Hanivay.  449 

Order ;  and  Twenty-eight  Letters,  written  occasionally  on  ^y*"'' 
several  subjects — viz.,  The  Absurd  Notions  of  the  Sect  called  Age  .,'i 
Methodists  ;  The  Customs  of  foreign  Nations  in  regard  to 
Harlots;  The  Lawless  Commerce  of  the  Sexes;  The  Re- 
pentance of  Prostitutes  ;  And  the  great  Humanity  and 
Beneficence  of  the  Magda/i^//^  Charity.  By  Mr.  Hanway. 
London,  1761."      (Two  vols.,  8vo.,  pp.  280  and  317.) 

As  Mr.  Hanway  became  so  notable  a  man,  that,  two  years 
after  his  death,  a  monument,  by  public  subscription,  was 
erected  to  his  memory,  in  Westminster  Abbey  ;  his  senti- 
ments on  Whitefield  deserve  insertion.  At  all  events,  the 
critique  of  the  benevolent  old  bachelor,  who  had  the  courage 
to  be  the  first  who  appeared  in  the  streets  of  London  carry- 
ing an  umbrella,  will,  perhaps,  amuse  the  reader. 

"  I  intended,  a  long  while  since,"  says  he,  "  to  hear  Mr.  Whitefield  at 
Tottenham  Court,  and  I  have  at  length  compassed  my  design.  The 
prayers  were  performed  with  as  much  devotion  as  one  generally  finds  at 
any  church,  and,  as  well  as  I  remember,  without  any  excursions  foreign 
to  the  Church  Service.  Fame  had  represented  him  to  me  as  a  great 
orator ;  but  in  this  I  was  a  little  disappointed,  not  but  he  performs,  upon 
the  whole,  tolerably  well.  The  tunes  and  concordance  of  the  singing  are 
also  v&xy  properMidi  agreeable  ;  though  1  thought  xh^t  psalms,  or  anthems, 
would  be  better  than  hymns ;  or  the  true  harmony  of  sense  and  numbers, 
than  ■-.ViOfa.  poor  poetry  as  was  sung. 

"  When  he  began  his  sermon,  the  oddness  of  some  of  his  conceits,  his 
manner,  and  turn  of  expression,  had  I  not  been  in  a  place  of  public 
worship,  would  have  excited  my  laughter.  As  he  went  on,  I  became 
serious,  then  astonished,  and  at  length  confounded.  My  confusion  arose 
from  a  mixture  of  sorrow  and  indignation,  that  any  man  bearing  the 
name  of  a  minister  of  our  meek  and  blessed  Redeemer,  or  the  dignity  of  the 
Christian  priesthood,  should  demean  himself  like  an  inhabitant  of  Bedlam. 
I  thought  I  saw  human  nature  in  distress,  as  much  as  in  the  cells  of 
lunatics;  with  this  difference,  that  he  was  permitted  to  go  abroad,  and 
make  others  as  fnad  a.s  himself;  which  he  might  be  able  to  accomplish  by 
means  of  the  credulity  of  his  audience,  joined  to  the  art  of  making  them 
think  that  himself  and  "Wx?,  fraternity  are  the  only  people  in  their  senses. 

"  I  must  inform  you,  that,  opposite  to  this  celebrated  preacher,  sat  a 
dozen  or  more  of  old  women,  of  that  class  who,  within  this  half-century, 
might  easily  have  been  persuaded,  by  threats  ox  promises,  that  they  had 
rode  in  the  air  on  broomsticks,  and,  confessing  it,  might  have  been  put  to 
death  by  people  as  much  bewitched  as  themselves.  Their  intellectual 
powers  are  so  far  decayed,  that  they  do  not  distinguish  between  receiving 
alms,  in  relief  of  their  misery,  and  receiving  hire,  as  hummers  and 
liawers.  This  is  the  denomination  given,  by  many  sober  persons,  to  these 
VOL.  II.  29 


450  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 


1761     old  women,  some  of  whom,  I  am  assured,  have  confessed  that  they  are 
retained  bb  hire,  for  sighing  and  groaning!'' 


Age  46 


Mr.  Hanway  proceeds  to  say  that  he  had  been  to  the 
Haymarket,  to  see  "  The  Minor "  acted,  but  "  had  not 
health,  nor  patience  to  sit  out  above  half  of  it."  He 
adds : — 

"  I  wish  \h&  principles  of  the  Methodists  may  be  understood  more  clearly 
by  being  brought  on  the  stage;  but  I  question  if  the  character  of  the 
baivd,  in  '  The  Minor,'  has  any  existence,  and,  if  so,  the  whole  fabric  of  the 
drama  is  built  on  false  grounds.  If  it  does  exist,  is  it  so  proper  a  subject 
for  the  theatre,  as  for  St.Luk^s  Hospital?  This  dramatic  piece  may 
possibly  intimidate  some  from  becoming  Methodists ;  but,  ho\\e\er  popu- 
lar it  maybe,  I  am  very  doubtful  concerning  the  p)opriety  of  the  measure, 
as  to  the  end  of  correcting  the  enthusiasm  in  que'stion.  It  is  said,  that, 
this  comedy  '  has  shaken  the  pillars  of  Tottenham  Tabernacle,  and  I  must 
add,  that,  I  believe  no  harm  would  happen  were  it  to  tumble,  provided  the 
poor  people,  who  frequent  it,  were  at  their  work,  or  saying  their  prayers 
in  their  parish  churches. 

"As  to  ihe peruke  and  j/^^4?;;M/?'^r  declaimers,  whose  recommendation 
is  consummate  impudence,  warm  imaginations,  and  the  remembrance  of 
texts  which  they  have  no  capacity  to  understand,  it  would  be  an  indignity 
offered  to  the  Christian  priesthood  to  call  such  persons  Teachers  or 
Preachers  of  the  Gospel.  And  as  to  the  gentlemen  of  Methodistical  tenets, 
who  have  had  a  scholastic  education,  how  few  among  them  are  there  who 
vfoVi\d.r\otface  about  to  the  right,  for  the  consideration  of  a  good  ecclesi- 
astical benefice.  I  have  \try  particular  reasons  to  believe  the  major  part 
of  them  would  conform  to  Church  orthodoxy  and  intelligible  Christianity, 
if  they  did  not  find  a  better  living  in  another  way." 

7.  So  much  for  the  eccentric  Jonas  Hanway,  Another 
pamphleteer — much  more  able,  though  not  so  well  known  to 
fame — must  now  be  introduced.  Whitefield  had  already 
been  attacked  by  the  Bishop  of  London,  the  Bishop  of 
Lichfield,  and  the  Bishop  of  Exeter.  Now,  he  came  under 
the  lash  of  the  Rev.  John  Green,  D.D.,  Bishop  of  Lincoln. 
In  1760,  Dr.  Green  published  an  8vo.  pamphlet  of  seventy 
pages,  addressed  to  Berridge,  of  Everton  ;  but  that  must  be 
passed  without  further  notice.  A  year  later,  he  issued 
another  pamphlet  with  the  title,  "  The  Principles  and  Prac- 
tices of  the  Methodists  farther  considered  ;  in  a  Letter  to 
the  Reverend  Mr.  George  Whitefield.  Cambridge,  1761." 
(8vo.  74  pp.)  The  Bishop  of  Lincoln  wrote  with  great 
ability.  The  chief  fault  to  be  found  with  him  is,  that,  he 
based  his  strictures  upon  the   first  editions  of  Whitefield's 


Bishop  of  Lincoln.  451 

Journals,  and  his  "  Short  Account  of  God's  Dealings  with  1761 
him,"  published  in  1740.  This  was  hardly  fair,  because  Age  46 
Whitefield,  since  then,  had,  more  than  once,  publicly  ex- 
pressed his  regret  for  having  used  certain  loose  and  extrava- 
gant expressions  in  these  productions.  Dr.  Green  was 
either  not  acquainted  with  Whitefield's  apologies,  or  he 
chose,  for  some  hidden  purpose,  not  to  acknowledge  them. 
Anyhow,  remembering  that  such  apologies  had  been  made, 
and  that  Whitefield's  health  was  now  even  dangerously 
affected,  paragraphs,  like  the  following,  were  neither  courteous 
nor  fair  : — 

"  In  that  curious  repository  of  religious  anecdotes,  called  your  Journals, 
I  have  often  seen  and  pitied  the  distress  you  have  been  in  between 
strength  of  inclination  and  want  of  ability;  when  you  have  i-ecited  several 
things,  which  bordered  on  the  marvellous,  and  which,  notwithstanding, 
you  did  not  care  to  vouch  for  miraculous. 

'*  All  the  exalted  things  you  have  said,  and  all  the  wonderful  things  you 
have  done,  will  pass,  I  fear,  with  many,  only  for  the  frenzy  and  rant  of 
fanaticism.  They  will  be  apt  to  think  your  journeyings  the  effects  of  a 
roving  and  itinerant  temper,  and  ascribe  them  to  a  strong  tincture  of  that 
heroical  passion,  by  which  so  many  saints  of  the  Romish  communion  have 
been  actuated. 

"  Though  possessed  of  so  happy  a  talent  at  opening  the  hearts  and 
purses  of  the  people,  that  you  were  traduced  under  the  name  of  '  the 
Spiritual  Pickpocket,'  yet  you  have  not  ventured  to  trust  your  support  to 
the  precarious  offerings  of  voluntary  contribution.  Though  you  have  not 
chosen  to  put  yourself  in  a  situation  to  claim  any  legal  dues  ;  yet  you  have 
lately  dispensed  your  instructions,  on  the  stipulation  of  certain  periodical 
payments,  and  under  the  sanction  of  that  unquestionable  truth,  '  that  the 
labourer  is  worthy  of  his  hire.' 

"  We  have  instances  on  record,  how  an  audience  has  been  dissolved 
into  tears  by  an  orator,  without  knowing  a  single  syllable  of  that  which  he 
uttered  ;  have  been  moved  by  the  efficacy  of  words  which  they  did  not 
understand,  and  by  the  goodly  appearance  of  the  speaker,  whom  they 
knew  nothing  of,  to  yield  the  sincerest  proofs  of  their  convictions  by  a 
liberal  supply  of  such  good  things  as  he  wanted.  Some  incidents  of  the 
same  sort  are  said  to  have  happened  to  yourself,  and  that  the  bare  sight 
of  your  blessed  gown  and  wig,  though  out  of  the  reach  of  that  elocution 
which  so  much  surprises,  and  that  pathos  which  so  much  moves,  has  not 
only  softened  the  hearts  and  moistened  the  eyes,  but  drawn  large  pecuni- 
ary supplies  to  your  charitable  designs  from  the  pity  and  benevolence 
of  your  female  disciples.' 

These    were    taunts   unworthy  of  a  bishop   of  the  Estab- 
lished Church,  and  undeserved   by  poor  afflicted   Whitefield. 


452  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1762  Doubtless,  they  were  painful  ;  but  they  were  patiently 
Age  47  endured. 

Whitefield's  health  was  somewhat  better.  On  January 
8,  1762,  he  wrote:  "The  Scotch  journey  did  me  service. 
I  preached  on  New  Year's  Day,  and  am  to  do  so  again  to- 
morrow, I  had  a  violent  fall  upon  my  head,  from  my  horse, 
last  Thursday,  but  was  not  hurt,  Mr.  Berridge  is  here,  and 
preaches  with  power.  Blessed  be  God  that  some  can  speak, 
though  I  am  laid  aside  ! " 

No  information  exists  as  to  how  Whitefield  spent  the  first 
three  months  of  1762,  He  still,  however,  was  the  subject 
of  disgraceful  persecution.  During  this  interval,  there  was 
published  a  small  8vo.  volume  (price  2s,  6d.),  entitled,  "  A 
Plain  and  Easy  Road  to  the  Land  of  Bliss,  a  Turnpike 
set  up  by  Mr,  Orator ."  No  good  end  would  be  an- 
swered by  quotations  from  it.  "It  is,"  said  the  Monthly 
Reviezv,  "  contemptible  for  its  stupidity.  It  is  a  filthy,  obscene 
thing,  for  which  the  dirty  author  ought  to  be  washed  in  a 
horse-pond."  ^ 

In  April,  Whitefield  went  to  Bristol,  where  he  continued 
for  about  a  month.  The  following  extracts  from  his  letters 
will  shew  the  progress  he  was  making  ; — 

"  Bristol,  April  17,  1762,  Bristol  air  agrees  with  me.  I  have  been 
enabled  to  preach  five  times  this  last  week,  without  being  hurt.  Were  the 
door  open  for  an  American  voyage,  I  believe  it  would  be  serviceable  in 
bracing  up  my  relaxed  tabernacle.  But  He  who  knoweth  all  things, 
knoweth  what  is  best.  I  see  more  and  more,  that  grace  must  be  tried. 
O  for  a  heart  to  be  made  willing  to  be  nothing,  yea,  less  than  nothing, 
that  God  may  be  all  in  all  !  " 

"  Bristol,  April  18,  1762.  Sunday,  This  morning  I  have  been  admi- 
nistering the  ordinance  ;  and  this  evening  I  hope  to  be  upon  my  throne 
again.  Who  knows  but  I  may  yet  be  so  far  restored  as  to  sound  the 
gospel  trumpet  for  my  God  ?  The  quietness  I  enjoy  here,  with  the  daily 
riding  out,  seems  to  be  one  very  proper  means.  Be  this  as  it  will,  I  know 
ere  long  I  shall  serve  our  Lord  without  weariness.  A  few  more  blows 
from  friends,  and  from  foes,  and  the  pitcher  will  be  broken.  Then  the 
wicked  one  will  cease  from  troubling,  and  the  weary  traveller  arrive  at  his 
wished-for  rest." 

"  Bristol,  May  4,  1762.  I  see  it  is  always  darkest  before  the  break  of 
day.  O  that  we  could  always  remember  that  blessed  promise,  '  At 
evening-tide  it  shall  be  light '  !     The  archers  have  of  late  shot  sorely  at 

'  Monthly  Review,  March,  1762. 


Trip  to  Holland.  453 


me  and  grieved  me;   but  blessed  be   God   for  a  little  revival   in  my    1762 
bondage.     For  these  three  weeks  past,  I  have  been  enabled  to  preach 
four  or  five  times  a  week  ;    but   you  would  scarce  know  me,  I  am  so      ^^ 
swollen,  and  so  corpulent.     Blessed  be  God  for  the  prospect  of  a  glorious 
resurrection  ! " 

On  his  way  back  to  London,  Whitefield  wrote  as  follows : — 

"Rodborough,  May  21,  1762.  I  hope  to  be  in  London  on  Tuesday  or 
Wednesday  next.  Through  Divine  mercy,  preaching  four  or  five  times  a 
week  has  not  hurt  me  ;  and  twice  or  thrice  I  have  been  enabled  to  take 
the  field  :  in  my  opinion,  a  greater  honour  than  to  be  monarch  of  the 
universe.  London  cares  and  London  labours,  I  expect,  will  bring  me  low 
again  ;  but  I  hope  soon  to  slip  away,  and  to  get  strength,  and  then  to  hunt 
for  precious  souls  again.  How  gladly  would  I  bid  adieu  to  ceiled  houses, 
and  vaulted  roofs  !  Mounts  are  the  best  pulpits,  and  the  heavens  the  best 
sounding-boards.  O  for  power  equal  to  my  will  !  I  would  fly  from  pole 
to  pole,  publishing  the  everlasting  gospel  of  the  Son  of  God.  I  write  this 
at  a  house  built  for  dear  Mr.  Adams.'  From  his  window  is  a  prospect 
perhaps  of  thirty  miles.  I  have  wished  you  here  with  your  telescope. 
But  if  the  footstool  is  so  glorious,  what  must  the  throne  be  !  " 

"  London,  May  28,  1762.  I  am  just  now  come  to  town  for  a  few  days, 
sensibly  better  for  my  country  excursion.  Once  more,  1  have  had  the 
honour  of  taking  the  field,  and  have  now  some  hopes  of  not  being  as  yet 
quite  thrown  aside  as  a  broken  vesseL  Help  me  to  praise  Him,  whose 
mercy  endureth  for  ever." 

In  the  month  of  June,  Whitefield  sailed  to  Holland,  where 
his  health  was  further  benefited.  At  the  end  of  July,  he  was 
preaching  at  Norwich,  and  wrote  : — 

"  Norwich,  July  31,  1762.  The  trip  to  Holland,  last  month,  was  profit- 
able to  myself,  and,  I  trust,  to  others.  If  my  usefulness  is  to  be  continued 
in  London,  I  must  be  prepared  for  it  by  a  longer  itinerancy  both  by  land 
and  water.  At  present,  blessed  be  God  !  I  can  preach  once  a  day ;  and 
it  would  do  your  heart  good  to  see  what  an  influence  attends  the  word. 
All  my  old  times  are  revived  again.  On  Monday  next,  God  willing,  I 
shall  set  forwards  to  Lincolnshire,  Yorlvshire,  etc." 

Ten  days  after  this,  Whitefield  attended  the  annual  Con- 
ference of  Wesley  and  his  itinerants,  in  the  town  of  Leeds. 
This  was  a  notable  assembly,  for,  besides  the  brave  band  of 
Wesley's  helpers,  there  were  present  the  two  Wesleys,  White- 

'  Thomas  Adams,  to  whom  Whitefield,  in  his  last  will  and  testament, 
bequeathed  ^50,  and  whom  he  therein  described  as,  "my  only  surviving 
first  fellow-labourer,  and  beloved  much  in  the  Lord." 


454  T^^^^  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1762    field,   Romaine,   Madan,   Venn,   and,   last  but   not  least,  the 
Age  47  Countess  of  Huntingdon  !  ^      Wesley  wrote  : — 

"  We  had  great  reason  to  praise  God  for  His  gracious  presence,  from 
the  beginning  to  the  end." 

From  Leeds,  Whitefield  proceeded  to  his  beloved  Scot- 
land, where  he  wrote  : — - 

"  Edinburgh,  September  2,  1762.  I  am  just  this  moment  returned 
from  Glasgow,  where  I  have  been  enabled  to  preach  every  day,  and  twice 
at  Cambuslang.  Auditories  were  large,  and  Jesus  smiled  upon  my  feeble 
labours." 

"  Edinburgh,  September  9.  I  came  here  a  week  ago.  Since  then,  I 
have  bean  helped  to  preach  every  day.  The  kirk  has  been  a  Bethel. 
Grace  !  Grace  !  On  Monday,  the  13th  inst.,  I  shall  set  off.  Follow  me 
with  your  prayers." 

On  Sunday,  September  1 9,  Whitefield  was  at  Sunderland  '^ 
and  on  the  following  Sunday  at  Leeds.  Here  he  wrote  to 
his  friend,  Mr.  Robert  Keen,  as  follows  : — -' 

"  I  am  just  now  setting  forwards  towards  London,  but  fear  I  cannot 
reach  it  before  Sunday.  My  chaise  wanted  repairing  here.  O  how  good 
hath  Jesus  been  to  a  worthless  worm  !  Once  a  day  preaching,  I  can  bear 
well  ;  more  hurts  me.  What  shall  I  do  with  the  Chapel  and  Tabernacle  ? 
Lord  Jesus,  be  thou  my  guide  and  helper!  He  will  !  He  will !  Send 
word  to  the  Tabernacle  that  you  have  heard  from  me.  We  have  had 
sweet  seasons." 

The  "  Sev'^en  Years'  War  "  was  now  nearly  ended.  The 
campaign  of  1762  was  eminently  successful.  Frederick  the 
Great  and  Prince  Ferdinand  had  been  victorious  in  Germany; 
Burgoyne  had  aided  Portugal  in  repelling  the  Spaniards  ; 
and  the  English  fleet  and  army  in  the  West  Indies  had 
taken  the  Carribbean  Islands  and  Havannah.  Lord  Bute, 
the  prime  minister  of  England,  strongly  desired  peace,  for 
the  English  people  were  complaining  loudly  of  increased 
taxation.  He  engaged  the  neutral  king  of  Sardinia  to 
propose  to  the  court  of  F'rance  negotiations  for  a  termina- 
tion of  the  war.  Louis  XV.,  like  a  drowning  man,  caughc 
at  the  proposal.  The  Duke  of  Bedford  was  selected  as 
plenipotentiary  and  ambassador  extraordinary  to  Paris  ;  and 
the    high-born    and    gallant    Duke    de    Nivernois    came  to 

'  "  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  i.,  p.  281. 
*  Whitetield's  Works,  vol.  iii.,  p.  281. 


In  the   West  of  England.  455 

London    in    the  same   capacity.      This  was   in    September;     ^762 
and   the    negotiations    proceeded    with  such    rapidity,    that  Age  47 
preli7ni7iaries  for  peace  were  signed  at  Fontaineblean  on  the 
3rd  of  November  following. 

In  consequence  of  these  events,  Whitefield  now  had  a 
prospect  of  carrying  out  his  long-cherished  wish  to  visit  his 
Orphan  House,  and  his  numerous  friends,  across  the  Atlantic. 
He  wrote,  as  follows,  to  the  housekeeper  of  his  Orphanage: — 

"  London,  October  15,  1762.  I  wish  to  answer  your  letter  in  person.  I 
hope  the  time  is  now  drawing  near.  I  count  the  weeks,  and  days,  and 
hours.  Blessed  be  God  that  you  live  in  such  harmony  !  A  house  thus 
united  in  Jesus  will  stand.  I  write  this  in  great  haste.  I  am  enabled  to 
preach  once  a  day.     Give  thanks  !  give  thanks  !  " 

In  November,  Whitefield  went  to  Bristol,  where  his  "  con- 
gregations  were   large,  and   a   most   gracious   gale  of  Divine 
influence  attended   the  word   preached."      Having   promised 
to  visit  Plymouth,  he  wrote  to  his  friend   there,   the  good  , 
Andrew  Kinsman  : — 

"  Let  grand  preparations  be  made,— as  a  candle,  a  book,  and  a  table  ; 
above  all,  much  prayer,  that  I  may  not  again  relapse  at  Plymouth,  as  the 
Bristol  people  say  I  shall  do,  by  coming  at  this  season  of  the  year." 

On  reaching  Plymouth,  he  wrote  : — 

"Plymouth,  December  4,  1762.  Being  under  a  positive  promise  to 
come  here  before  I  left  England,  I  embraced  this  opportunity.  Through 
mercy,  I  preached  last  night,  and  find  no  hurt  this  morning.  Many  young 
people,  I  hear,  are  under  great  awakenings.  O  to  begin  to  wage  an 
eternal  war  with  the  devil,  the  world,  and  the  flesh  !  I  would  fain  die 
sword  in  hand." 

Whitefield  had  an  old  trusty  servant,  Mrs.  Elizabeth 
Wood,^  to  whom  he  wrote  as  follows  : — 

"Plymouth,  December  5,  1762.  You  did  very  wrong,  in  not  letting  me 
know  of  your  mother's  necessities.  She  was  a  widow  indeed  ;  but  now 
she  is  above  the  reach  of  everything.  I  am  weary  of  the  world,  of  the 
Church,  and  of  myself.  I  cannot  get  up  to  London  till  near  Christmas 
Day.  As  affairs  are  there  circumstanced,  everything  there  tends  to  weigh 
me  down.  O  that  patience  may  have  its  perfect  work !  Let  me  always 
know  your  wants.  It  is  your  own  fault  if  you  lack  anything,  whilst  I  have 
a  farthing." 

*  Gospel  Magazine,  1771,  p.  65. 


456  The  Life  of  White  field. 

1762  Kind-heartedness  was  a  prominent  trait  in  Whitefield's 
'x^An  character.  It  was  during  this,  or  some  other  visit  to  Ply- 
mouth, that  an  incident  occurred  which  is  worth  telHng. 
"  Come,"  said  Whitcfield  to  his  friend  and  host,  Andrew 
Kinsman,  "  come,  let  us  go  to  some  of  the  poor  and  afflicted 
of  your  flock.  It  is  not  enough  that  we  labour  in  the  pulpit ; 
we  must  endeavour  to  be  useful  out  of  it."  Away  the  two 
friends  went,  and  Whitefield  not  only  gave  counsel  to  those 
fhey  visited,  but  monetary  aid.  Kinsman  reminded  him  that 
his  finances  were  low,  and  that  he  was  more  bountiful  than 
he  could  afford,  "  Young  man,"  replied  Whitefield,  "  it  is 
not  enough  to  pray,  and  to  put  on  a  serious  countenance  : 
*  pure  religion  and  undefiled  is  this,  to  visit  the  fatherless  and 
widows  in  their  affliction,'  and  to  administer  to  their  wants. 
My  stock,  I  grant,  is  nearly  exhausted,  but  God  will  soon 
send  me  a  fresh  supply."-  In  the  evening,  a  gentleman 
called,  and  asked  to  see  Whitefield.  "  Sir,"  said  he,  "  I 
heard  you  preach  yesterday  :  you  are  on  a  journey,  as  well 
as  myself;  and,  as  travelling  is  expensive,  will  you  do  me 
the  honour  of  accepting  this .''  "  The  present  was  five 
guineas,  and  came  from  a  man  noted  for  his  penuriousness. 
"  Young  man,"  cried  Whitefield,  on  his  return  to  Kinsman, 
"  young  man,  God  has  soon  repaid  what  I  bestowed.  Learn, 
in  future,  not  to  withhold  when  it  is  in  the  power  of  your 
hand  to  give."  ^ 

Whitefield,  on  his  way  to   London,  halted    at   Bristol,  and 
wrote  to  Kinsman,  as  follows  : — 

"  Bristol,  December  12,  1762.  We  got  here  yesterday,  all  well,  except- 
ing that  I  lost  my  watch  in  the  way.  If  it  teach  me  to  be  more  on  my 
ivatch  in  the  best  things,  the  loss  will  be  a  gain.  Lord,  help  me  in  every- 
thing to  give  thanks  !  I  do  not  repent  my  Plymouth  journey,  Thanks 
to  you  all  for  your  great  kindnesses.  Thanks,  eternal  thanks,  to  the  God 
of  all,  for  giving  us  His  presence  1  It  is  better  than  life.  I  have  not  yet 
seen  your  daughter  ;  but  I  hear  she  is  well.  Tell  Sarah  not  to  murder  so 
dear  a  child.  Hugging  to  death  is  cruelty  indeed.  Adieu  !  I  must  away 
to  sacrament.  O  for  such  a  one  as  we  had  last  Sunday  !  Mind  and  get 
up  in  a  morning  to  pray,  before  you  get  into  shop." 

Whitefield   wished    to   embark    for  America  ;   but,   before 
doing    so,  had    a    difficulty  to  encounter.      He    had   erected 

'    Wesley  an  Protestant  Methodist  Magazine ^  1831,  p.  29. 


Whiteficld  trying  to  Settle  his  Affairs.  457 

two  large  and  flourishing  chapels  in  London,  which,  in  con-  ^7^3 
sequence  of  the  sites  on  which  they  stood  being  granted  to  Age  47 
himself  on  lease,  were  practically  his  own  property.  The 
money  by  which  the  chapels  had  been  built  was  not  his  ; 
and  he  felt  that  it  would  be  unjust  if,  by  his  decease,  they 
came  into  the  possession  of  his  heirs  and  successors.  Hence, 
as  he  was  hoping  soon  to  sail,  and  as  his  health  was  such  as 
to  render  his  return  to  England  a  doubtful  matter,  he  was 
anxious  to  have  the  Tabernacle  and  the  Tottenham  Court 
Road  chapel  so  settled,  that  the  purpose  for  which  they 
had  been  erected  might  never  be  frustrated.  Hence  the 
following  to  Mr.  Robert  Keen  : — 

^'' Jamtary  15,  1763. 
"  My  dear  Friend, — Do  meet  me  to-morrow,  at  one  o'clock,  at  Mr. 
B n's,  Canonbuiy  House.     I  have  something  of  importance  to  com- 
municate.   It  is  to  beseech  you,  jointly  with  Mr.  Hardy  and  Mr.  B n,' 

as  trustees,  to  take  upon  you  the  whole  care  of  the  affairs  of  Tottenham 
Court  chapel,  and  of  the  Tabernacle,  and  all  my  other  concerns  in  England. 
This  one  thing  being  settled,  I  have  nothing  to  retard  my  visit  to  America, 
to  which  I  think  there  is  a  manifest  call  at  this  time,  both  as  to  the  bracing 
up  my  poor,  feeble,  crazy  body,  and  adjusting  all  things  relating  to 
Bethesda.  Your  accepting  this  trust  will  take  off  a  ponderous  load  that 
oppresses  me  much." 

There  can  be  little  doubt,  that,  Messrs.  Keen  and  Hardy 
consented  to  take  the  management  of  the  two  chapels  during 
Whitefield's  absence  in  America  ;  but  it  is  also  clear  that 
no  trust  deed,  transferring  the  chapels  to  these  two  gentle- 
men, was  at  that  time  executed.  Hence  the  following  clause 
in  Whitefield's  will,  dated  March  22,  1770  : — 

"  Whereas  there  is  a  building,  commonly  called  the  Tabernacle,  set 
apart  many  years  ago  for  Divine  worship,  I  give  and  bequeath  my  said 
Tabernacle,  with  the  adjacent  house  in  which  I  usually  reside,  when  in 
London,  with  the  stable  and  coach-house  in  the  yard  adjoining,  together 
with  all  books,  furniture,  and  everything  else  whatsoever,  that  shall  be 
found  in  the  house  and  premises  aforesaid ;  and  also  the  buildings  com- 
monly called  Tottenham  Court  chapel,  together  with  all  the  other  buildings, 
houses,  stable,  coach-house,  and  everything  else  whatsoever  which  I  stand 
possessed  of  in  that  part  of  the  tov.-n, — to  my  worthy,  trusty,  tried  friends, 

'  Query  ?  Mr.  Eeckman,  on  whose  death,  Whiteficld  subsequently 
preached  a  sermon.  (See  Eighteen  Sermons,  by  Whitefield,  taken  in 
shorthand  by  Joseph  Gurney,  1771.) 


458  The  Life  of  WJiitefield. 

1763     Daniel  West,  Esq.,  in  Church  Street,  Spitaltields,  and  Mr.  Robert  Keen, 

.         „  woollen-draper  in  the  Minories,  or  the  longer  survivor  of  the  two." 
Age  48  ^ 

This  is  a  curious  clause.  In  the  year  of  his  decease, 
Whitefield  evidently  believed  the  London  chapels  and  their 
adjacent  premises  to  be  his  own  property,  but  he  had  no 
wish  for  them  to  pass  to  his  representatives  and  heirs.  His 
desire  was  that  they  should  be  used  in  perpetuity,  for  preach- 
ing the  same  glorious  gospel,  as  he  had  preached  for  more 
than  the  last  thirty  years  ;  and  hence  the  above  bequest. 
The  oddness  of  the  thing,  however,  is,  that  Whitefield's  will 
created  no  trust ;  and  that,  by  it,  these  two  chapels  became 
as  absolutely  the  property  of  Messrs.  West  and  Keen  as 
they  had  been  his  own. 

It  is  only  right  to  add,  that,  in  making  his  will,  Whitefield 
was  his  own  lawyer.  At  all  events,  the  will  was  in  his  own 
handwriting.  And,  further,  it  is  due  to  Mr.  West  and  Mr. 
Keen  to  say,  that,  though  they  might  have  appropriated  this 
property  to  their  own  private  use,  they  faithfully  carried  out 
the  intentions  of  Whitefield,  and  managed  the  chapels,  not 
for  their  own  benefit,  but,  for  the  glory  of  God  and  the  good 
of  their  fellow-men.  Mr.  Keen  died  on  January  30,  1793; 
and  Mr.  West  on  September  30,  1796.^  The  last-mentioned 
gentleman,  as  the  survivor  of  the  two  "  trusty  friends" 
mentioned  in  Whitefield's  will,  bequeathed  the  property  to 
Samuel  Foyster  and  John  Wilson,  both  of  them  well  known 
in   the  Christian  world.      This,  however,  is   not  the   place   to 

'  Evangelical  Magazine^  1 796,  p.  518. 

Mr.  West's  residence  was  in  Southampton  Place,  but  he  died  in  the 
house  of  his  old  friend  Whitefield,  adjoining  the  Tabernacle,  in  Moor- 
fields.  For  thirteen  years,  his  sufferings  were  terrible;  but  his  patience 
and  cheerfulness  were  surprising  to  all  who  knew  him.  A  few  days  before 
his  death,  he  became  very  ill  while  attending  service  in  the  Tabernacle. 
The  doctor  would  not  permit  him  to  be  removed  to  his  own  house,  as  it 
was  probable  the  removal  would  issue  in  his  death.  To  the  minister  of 
the  Tabernacle,  he  said,  "  Christ  is  kind  to  me.  I  long  for  my  disso- 
lution. O  !  my  dear  boy,  preach,  preach  Christ  to  the  people  !  Never 
spare  them.  Be  faithful  to  them  ;  and  think  of  the  worth  of  a  precious 
soul.  Go  on,  and  never  be  tired."  Mr.  West  was  interred  under  the 
communion  table  of  Tottenham  Court  Road  chapel,  in  a  vault  containing 
the  remains  of  Whitefield's  wife,  also  of  his  own  wife,  and  of  Mr.  Keen, 
his  "  trusty"  colleague.  It  is  worth  mentioning  that  Whitefield  and  West 
died  on  the  same  day  of  the  year,  the  30th  of  September,  and  that  they 
and  Keen  all  died  on  the  same  day  of  the  month.  {Evangelical Magazine, 
1795,  pp.  518-21.) 


A  Farewell  Sermon.  45g 

pursue  the  history  of  the  glorious  old  Tabernacle  in  Moorfields,    ^7^3 
and  of  the  aristocratic  chapel  in  Tottenham  Court  Road.  Age  48 

Whitefield  took  leave  of  his  London  congregations  on 
Wednesday,  February  23,  when  he  preached  a  farewell 
sermon,  from  "The  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  be  with 
you  all.  Amen."  In  the  earlier  parts  of  this  biography, 
lengthened  extracts  were  given  from  Whitefield's  sermons, 
for  the  purpose  of  conveying  an  idea  of  the  character  of  his 
preaching,  at  that  period  of  his  ministry.  For  the  same  pur- 
pose, other  extracts  from  sermons,  belonging  to  the  present 
date,  may  be  given  here. 

In  the  sermon,  preached  on  February  23,  1763,  White- 
field  is  reported  as  having  said  : — 

" '  The  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Ctyist  be  with  you  alL^  It  is  not  said, 
all  ministers,  or  all  of  this  or  that  particular  people ;  but  with  all  believers. 
Mr.  Henry  said,  he  desired  to  be  a  Catholic,  but  not  a  Roman  Catholic. 
There  is  a  great  reservoir  of  water  from  which  this  great  city  is  supplied; 
but  how  is  it  supplied?  Why,  by  hundreds  and  hundreds  of  pipes.  Does 
the  water  go  only  to  the  Dissenters,  or  to  the  Church  people, — only  to 
this  or  that  people  .''  No  :  the  pipes  convey  the  water  to  all  ;  and,  I 
remember,  when  I  saw  the  reservoir,  it  put  me  in  mind  of  the  great 
reservoir  ot  grace,  the  living  water  that  is  in  Christ  Jesus. 

"  What  a  horrid  blunder  has  the  Bishop  of  Gloucester  been  guilty  of  ! 
What  do  you  think  his  lordship  says,  in  order  to  expose  the  fanaticism  of 
the  Methodists  '^  '  Why,'  says  he,  'they  say  they  cannot  understand  the 
Scriptures  without  the  Spirit  of  God.'  Can  any  man  understand  the 
Scriptures  without  the  Spirit  of  God  helps  him  'i  Jesus  Christ  must  open 
our  understanding  to  understand  them.  The  Spirit  of  God  must  take  of 
the  things  of  Christ,  and  shew  them  unto  us.  So,  also,  with  respect  to 
all  ordinances.  What  signifies  my  preaching,  and  your  hearing,  if  the 
Spirit  of  God  does  not  enlighten .''  I  declare  I  would  not  preach  again,  if 
I  did  not  think  that  God  would  accompany  the  word  by  His  Spirit." 

"Are  any  of  you  here  unconverted.''  No  doubt  too  many.  Are  any 
of  you  come  this  morning,  out  of  curiosity,  to  hear  what  the  babbler  has 
to  say.''  Many,  perhaps,  are  glad  it  is  my  last  sermon,  and  that  London 
is  to  be  rid  of  such  a  monster  ;  but  surely  you  cannot  be  angry  with  me 
for  my  wishing  that  the  grace  of  God  may  be  with  you  all.  O  that  it  may 
be  with  every  unconverted  soul !  O  man  !  what  wilt  thou  do  if  the  grace 
of  God  is  not  with  thee  .'*  My  brethren,  you  cannot  do  without  the  grace 
of  God  when  you  come  to  die.  Do  you  know  that  without  this  you  are 
nothing  but  devils  incarnate  "^  Do  you  know  that  every  moment  you  are 
liable  to  eternal  pains  .''  Don't  say  I  part  with  you  in  an  ill  humour. 
Don't  say  that  a  madman  left  you  with  a  curse.  Blessed  be  God  !  when 
I  first  became  a  field-preacher,  I  proclaimed  the  grace  of  God  to  the  worst 
of  sinners  ;  and  I  proclaim  it  now  to  the  vilest  sinner  under  heaven.    Could 


46o  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1763  I  speak  so  loud  that  the  whole  world  might  hear  me,  I  would  declare  that 
—  the  grace  of  God  is  free  for  all  who  are  willing  to  accept  of  it  by  Christ. 
^  God  make  you  all  willing  ihis  day !  " 

Was  Whitefield  still  a  Calvinist  ?  Language  like  this  can 
hardly  be  harmonized  with  Whitefield's  holding  the  doctrine 
of  election,  and,  by  consequence,  the  doctrine  of  reprobation. 
Two  or  three  extracts  from  other  sermons,  preached  at  this 
period  of  his  history,  may  be  useful. 

"  Woe  !  woe  !  woe  !  to  those  who,  in  the  hour  of  death,  cannot  say, 
'  God  is  my  refuge.'  O  what  will  you  do,  when  the  elements  shall  melt 
with  fervent  heat.''  when  the  earth  with  all  its  furniture  shall  be  burnt  up? 
when  the  archangel  shall  proclaim,  'Time  shall  be  no  more  !'  Whither 
then,  ye  wicked  ones,  ye  unconverted  ones,  will  ye  flee  for  refuge  .''  '  O,' 
says  one,  'I  will  flee  to  the  mountains.'  Silly  fool  !  flee  to  the  mountains, 
that  are  themselves  to  be  burnt  up  !  '  O,'  say  you, '  I  will  flee  to  the  sea.' 
That  will  be  boiling  !  '  I  will  flee  to  the  elements.'  They  will  be  melting 
with  fervent  heat.  I  know  of  but  one  place  you  can  go  to,  that  is  to  the 
devil.  God  keep  you  from  that  !  Make  God  your  refuge.  If  you  stop 
short  of  this,  you  will  only  be  a  sport  for  devils.  There  is  no  river  to 
make  glad  the  inhabitants  of  hell :  no  streams  to  cool  them  in  that 
scorching  element.  Were  those  in  hell  to  have  such  an  offer  of  mercy  as 
you  have,  how  would  their  chains  rattle  !  how  would  they  come  with 
the  flames  of  hell  about  their  ears  !  Fly  !  sinner,  fly  !  God  help  thee  to 
fly  to  Himself  for  refuge  !  Hark  !  hear  the  word  of  the  Lord  !  See  the 
world  consumed  !  See  the  avenger  of  blood  at  thy  heels  !  If  thou  dost 
not  take  refuge  in  God  to-night,  thou  mayest  to-morrow  be  damned  for 
ever.' 

"  Tremble  for  fear  God  should  remove  His  candlestick  from  among  you. 
Labourers  are  sick.  Those  who  did  once  labour  are  almost  worn  out  ; 
and  others  bring  themselves  into  a  narrow  sphere,  and  so  confine  their 
usefulness.  There  are  few  who  like  to  go  out  into  the  fields.  Broken 
heads  and  dead  cats  are  no  longer  the  ornaments  of  a  Methodist.  These 
honourable  badges  are  now  no  more.  Languor  has  got  from  the  ministers 
to  the  people  ;  and,  if  you  don't  take  care,  we  shall  all  be  dead  together. 
The  Lord  Jesus  rouse  us  !  Ye  Methodists  of  many  years'  standing,  shew 
the  young  ones,  who  have  not  the  cross  to  bear  as  we  once  had,  what 
ancient  Methodism  was." 

"  Don't  be  angry  with  a  poor  minister  for  weeping  over  them  who  will 
not  weep  for  themselves.  If  you  laugh  at  me,  I  know  Jesus  smiles.  I 
am  free  from  the  blood  of  you  all.  If  you  are  damned  for  want  of 
conversion,  remember  you  are  not  damned  for  want  of  warning.  You 
are  gospel-proof;  and,  if  there  is  one  place  in  hell  deeper  than  another, 
God  will  order  a  gospel-despising  Methodist  to  be  put  there.    God  convert 

'  Eighteen  Sermons,  by  Whitefield,  transcribed  by  Gurney,  p.  44. 
'  ibid.,  p.  75. 


Age  48 


White/icid'' s  Sermons,   by   Gur^iey.  461 

you  from  lying  a-bed  in  the  morning  !  God  convert  you  from  conformity  1763 
to  the  world  !  God  convert  you  from  lukewarmness  !  Do  not  get  into  a 
cursed  Antinomian  way  of  thinking,  and  say,  '  I  thank  God,  I  have  the 
root  of  the  matter  in  me  !  I  thank  God,  I  was  converted  twenty  or  thirty 
years  ago  ;  and,  though  I  can  go  to  a  public-house,  and  play  at  cards, 
yet,  I  am  converted  ;  for  once  in  Christ,  always  in  Christ.'  Whether  you 
were  converted  formerly  or  not,  you  are  perverted  now.  Would  you  have 
Jesus  Christ  catch  you  napping,  with  your  lamps  untrimmed  1  Suffer  the 
word  of  exhortation.  I  preach  feelingly.  I  could  be  glad  to  preach  till 
I  preached  myself  dead,  if  God  would  convert  you.  I  seldom  sleep  after 
three  in  the  morning  ;  and  I  pray  every  morning,  *  Lord,  convert  me,  and 
make  me  more  a  new  creature  to-day  !'" 

These  extracts  are  neither  eloquent,  nor  particularly  in- 
structive ;  but  they  serve  to  shew  the  declamatory  and 
colloquial  style  used  by  Whitefield  in  the  latter  period  of 
his  ministry.  His  sermons  were  earnest  talk,  full  of  anec- 
dotes, and  ejaculatory  prayers. 

It  is  only  just  to  add,  that  the  sermons,  from  which  the 
foregoing  extracts  arc  taken,  were  not  written  and  published 
by  Whitefield  himself,  nor  yet  with  his  permission.  They 
were  "  taken  verbatim  in  shorthand,  and  faithfully  trans- 
cribed by  Joseph  Gurney  ;"  and  were  "  Revised  by  Andrew 
Gifford,  D.D."  The  sermons,  in  Gurney 's  volume,  issued  in 
1 77 1,  were  eighteen  in  number;  but,  two  or  three  were 
published  separately  previous  to  that.  To  one  of  these, 
Whitefield  raised  strong  objections.  "  It  is  not  verbatim" 
said  he  ;  "  in  some  places  Mr.  Gurney  makes  me  to  speak 
false  concord,  and  even  nonsense."^  The  publication  of 
Gurney 's  volume  (8vo.  455  pp.)  created  great  unpleasantness. 
In  the  first  instance,  Whitefield's  executors  consented  to  the 
publication,  and  agreed  to  remunerate  the  transcriber  for  his 
labour  ;  but,  when  half  the  sermons  were  "  worked  off,"  they 
were  so  dissatisfied  with  them,  that  they  informed  the  short- 
hand writer,  they  were  "  not  able  to  recommend  them  to  the 
public."  No  doubt,  the  objections  of  the  executors  were 
well  founded  ;  but  still,  though  the  sermons  might  not  be 
reported  with  perfect  accuracy,  they  may  be  fairly  taken  as 
a  specimen — though  an  imperfect  one — of  Whitefield's  style 
of  preaching  during  the  last  few  years  of  his  eventful  life. 

After  his  farewell  sermon,  at  the  Tabernacle,  on  February 

'  Whitefield's  Works,  vol.  iii.,  p.  406. 


462  TJie  Life  0/  Whitejield. 

'763  23,  Whitefield  set  out  for  Scotland.  On  his  way,  he 
Age  48  preached  for  Berridge  at  Everton  ;  ^  Berridge,  together  with 
Thomas  Adams,  having  engaged  to  supply  his  place  in 
London.^  He  visited  Sheffield,  and  preached  in  Wesley's, 
unplastered,  though  white-washed,  chapel  in  Mulberry  Street, 
taking  as  his  text,  Romans  v.  ii.  Here,  as  in  the  extract 
above  given,  he  warned  the  people  against  resting  satisfied 
with  a  past  conversion.  "  In  your  Bibles,"  said  he,  "  you 
have  registered  your  births  ;  and  some  of  you  the  time  when 
you  were  born  again  ;  but  are  you  new  creatures  iioiv  ?"  ^ 

On  March  4,  he  arrived  at  Leeds,  and  here,  besides 
preaching,  he  employed  himself  in  writing  his  "  Observations 
on  some  Fatal  Mistakes,  in  a  Book  lately  published,  and 
entitled,  '  The  Doctrine  of  Grace  ;  or,  the  Office  and  Opera- 
tions of  the  Holy  Spirit  Vindicated  from  the  Insults  of 
Infidelity  and  the  Abuses  of  Fanaticism.  By  William,  Lord 
Bishop  of  Gloucester.'  In  a  Letter  to  a  Friend.  By  George 
Whitefield,  A.M.,  late  of  Pembroke  College,  Oxford,  and 
Chaplain  to  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon.  London,  1763." 
(i2mo.  35  pp.)' 

This  was,  I  believe,  the  first  instance  in  which,  in  England, 
A.M.  was  attached  to  Whitefield's  name  ;  and  even  now  the 
degree,  conferred  by  New  Jersey  College  in  1754,  was  not 
appropriated  by  Whitefield  himself,  but  was  foolishly  used 
by  his  friends,  who  printed  his  pamphlet  after  he  embarked 
for  America. 

So  far  as  the  Methodists  were  concerned,  the  book  of 
Bishop  Warburton  was  levelled  against  Wesley,  rather  than 
against  Whitefield.  The  worst,  indeed,  almost  the  only 
sneer  against  Whitefield,  was,  that,  though  both  Wesley  and 
he  were  mad,  Whitefield  was  "  the  madder  of  the  two." 
Wesley's  reply  to  Warburton  was  published  in  a  12  mo. 
volume  of  144  pages  ;  but,  with  a  single  exception,  need  not 
be  quoted  here.  In  answer  to  one  of  the  Bishop's  contemp- 
tuous  remarks,  that  Whitefield   set  up  himself  as  Wesley's 

'  Whitefield's  Works,  vol.  iii.,  p.  286. 
^  Eighteen  Sermons,  by  Whitefield,  p.  24. 
»  MS. 

*  Whitefield's  pamphlet  had  an    enormous  circulation.     At  least,  six 
editions  were  issued  in  1763. 


Whitefield  and  Bishop    Warburton.  463 

rival,  Wesley  says  :     "  We  were  ^  in    full    union  ;    nor  was    1763 
there   the    least   shadow    of  rivalry    or   contention    between  A^e  4S 
us.      I  still   sincerely  '  praise   God  for  His  wisdom   in   giving 
different  talents  to  different  preachers  ; '   and  particularly  for 
His  giving  Mr.  Whitefield  the  talents  which  I  have  not." 

Whitefield's  "  Observations  "  were  smartly  and  rather  ably 
written  ;  but  two  extracts  must  suffice.  He  admits  that 
the  "  modern  defenders  of  Christianity,  in  their  elaborate 
and  well-meant  treatises,  against  the  attacks  of  Infidels 
and  Free-thinkers,  have  shewn  themselves,  as  far  as  human 
learning  is  concerned,  to  be  masters  of  strong  reasoning, 
nervous  language,  and  conclusive  arguments  ;  "  but  they 
lacked  a  "  deep  and  experimental  knowledge  of  themselves, 
and  of  Jesus  Christ."  With  regard  to  Bishop  Warburton  in 
particular,  he  affirms,  that,  his  lordship,  "  in  his  great  zeal 
against  fanaticism,  and  to  the  no  small  encouragement  of 
infidelity,  has,  as  far  as  perverted  reason  and  disguised 
sophistry  could  carry  him,  robbed  the  Church  of  Christ  of  its 
promised  Comforter  ;  and,  thereby,  left  us  without  any  super- 
natural influence  or  Divine  operations  whatsoever"  (pp.  5,  6). 
Then  turning  to  Warburton's  abuse  of  the  Methodists, 
Whitefield  remarks  : — 

"  To  set  these  off  in  a  ridiculous  light,  this  writer  runs  from  Dan  to 
Beersheba  ;  gives  us  quotation  upon  quotation  out  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  John 
Wesley's  Journals  ;  and,  to  use  his  own  simile  upon  another  occasion,  by 
a  kind  of  Egyptian  husbandry,  draws  together  whole  droves  of  obscene 
animals,  of  his  own  formation,  who  rush  in  furiously,  and  then  trample 
the  Journals,  and  this  sect,  under  their  feet.  Our  author  calls  the  Rev. 
Mr.  John  Wesley  'paltry  mimic,  spiritual  empiric,  spiritual  martialist, 
new  adventurer.'  The  Methodists,  according  to  him,  are  'modern 
apostles,  the  saints,  new  missionaries,  and  illuminated  doctors.'  Method- 
ism itself  is  modern  saintship  ;  Mr.  Law  begat  it  ;  Count  Zinzendorf 
rocked  the  cradle  ;  and  the  devil  himself  was  midwife  to  their  new-birth  " 
(p.  24). 

In  reference  to  Wesley's  Journals  and  his  own,  Whitefield 
says : — 

"Whatever  that  indefatigable  labourer,  the  Rev.  Mr.  John  Wesley, 
may  think  of  his,  I  have  long  since  publicly  acknowledged  that  there 
were,  and  doubtless,  though  now  sent  forth  in  a  more  correct  attire,  there 

'  In  1739. 


464  TJie  Life  of  Whitcfield. 

1763  are  yet  many  exceptionable  passages  in  my  Journals.  And  I  hope  it  will 
.  Q,  be  one  of  the  constant  employments  of  my  declining  years  to  humble 
myself  daily  before  the  Most  High  God,  for  the  innumerable  mixtures  of 
corruption  which  have  blended  themselves  with  my  feeble,  but,  I  trust, 
sincere  endeavours  to  promote  the  Redeemer's  glory.  If  his  lordship  had 
contented  himself  with  pointing  out,  or  even  ridiculing,  any  such  blemishes? 
imprudences,  or  mistakes,  in  my  own,  or  in  any  of  the  Methodists'  conduct 
or  performances,  I  should  have  stood  entirely  silent.  But  when  I  ob- 
served his  lordship,  through  almost  his  whole  book,  not  only  wantonly 
throwing  about  the  arrows  and  firebrands  of  scurrility,  buffoonery,  and 
personal  abuse,  but,  at  the  same  time,  taking  occasion  to  vilify,  and  totally 
deny  the  operations  of  the  blessed  Spirit,  by  which  alone  his  loi'dship,  or 
any  other  man,  can  be  sanctified  and  sealed  to  the  day  of  eternal  redemp- 
tion, I  must  own  that  I  was  constrained  to  vent  myself  to  you,  as  a  dear 
and  intimate  friend,  in  the  manner  I  have  done.  Make  what  use  of  it  you 
please. 

"At  present,  I  am  on  the  road  to  Scotland,  in  order  to  embark  for 
America  ;  and  only  add,  that  the  method  used  by  his  lordship  to  stop, 
will  rather  serve  to  increase  and  establish  what  he  is  pleased  to  term  a 
*  sect  of  fanatics.'  Bishop  Burnet  prescribed  a  much  better  way  to  stop 
the  progress  of  the  Puritan  ministers.  '  Out-live^  out-labour,  out-preach 
them,'  said  his  lordship.  That  the  Rev.  Mr.  John  Wesley  himself,  that 
famed  leader  of  the  Methodists,  and  every  Methodist  preacher  in  England 
may  be  thus  outed  and  entirely  annihilated  is,  and  shall  be,  the  hearty 
prayer  of  George  Whitcfield  "  (pp.  33 — 35). 

Having  completed  his  pamplilet  at  Leeds,  Whitcfield  pro- 
ceeded to  Newcastle,  where  he  wrote  : — • 

"  Newcastle,  March  13,  1763. 
*'  My  very  dear  Friend, — I  cannot  go  further  without  dropping  you 
a  few  lines.  They  leave  me  thus  far  advanced  in  my  journey  to  Scotland. 
My  friends  write  me  word,  that  the  ship  Jenny,  Captain  Orr,  a  very  dis- 
creet person,  sails  from  Greenock  to  Boston  the  middle  of  April.  You 
will  pray  that  the  God  of  the  sea  and  dry  land  will  give  me  a  safe  and 
speedy  passage.  On  the  road,  we  have  been  favoured  with  some  sweet 
seasons.  I  have  preached  at  Everton,  Leeds,  Kippax,  Aberford,  and  this 
place.  Next  Sabbath  I  hope  to  be  at  Edinburgh.  On  my  way,  I  finished 
a  little  thing  in  answer  to  the  present  Bishop  of  Gloucester.  If  my  friends 
think  proper  to  print  it,  you  will  find  a  testimony  left  behind  me  for  the 
good  old  Puritans  and  free- grace  Dissenters,  whom  he  sadly  maligns." 

Whitcfield  arrived  at  Edinburgh,  as  he  expected  ;  but, 
instead  of  sailing  in  the  middle  of  April,  his  embarkation 
was  deferred  until  the  4th  of  June.  During  this  unexpected 
detention,  his  old  friend  Wesley  came  to  Scotland,  and 
Vv-rotc  :     "Sunday,    May    22.       At    Edinburgh,   I   had    the 


Letters.  465 

satisfaction  of  spending  a  little  time  with  Mr.  Whiteficld.  ^7^" 
Humanly  speaking,  he  is  worn  out  ;  but  we  have  to  do  with  a<'i;  .,. 
Him  who  hath  all  power  in  heaven  and  earth."  ^  Though 
"  worn  out,"  Whitefield  continued  preaching,  as  often  as  he 
could.  He  spent  eleven  weeks  in  Scotland,  and,  towards 
the  end  of  that  interval,  had  an  alarming  illness.  In 
Lloyd's  Evening  Post,  for  June  6,  it  was  announced,  "  Th.e 
Rev.  Mr.  Whitefield  is  so  ill  in  Scotland,  as  not  to  be  able  to 
embark  for  America."  But,  four  days  later,  the  same  journal 
contained  the  following  :  "  Last  week,  tlje  Rev.  Mr.  White- 
field,  being  recovered  from  his  indisposition,  sailed  from 
Greenock,  on  board  the  Fanny,  Captain  Galbraith,  bound  to 
Rappahanock,  in  Virginia."  ^ 

The  best  glimpses  of  Whitefield,  during  his  stay  in  Scot- 
land, will  be  obtained  by  brief  extracts  from  his  letters. 
To  his  old  servant,  Elizabeth  Wood,  he  wrote  : — 

*'  Edinburgh,  March  19.  I  was  quite  concerned  to  see  you  so  ill.  I 
charge  you  to  want  for  nothing.  Speak  to  Messrs.  Keen  and  Hardy: 
they  will  supply  you  at  any  time.  Do  not  be  afraid  to  go  near  the 
Tabernacle  House.  I  will  own  and  stand  by  my  dear,  steady,  and  faithful 
servants  and  helpers.  Such  a  one  you  have  been.  O  for  heaven  !  There 
are  no  thorns  and  briars  amongst  God's  people  there.  In  about  a  month, 
I  expect  to  sail." 

In  a  letter  to  a  friend,  he  said  : — 
"  Edinburgh,  March  26, 1763.  After  my  return  from  Glasgow,  I  may  be 
here  a  fortnight.  My  poor  body  is  so  far  restored,  that  I  can  mount  the 
gospel  throne  once  a  day.  Perhaps  the  sea  air  may  brace  me  up  a  little 
more  ;  but,  after  all,  it  is  only  like  the  glimmering  of  a  candle  before  it 
goes  out.  Death  will  light  it  up  in  a  better  world.  O  that  I  had  done 
more  for  the  blessed  Jesus  !  O  that  I  could  think  more  of  what  He  has 
done  for  me!  The  Edinburgh  prescriptions  have  been  blessed  to  me. 
My  spirits  are  much  brisker  than  when  here  last." 

To  Mr.  Keen, -who  now,  in  conjunction  with  Mr.  Hardy, 
had  the  management  of  his  London  chapels,  Whitefield 
wrote  : — 

'•  Edinburgh,  March  26,  1763.  I  thank  you  for  your  kind  letter  ;  and 
thank  the  Lord  of  all  lords  that  matters  go  on  so  well.  1  am  more  than 
easy.  The  Lord  has  directed  my  choice,  and  will  bless,  assist,  and 
reward  those  employed.     Ten  thousand  thanks  to  you  all.     You  m.ay  act 

'  Wesley's  Journal. 

"  Soon  after  his  embarkation,  it  was  reported  that  Whitefield  was  dead. 
{^Lloyd's  E7U'?iiHg  Post,  September  26,  1763.) 

VOL.  n.  30 


466  The  Life  of  White  field. 


1763     as  you  please  with  respect  to  Mr. .     His  attending  the  Tabernacle 

~       when  I  was  well,  and  leaving  it  ever  since  I  have  been  sick,  does  not  look 

■^Se  48  ^gij  3^  ^]j  .  ^yj  please  yourselves,  and  you  will  please  me.     Do  not  consult 

me  in  anything,  unless  absolutely  necessary.      On  Monday,  I  am  going 

to  see  about  the  ship.     I  am  sorry  my  little  piece,  entitled  '  Observations^ 

etc.,  is  not  come  out  yet." 

In  another  letter  to  Mr.  Keen,  he  observed  : — ■ 

"Leith,  May  14,  1763.  Why  so  fearful  of  writing  a  long  letter?  The 
longer  the  better.  Though  disappointed  in  embarking,  by  reason  of 
sickness,  I  can  read  and  write,  and  hope  soon  to  get  upon  my  throne 
again.  I  have  been  able  to  go  upon  the  water  to-day  for  several  hours. 
Others  can  die,  but  I  cannot.  Father,  Thy  will  be  done  !  What  a  God 
do  I  serve  !  Physicians,  friends  on  every  side  of  me  !  And  what  is  all 
in  all,  the  great  Physician  comforting  my  soul !  Thank,  O  thank  Him 
in  behalf  of  a  worthless  worm  !  " 

Whitefield's  last  letter,  before  his  departure,  was  the  fol- 
lowing : — 

"  Greenock,  Ju7ie  4,  1763. 

"  My  dear  Friend, — A  thousand  thanks  for  your  kind  letters.     Jesus 

is  kind.     I  am  better,  and  just  going   on  board  the  Fanny,  bound  to 

Rappahanock,  in  Virginia.     Yours  to  good   Lady   Huntingdon  is  taken 

.     care  of.     I  hear  her  daughter  died  well,'  and  that  her  ladyship  is  comforted 

and  resigned.     Blessed  be  God  !     Adieu  !     Follow  me  with  your  prayers. 

"  Ever  yours, 

"  George  Whitefield." 

Thus  ended  Whitefield's  eight  years'  wanderings  in  the 
United  Kingdom  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland.  During  this 
interval,  he  had  reached  the  zenith  of  his  usefulness  and  fame. 
His  health  was  now  broken  ;  and,  though  he  lived  for  seven 
years  afterwards,  he,  comparatively  speaking,  continued  to 
be,  what  Wesley  called  him,  a  "  worn-out  "  man. 


'  Lady  Selina  Hastings,  who  died  of  fever,  on 'May  12,  1763. 


SIXTH     VISIT    TO    AMERICA, 
June  4,  1763,  to  July  8,  1765. 

WHITEFIELD'S    voyage  to   America   was   long,  but     17^3 
pleasant.      Nearly  twelve  weeks  were  spent  upon  the  ^gg  ^g 
ocean.      His  letters  will  best  display  his  feelings. 

"At  Sea,  July  15,  1763. 
"This  leaves  me  looking  towards  Virginia,  but  only  as  a  harbour  in  my 
way  to  an  infinitely  better  port,  from  whence  I  shall  never  put  out  to  sea 
again.  I  have  been  surprisingly  kept  up  during  the  voyage, — long,  but  not 
tedious.  Jesus  has  made  the  ship  a  Bethel.  I  have  enjoyed  that  quiet- 
ness which  I  have  in  vain  sought  after  for  some  years  on  shore.  Not  an 
oath  has  been  heard  even  in  the  greatest  hurry.  All  has"  been  harmony 
and  love.  But  my  breath  is  short,  and,  since  my  relapse  in  Scotland,  I 
have  little  hope  of  much  further  public  usefulness.  A  few  exertions,  like 
the  last  struggles  of  a  dying  man,  are  all  that  can  be  expected  from  me." 

On  landing  in  Virginia,  Whitefield  wrote  two  pastoral 
letters,  one  to  his  "  dear  Tabernacle  hearers  ;"  the  other  to 
those  at  Tottenham  Court  Road.  Both  were  written  on  the 
same  day,  and  the  following  is  an  extract : — 

"Virginia,  September  i,  1763. 
"For  some  weeks,  I  was  enabled  to  preach  once  a  day  when  in  Scot- 
land, and,  I  trust,  not  without  Divine  efficacy.  But,  being  taken  ill  of  my 
old  disorder  at  Edinburgh,  I  had  to  remain  silent  for  near  six  weeks,  and 
sometimes  I  thought  my  intended  voyage  would  be  retarded,  at  least,  for 
oneyear  longf^r.  Having,  however, obtained  a  little  strength,  I  embarked,  for 
the  eleventh  time,  in  the  ship  Fanny,  and  I  have  not  been  laid  by  an  hour, 
through  sickness,  since  I  came  on  board.  Everything  has  been  suitable 
to  my  low  estate, — a  large  and  commodious  cabin,  a  kind  captain,  and  a 
most  orderly  and  quiet  ship's  company,  who  gladly  attended  whenever  I 
had  breath  to  preach.  Often,  often  have  I  thought  of  my  dear  London 
friends,  when  I  guessed  they  were  assembled  together ;  and  as  often 
prayed,  when  I  knew  that  they  were  retired  to  rest,  that  He,  who  keepeth 
Israel,  would  watch  over  them,  and  make  their  very  dreams  devout.  How 


468  The  Life  of  Whitefiela. 


1763  I  am  to  be  disposed  of,  when  on  dry  land,  is  best  known  to  God.  Had  I 
strength  equal  to  my  will,  I  could  fly  from  pole  to  pole.  Though  wearied, 
and  now  almost  worn  out,  I  am  not  weary  of  my  blessed  Master's  service, 
O  love  Him  !  Love  Him  !  Make  Him  your  portion,  and  He  will  be  your 
confidence  for  ever.  Through  His  leave,  I  hope  to  see  you  again  next 
year.  Meanwhile,  as  long  as  I  have  breath,  it  shall  be  my  heart's  desire 
and  prayer  to  God,  that  the  labours  of  the  dear  servants  of  Jesus,  who  are 
called  to  preach  amongst  you,  may  be  so  blessed  that  I  may  not  be  missed 
a  single  moment." 

As  soon  as  he  left  the  ship,  Whitefield  set  out  for  a  cooler 
climate  than  that  of  Virginia.      Hence  the  following  : — 

"Virginia,  September'],  1763. 
"  We  are  now  on  dry  land.  Christian  friends,  whom  I  never  before 
heard  of,  were  prepared  to  receive  me  ;  and  I  have  preached  four  times. 
This  leaves  me  on  my  way  to  Philadelphia,  still  visited  with  my  old 
disorder.  Well  :  He  that  cometh  will  come,  and  will  not  tarry.  Blessed 
are  all  they  who  wait  for  Him." 

"  Philadelphia,  September  29,  1763. 
"  Ebenezer  !  Hitherto  the  Lord  hath  helped  !  I  have  been  here  above  a 
week  ;  but  am  still  an  invalid.  When  you  write,  mention  nothing  but 
what  relates  to  the  eternal  world.  I  have  no  thoughts  to  throw  away  on 
the  trifling  things  of  time.  Tender  love  to  all  who  are  travelling  to  the 
New  Jerusalem." 

Whitefield  spent  two  months  among  his  old  acquaintance 
at  Philadelphia,  but  his  health  was  not  improved.  His 
interest,  however,  in  the  work  of  God  was  as  profound  as 
ever.     To  his  friend  Mr.  Keen,  he  wrote  ; — • 

"Philadelphia,  October 21,  1763. 
"  The  bearer  of  this  is  a  young,  sober  gentleman,  intended  for  the 
temple,  and  will  be  glad  to  see  and  hear  Mr.  Romaine,  and  other  gospel 
ministers.  I  hope  all  are  flaming  for  God.  Some  young  bright  witnesses 
are  rising  up  in  the  Church  here.  I  have  already  conversed  with  about 
forty  new-creature  ministers,  of  various  denominations.  I  am  informed 
that  sixteen  hopeful  students  were  converted  at  New  Jersey  College  last 
year.  What  an  open  door,  if  I  had  strength  !  But,  Father,  Thy  will  be 
done  !  Blessed  be  His  name,  I  can  preach  now  and  then.  Last  Tuesday, 
we  had  a  remarkable  season  among  the  Lutherans.  Children  and  grown 
people  were  much  impressed.  If  possible,  I  intend  returning  with  Mr. 
Habersham  (now  here)  to  Georgia." 

Poor  Whitefield  was  not  able  to  fulfil  his  intentions. 
Instead  of  visiting  his  Orphan  House,  he  was,  for  more  than 
a    year,    obliged    to    content    himself   with    writing   to    its 


Prevented  going  to  Bethesda.  469 

managers.      The   following  is   an   extract   from    the   first   of    *763 
these  letters  : —  Age  48 

"Philadelphia,  Novetnber%^  1763. 
"  My  very  dear  Friends,— Man  appoints ;  and  God,  for  wise 
reasons,  disappoints.  All  was  ready  for  my  coming,  by  land,  to  you  at 
Bethesda,  with  Mr.  Habersham  ;  but  several  things  concurred  to  prevent 
me;  and  the  physicians  all  agree,  that  the  only  chance  I  have  for  growing 
better,  is  to  stay  and  see  what  the  cold  weather  will  do  for  me.  At 
present,  I  make  a  shift  to  preach  twice  a  week  ;  but,  alas  !  my  strength  is 
perfect  weakness.  What  a  mercy  that  Jesus  is  all  in  all  !  You  will  let  me 
hear  from  you  very  particularly.  I  want  to  know  the  present  state  of  all 
your  affairs  in  every  respect" 

There  was,  however,  another  reason,  besides  his  state  of 
health,  why  he  deferred  his  visit  to  Bethesda.  True,  after 
the  long  "  Seven  Years'  War,"  peace  had  been  proclaimed 
between  France  and  England  ;  but,  during  the  war,  the 
opponents  had  cruelly  employed  the  Indians  in  carrying 
out  their  purposes  ;  and  now  it  was  far  from  easy  to  keep 
the  Indians  quiet.  Hence  the  following,  addressed  to  Mr. 
Robert  Keen : — 

"Philadelphia,  November  \^,  1763. 
"  I  am  about  to  make  my  first  excursion,  to  the  New  Jersey  College. 
Twice  a  week  preaching,  is  my  present  allowance.  Many,  of  various 
ranks,  seem  to  be  brought  under  real  concern.  Physicians  are  absolutely 
against  my  going  to  Georgia,  till  I  get  more  strength.  Besides,  it  is 
doubtful  whether  the  southern  Indians  will  not  break  out ;  and,  therefore, 
a  little  stay  in  these  parts  may,  on  that  account,  be  most  prudent." 

Towards  the  end  of  November,  Whitefield  and  Habersham 
started  from  Philadelphia  ;  but,  instead  of  getting  to  Georgia, 
Whitefield  was  obliged  to  halt  at  New  York,  where  he 
remained  about  two  months.  Extracts  from  his  letters 
written  here  will  be  useful. 

"New  York,  December  i,  1763. 
"  Some  good  impressions  have  been  made  in  Philadelphia,  and  we  had 
four  sweet  seasons  at  New  Jersey  College,  and  two  at  Elizabeth  Town,  on 
my  way  hither.  Some  said  they  resembled  old  times.  My  spirits  grow 
better ;  but  thrice  a  week  is  as  often  as  I  can  preach.  To-day,  I  begin 
here,  and  have  thoughts  of  returning  with  Mr.  Habersham  to  Georgia, 
but  am  fearful  of  relapsing  by  such  a  fatiguing  j  ourney." 

Again,  Whitefield  was  unable  to  proceed  to  Georgia. 
Hence  the  following,  written  to  the  managers  of  his  Orphan 
House : — 


470  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1763  "  New  York,  December  7,  1763. 

^  ~  g  "  ^^  DEAR  Friends, — What  a  mortification  it  is  to  me  not  to  accom- 
pany my  dear  Mr.  Habersham  to  Bethesda.  Assure  yourselves,  I  shall 
come  as  soon  as  possible.  Meanwhile,  I  have  desired  Mr.  Habersham  to 
assist  in  supervising  and  settling  the  accounts,  and  to  give  his  advice 
respecting  the  house,  plantation,  etc.  I  beg  you  will  be  so  good  as  to  let 
me  have  an  inventory  of  every  individual  thing,  the  names  and  number  of 
the  negroes,  and  what  you  think  is  necessary  to  be  done  every  way.  I 
would  only  observe  in  general,  that  I  would  have  the  family  lessened  as 
much  as  may  be,  and  all  things  contracted  into  as  small  a  compass  as 
possible.  Once  more,  adieu,  though,  I  trust,  but  for  a  short  season.  My 
heart  is  too  full  to  enlarge.  I  purpose  going  to  New  England  ;  but  it  will 
be  better  to  go  to  heaven.     Come,  Lord  Jesus,  come  quickly." 

"New  York,  December  16,  1763. 
"Jesus    continues  to    own   the   feeble  labours   of  an  almost  worn-out 
pilgrim.     Every  day,  the   thirst  for  hearing  the  word  increases,  and  the 
better  sort  come  home  to  hear  more  of  it.   I  must  go  soon  to  New  England, 
Cold  weather  and  a  warm  heart  suit  my  tottering  tabernacle  best." 

"New  York,  December  18,  1763. 
"  I  am  in,  better  health  than  when  I  wrote  last.  Preaching  thrice  a 
week  agrees  pretty  well  with  me  this  cold  season  of  the  year.  I  am  apt 
to  believe  my  disorder  will  be  periodical.  New  Jersey  College  is  a  blessed 
nursery,  one  of  the  purest,  perhaps,  in  the  universe.  The  worthy  presi- 
dent and  three  tutors  are  all  bent  upon  making  the  students  both  saints 
and  scholars.  I  was  lately  there  for  a  week.  The  Redeemer  vouch- 
safed to  own  the  word  preached.  Prejudices  in  New  York  have  most 
strangely  subsided.  The  better  sort  flock  as  eagerly  as  the  common 
people,  and  are  fond  of  coming  for  private  gospel  conversation." 

The  year  1763  will  be  suitably  closed  by  a  warm-hearted 
letter  to  Charles  Wesley. 

"  New  York,  December  26,  1763. 
"  My  dear  old  Friend, — Once  more -I  write  to  you  from  this  dymg 
world.  Through  infinite,  unmerited  mercy,  1  am  helped  to  preach  twice 
or  thrice  a  week,  and  never  saw  people  of  all  ranks  move  eager  in  Phila- 
delphia and  in  this  place,  than  now.  Lasting  impressions,  I  trust,  are 
made.  At  New  Jersey  College,  we  had  sweet  seasons  among  the  sons  of 
the  prophets,  and  I  have  had  the  pleasure  of  conversing  with  new-creature 
ministers  of  various  denominations.  Ere  long,  we  shall  join  the  elders 
about  the  throne.  Then  shall  we  all  greatly  marvel,  and  try  who  can 
shout  loudest,  '  He  hath  done  all  things  well.'  Neither  you,  nor  your 
brother,  nor  the  highest  archangel  in  heaven,  shall,  if  possible,  outdo 
even  me,  though  less  than  the  least  of  all.  Continue  to  pray  for  me,  as 
such.     I  hope  your  brother  lives  and  prospers.     Remember  nie  to  your 


Success  in  Ntw   York.  471 

dear  yoke- fellow,  and  all  enquiring  friends  ;  and  assure  yourselves  of  not     1764 

beins?  fortjotten  in  the  poor  addresses  of,  my  dear  friend,  . 

u^-  •     T  Age  49 

yours  in  Jesus,  "   ^^ 

"  George  Whitefield."  ' 

In  more  than  one  of  these  extracts,  Whitefield  makes 
grateful  mention  of  his  conversing  with  what  he  calls  "  neiv^ 
creature  ministers"  This  is  a  notable  fact.  Compared  with 
his  first  visits  to  America,  the  difference,  in  this  respect, 
was  great.  It  ought  always  to  be  remembered,  that  the 
revival,  in  the  days  of  Whitefield  and  the  Wesleys,  was 
remarkable,  not  only  for  the  quickening  of  churches  and  the 
saving  of  sinners,  but  also  for  the  raising  up  of  a  host  of 
converted  ministers,  in  England,  Wales,  Scotland,  Ireland, 
and  America.  This  was  not  the  least  of  its  glorious 
results. 

Whitefield  longed  to  be  at  Bethesda,  but  the  hope  of 
being  benefited  by  the  colder  atmosphere  of  the  northern 
colonies  still  detained  him.  The  following  is  taken  from 
another  letter  addressed  to  the  managers  of  his  Orphan 
H(5use  : — 

''  New  York,  January  12,  1764.  The  cold  braces  me  up  a  little.  I  am 
enabled  to  preach  twice  or  thrice  a  week.  Congregations  continue  very 
large,  and,  I  trust,  saving  impressions  are  made  upon  many.  O  for  a 
blessed  gale  of  Divine  influences  when  we  meet  at  Bethesda  !  From 
thence,  or  from  Charlestown,  I  purpose  to  embark  for  England.  But  future 
things  belong  to  Him,  who,  whatever  may  be  our  thoughts,  always  orders 
all  things  well." 

The  following  extract  from  the  Boston  Gazette  confirms 
the  foregoing  statements,  respecting  Whiteneld's  congrega- 
tions in  New  York  : — 

"New  York,  January  23,  1764.  The  Rev.  Mr.  George  Whitefield  has 
spent  seven  weeks  with  us,  preaching  twice  a  week,  with  more  general 
acceptance  than  ever.  He  has  been  treated  with  great  respect  by  many 
of  the  gentlemen  and  merchants  of  this  place.  During  his  stay,  he  preached 
two  charity  sermons  :  one  on  the  occasion  of  the  annual  collection  for  the 
poor,  when  double  the  sum  was  collected  that  ever  was  upon  the  like  occa- 
sion ;  the  other  for  the  benefit  of  Mr.  Wheelock's  Indian  School,  at  Lebanon, 
in  New  England,  for  which  he  collected  (notwithstanding  the  prejudices 
of  many  people  against  the  Indians)  the  sum  of  ^120.  In  his  last  sermon, 
he  took  a  very  affectionate  leave  of  the  people  of  this  city,  who  expressed 

'  "  Life  of  C.  Wesley,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  221. 


472  The  Life  of  Whiiefiela. 

1764  great  concern  at  his  departure.  May  God  restore  this  great  and  good 
man  (in  whom  the  gentleman,  the  Christian,  and  the  accomplished  orator 

^  ^  shine  forth  with  such  lustre)  to  a  perfect  state  of  health,  and  continue  him 
long  a  blessing  to  the  world,  and  the  Church  of  Christ  ! " 

Immediately  after  this,  Whitefield  set  out  for  New  England, 
and,  on  his  way,  preached  in  Long  Island,  Shelter  Island, 
and  other  places.  On  arriving  at  Boston,  about  February  i  3, 
he  received  a  hearty  welcome,  not  only  from  his  old  acquaint- 
ance, but  from  the  people  in  general.  His  enormous  collec- 
tions, in  1 76 1,  for  the  distressed  Protestants  in  Germany, 
and  for  the  sufferers  by  the  great  fire  at  Boston,  have  been 
already  mentioned.  Now,  as  was  fitting,  the  Boston  people 
thanked  him  for  his  assistance.      Hence  the  following  : — 

"  Boston,  February  20.  Monday  last,  at  a  very  general  meeting  of  the 
freeholders  and  other  inhabitants  of  this  town,  it  was  voted  unanimously 
that  the  thanks  of  the  town  be  given  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  George  Whitefield, 
for  his  charitable  care  and  pains  in  collecting  a  considerable  sum  of  money 
in  Great  Britain,  for  the  benefit  of  the  distressed  sufferers  by  the  great  fire 
in  Boston,  1760.  And  a  respectable  committee  was  appointed  to  wait  on 
Mr.  Whitefield,  to  inform  him  of  the  vote,  and  present  him  with  a  copy 
thereof ;  which  committee  waited  upon  him  accordingly,  and  received  the 
following  answer  : — 

"  Gentlemen, — This  vote  of  thanks  for  so  small  an  instance  of  my 
goodwill  to  Boston,  as  it  was  entirely  unexpected,  quite  surprises  me. 
Often  have  I  been  much  concerned  that  I  could  do  no  more  upon  such  a 
distressing  occasion.  That  the  Redeemer  may  ever  preserve  the  town 
from  such-like  melancholy  events,  and  sanctify  the  present  afflictive 
circumstances  to  the  spiritual  welfare  of  all  its  inhabitants,  is  the  hearty 
prayer  of, 

"  Gentlemen,  your  ready  servant  in  our  common  Lord, 

"  George  Whitefield."  ' 

A  few  days  after  this,  Whitefield  wrote  to  his  friend,  Mr. 
Robert  Keen,  as  follows  : — 

"  Boston,  March  3,  1764.     I  have  received  letters  from  my  wife  and  Mr. 

C ,  dated  in  October  and  November.    I  have  been  received  at  Boston 

with  the  usual  warmth  of  affection.  Twice  have  we  seen  the  Redeemer's 
stately  steps  in  the  great  congregation.  But,  as  the  small-pox  is  likely 
to  spread  through  the  town,  I  purpose  making  my  country  tour,  and  then 
to  return  to  Boston  in  my  way  to  the  south.  Invitations  come  so  thick 
and  fast  from  every  quarter,  that  I  know  not  what  to  do.  I  cannot  boast 
of  acquiring  much  additional  bodily  strength.     The  cool  season  of  the 


'  Lloyd's  Evening  Post,  April  16,  1764. 


Harvard  College,  and   Wlieelock^s  Sc/iool.       473 

year  helps  to  keep  nie  up.    Twice  a  week  is  as  often  as  I  can;  with  comfort,     1764 
ascend  my  throne.    Till  I  hear  from  you,  and  see  what  is  determined  con-      """    ■ 
cerning  Bethesda,  I  cannot  think  of  undertaking  a  long  voyage.      Some-      2^49 
times  I  fear  my  weakness  will  never  allow  me  to  go  on  shipboard  any 
more.     But  I  will  wait." 

Whitefield  lived  to  be  a  blessing  to  his  fellow-creatures. 
He  had  just  been  thanked,  by  the  inhabitants  of  Boston,  for 
the  assistance  he  had  rendered  them  in  1761.  Now,  his 
heart  was  set  on  helping  others. 

A  hundred  and  thirty-four  years  ago,  the  Puritans  of  New 
England  had  advanced  ;ii^400  towards  the  erection  of  a  college, 
at  Newton,  which,  on  the  founding  of  the  college  there,  had 
its  name  changed  to  Cambridge.  In  1638,  the  Rev.  John 
Harvard,  minister  of  Charlestown,  near  Boston,  died,  and  be- 
queathed to  the  college  one  half  of  his  estate  and  all  his 
library.  In  honour  of  its  benefactor,  the  college  henceforth 
was  called  "  Harvard  College."  There  cannot  be  a  doubt 
that  this  venerable  school  of  learning  exerted  a  powerful 
influence  in  forming  the  character  of  the  people  of  New 
England.  Magistrates  and  men  of  wealth  Avere  profuse  in 
their  donations  to  its  funds  ;  and  once,  at  least,  every  family 
in  the  colony  gave  to  the  Harvard  College  twelvepence,  or  a 
peck  of  corn,  or  its  value  in  unadulterated  wampumpeag.^ 
Now,  in  1764,  a  great  calamity  had  befallen  this,  the  oldest 
college  in  America.  Its  library  was  burnt.  Whitefield  heard 
of  this,  and  wished  to  render  some  assistance. 

Further.  In  1754,  the  Rev.  Eleazer  Wheelock,  D.D.,  first 
president  of  Dartmouth  College,  founded  a  charity  school,  at 
Lebanon,  for  the  education  of  Indian  youths,  with  a  view  of 
preparing  them  for  labouring  as  missionaries,  interpreters, 
or  schoolmasters,  among  the  Indian  tribes.  He  now  had 
more  than  twenty  of  these  young  men  under  his  care  and 
management,  his  school  being  supported  partly  by  private 
subscriptions,  and  partly  by  assistance  rendered  by  the 
Legislatures  of  Connecticut  and  Massachusetts,  and  by  the 
Commissioners  in  Boston  of  the  Scotch  Society  for  Pro- 
pagating Christian  Knowledge.  The  idea  was  a  noble 
one,  though  its  ultimate  success  was  not  so  great  as  some 
expected. 

'  Bancroft's  "  History  of  the  United  States." 


474  -^'^  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1764         Four  years  ago,  Whitefield  had  rendered  valuable  assist 
Age  49  ance  to  Dr.  Wheelock.^      In  a  letter,  dated  "London,  1760," 
he  wrote  : — 

"  Upon  mentioning  and  a  little  enforcing  your  Indian  affair,  the  Lord 
put  it  into  the  heart  of  the  Marquis  of  Lothian  to  hand  me  £^0.  You  will 
not  fail  to  send  his  lordship  a  letter  of  thanks  and  some  account  of  the 
school.  Now  the  great  God  has  given  us  Canada,  what  will  become  of 
us,  if  we  do  not  improve  it  to  His  glory  and  the  conversion  of  the  poor 
heathen  ?  Satan  is  doing  what  he  can  here  to  bring  the  work  into  con- 
tempt, by  blasphemy  and  ridicule  at  both  the  theatres.  But  you  know 
how  the  bush  burned  and  was  not  consumed  ;  and  why.''  Jesus  was,  and 
is  in  it.     Hallelujah  !     My  hearty  love  to  the  Indian  lambs."  ^ 

This  letter  was  written  in  the  midst  of  the  terrible  perse- 
cution arising  out  of  the  performance  of  Foote's  infamous 
farce,  "  The  Minor."  Whitefield's  interest  in  the  temporal 
and  eternal  welfare  of  the  heathen  Indians  was  as  profound 
as  ever ;  and,  hence,  he  now  made  a  fresh  application  to  his 
friends,  not  only  on  behalf  of  Harvard  College,  but  of 
Wheelock's  school.  Hence  the  following,  addressed  to  a 
friend  in  London  : — 

"Concord,  twenty  miles  from  Boston,  March  10,  1764.  In  New  York, 
we  saw  blessed  days  of  the  Son  of  man  ;  and,  in  my  way  to  these  parts, 
a  Divine  influence  has  attended  the  word  preached,  in  various  places. 
How  would  you  have  been  delighted  to  have  seen  Mr.  Wheelock's 
Indians  !  Such  a  promising  nursery  of  future  missionaries,  I  believe, 
was  never  seen  in  New  England  before.  Pray  encourage  it  with  all  your 
might.  I  also  wish  you  could  give  some  useful  Puritanical  books  to 
Harvard  College  Library,  lately  burnt.  Few,  perhaps,  will  give  such  ; 
and  yet  a  collection  of  that  kind  is  absolutely  necessary  for  future  students, 
and  to  poor  neighbouring  ministers,  to  whom,  I  find,  the  books  belonging 
to  the  library  are  freely  lent  from  time  to  time.  You  will  not  be  angry 
with  me  for  these  hints.  I  know  your  ambitious,  greedy  soul  :  you  want 
to  grow  richer  and  richer  towards  God.  O  that  there  may  be  in  me  such 
a  mind  !  But  my  wings  are  clipped.  I  can  only  preach  twice  or  thrice  a 
week  with  comfort.  And  yet  a  wider  door  than  ever  is  opened  all  along 
the  continent." 

Notwithstanding  his  ill-health,  Whitefield  continued  preach- 

'  For  enlarged  views,  indomitable  energy,  and  arduous  toils,  and  for 
the  great  results  of  his  labours  in  the  cause  of  religion  and  learning,  Dr. 
Wheelock  had  few  superiors.  For  forty-five  years,  he  was  one  of  the  most 
eloquent  and  successful  ministers  in  New  England.  He  conducted  his 
Indian  Mission  School  until  his  death,  in  1779. 

*  "  Lady  Huntingdon  and  her  Friends,"  p.  151. 


The  Orphan  TIoiis;e.  475 

ing,    and,    as    usual,    with    great    success.      To    Mr.    Charles     1764 
Hardy,    one    of  the    managers    of   his    London    chapels,   he  Age  49 
wrote  : — 

"  Portsmouth,  March  23,  1764.  How  was  my  heart  eased  by  recciviiii; 
yesterday  your  kind  letter,  dated  October  22.  If  you  and  dear  AJr. 
Keen  will  continue  to  manage  when  I  am  present,  as  well  as  when  1  am 
absent,  it  may  give  another  turn  to  my  mind.  At  present,  my  way  is  clear 
to  go  on  preaching  till  I  can  journey  southward.  The  enclosed  will  inform 
you  of  what  has  been  done  by  one  sermon  at  Providence,  formerly  a  most 
ungodly  place.  At  Newbury,  which  I  left  yesterday,  there  is  a  stir  indeed. 
On  Lord's-day,  I  shall  begin  here.     O  for  daily  fresh  gales  ! " 

A  month  after  this,  Whitefield  had  returned  to  Boston,  and 
wrote  as  follows  to  Mr.  Dixon,  the  superintendent  of  his 
Orphan  House  : — 

"  Pioston,  April  20,  1764.  I  have  been  at  my  ne  plus  tdtra  northward, 
and  am  now  more  free,  and  capable  of  settling  my  affairs  southward. 
When  that  is  done,  how  cheerfully  could  I  sing,  '  Lord,  now  lettest  Thou 
Thy  servant  depart  in  peace  ! '  I  hope  you  are  not  offended  at  my  giving 
a  power  of  attorney  to  Mr.  Habersham.  It  was  not  owing  to  a  distrust  of 
any  of  you,  but  only,  in  case  of  my  death,  that  he  might  testify  to  the  world 
the  integrity  of  your  actions,  and  the  veracity  of  your  accounts.  1  am 
persuaded,  he  will  not  desire  to  interfere,  but  will  act  and  consult  jointly 
with  yourselves,  as  occasion  offers  ;  and  you  will  go  on  in  your  old  way. 
I  wish  I  was  assured  of  your  stay  at  Bethesda.  I  am  satisfied,  you  will 
not  distress  me  by  leaving  the  place  destitute  of  proj^er  help.  My  tottering 
tabernacle  will  not  bear  grief,  especially  from  those  whom  I  so  dearly  love, 
and  who  have  served  the  institution  so  faithfully  and  disinterestedly  for  so 
many  years.  What  I  have  in  view  for  Bethesda,  may  be  better  spoken  of 
when  we  meet,  than  by  letter.  By  my  late  excursions,  I  am  brought  low  ; 
but  rest  and  care  may  brace  me  up  again  for  some  little  further  service 
for  our  glorious  Emmanuel.  A  most  blessed  influence  has  attended  the 
word  in  various  places,  and  many  have  been  made  to  cry  out,  '  What  shall 
we  do  to  be  saved  ? ' " 

Whitefield  now  entertained  the  thought  of  an  escape 
to  the  southern  colonies  ;  but  "  the  Boston  people  sent  a 
hue  and  cry  after"  him,  and  brought  him  back.^  He  re- 
sumed his  ministry  among  them  on  April  24,  and,  as  far 
as  he  was  able,  continued  to  preach  to  them  for  about  the 
next  eight  weeks.  They  begged  "  for  a  six  o'clock  morning 
lecture,"  and  he  was  willing  to  accede  to  their  request,  saying, 

*  Whitefield's  Works,  vol.  iii.,  p.  310, 


476  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1764    "  I  would  fain  die  preaching."  ^      To  Mr.  Charles  Hardy,  he 
Age  49  wrote  : — 

"  Boston,  June  i,  1764.  You  see  where  this  leaves  me.  P'riends  have 
constrained  me  to  stay  here,  for  fear  of  running  into  the  summer's  heat. 
Hitherto,  I  find  the  benefit  of  it.  I  am  much  better  in  health,  than  I  was 
this  time  twelvemonth,  and  can  now  preach  thrice  a  week  to  large  auditories 
without  hurt.  Every  day  I  hear  of  some  brought  under  concern.  This 
is  all  of  grace.  In  about  a  fortnight,  I  purpose  to  set  forward  on  my 
southern  journey.  It  will  be  hard  parting  ;  but  heaven  will  make  amends 
for  all." 

Whitefield  left  Boston,  as  he  intended,  and  travelled  to 
New  York,  where  he  continued  for  about  three  months.  In 
reference  to  his  New  England  visit,  he  wrote  to  Mr.  Keen,  as 
follows  : — 

"  New  York,  June  25,  1764.  The  New  England  winter  campaign  is 
over,  and  I  am  thus  far  on  my  way  to  Georgia.  Mr.  Smith,  my  faithful 
host,  at  Boston,  writes  thus  :  '  Your  departure  never  before  so  deeply 
wounded  us,  and  the  most  of  this  people.  They  propose  sending  a  book 
full  of  names  to  call  you  back.  Your  enemies  are  very  few,  and  even  they 
seem  to  be  almost  at  peace  with  you.'  To  crown  the  expedition,  after 
preaching  at  Newhaven  College,  and  when  1  was  going  off  in  the  chaise, 
the  president  came  to  me,  and  said,  the  students  were  so  deeply  impressed 
by  the  sermon,  that  they  were  gone  into  the  chapel,  and  earnestly  en- 
treated me  to  give  them  one  more  quarter  of  an  hour's  exhortation.  Not 
unto  me,  O  Lord,  not  unto  me,  but  unto  Thy  free  and  unmerited  grace 
be  all  the  glory!" 

Whitefield's  health  continued  better  ;  and,  besides  preach- 
ing in  the  chapels  of  New  York,  he,  at  the  beginning  of 
August,  mentions  his  having  preached  twice  in  the  open 
air.^  His  popularity  was  enormous.  Hence  the  following 
to  Mr.  Keen  : — 

"  New  York,  August  25,  1764.  Still  I  am  kept,  as  it  were,  a  prisoner  in 
these  parts,  by  the  heat  of  the  weather.  All  dissuade  me  from  proceeding 
southward  till  the  latter  end  of  September.  My  late  excursions  upon 
Long  Island  have  been  blessed.  It  would  surprise  you  to  see  above  a 
hundred  carriages  at  every  sermon  in  this  new  world.  I  am,  through 
infinite  mercy,  still  kept  up.  I  wrote  to  Mr.  Hardy  and  my  dear  wife  very 
lately  by  a  friend  ;  and  I  have  sent  many  letters,  for  a  letter-day,  to  the 
care  of  Mrs.  E s,  in  Bristol." 

Towards   the  end    of  September,   Whitefield   removed   to 
Philadelphia,  whence  he  again  wrote  to  Mr.  Keen  : — 

'  Whitefield's  Works,  vol.  iii.,  p.  311.        ^  Ibid.,  p.  313. 


At  Philadelphia.  ^'j'j 


"Philadelphia,  September  21,  1764.     After  a  most  solemn  and  heart-     1764 
breaking  parting  at  New  York,  I  am  come  thus  far  in  my  way  to  Georgia.       — 
There  1  hope  to  be  about  Christmas  ;  and  in  spring  to  embark  for  England.      ^^  ^^ 
However,  let  what  will  become  of  the  substance,  I  herewith  send  you  my 
shadow.     The  painter,  who  gave  it  me,  having  now  the  ague  and  fever, 
and  living  a  hundred   miles   off,   I  must  get   you  to  have  the  drapery- 
finished  ;  and  then,  if  judged  proper,  let  it  be  put  up  in  the  Tabernacle 
parlour.     I  have  only  preached  twice  here,  but  the  influence  was  deep.     I 
am  better  in  health  than  I  have  been  these  three  years.     I  received  the 
hymn-books." ' 

Immediately  after  his  arrival,  Whitefield,  by  request, 
preached  at  the  commencement  of  a  new  term  of  the  College 
of  Philadelphia, — an  establishment  which  he  pronounced  to 
be  "  one  of  the  best  regulated  institutions  in  the  world."^ 
The  provost  of  the  college  was  the  Rev.  William  Smith, 
D.D.,  a  native  of  Scotland,  and  educated  at  the  University 
of  Aberdeen, — an  episcopally  ordained  clergyman,  and  a 
gentleman  whose  learning  and  popular  talents  contributed 
greatly  to  raise  the  character  of  the  college  over  which  he 
presided. 

"  Dr.  Smith,"  says  Whitefield,  "read  prayers  for  me  ;  both  the  present 
and  the  late  governor,  with  the  head  gentlemen  of  the  city,  were  present; 
and  cordial  thanks  were  sent  to  me  from  all  the  trustees,  for  speaking  for 
the  children,  and  countenancing  the  institution.  This  is  all  of  God.  To 
me  nothing  belongs  but  shame  and  confusion  of  face.  O  for  a  truly  guile- 
less heart  ! " " 

While  at  Philadelphia,  Whitefield  wrote  the  following 
characteristic  letter  to  his  old  friend  Wesley  : — 

"  Philadelphia,  September  25,  1764. 
"  Rev.  and  dear  Sir, — Your  kind  letter,  dated  in  January  last,  did 

'  These,  probably,  were  a  supply  of  his  ov/n  "  Collection  of  Hymns," 
the  twelfth  edition  of  which  was  this  year  published  :   i6mo.,  182  pp. 

-  Whitefield's  Works,  vol.  iii.,  p.  315. 

^  Whitefield's  catholicity  of  spirit  won  him  friendships  almost  every- 
where. On  one  occasion,  when  preaching  from  the  balcony  of  the  Court- 
house, in  Philadelphia,  in  an  apostrophe,  he  exclaimed,  "  '  Father  Abraham, 
who  have  you  in  heaven?  any  Episcopalians  ?'  'No.'  '  Any  Presbyte- 
rians?' 'No.'  'Any  Baptists?'  'No.'  'Any  Methodists,  Seceders,  or 
Independents  ?'  '  No,  no  ! '  '  Why,  who  have  you  there  ?  '  '  We  don't 
know  those  names  here.  All  who  are  here  are  Christians.'  '  Oh,  is  that 
the  case  ?  Then,  God  help  me  !  and  God  help  us  all  to  forget  party 
names,  and  to  become  Christians  in  deed  and  truth.'  "  (Belcher's  "  Bio- 
graphy of  Whitefield,"  p.  207.) 


478  '  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1764  not  reach  me  till  a  few  days  ago.  It  found  me  here,  just  returned  from 
my  northern  circuit  ;  and  waiting  only  for  cooler  weather  to  set  forwards 

^^  ^^  for  Georgia.  Perhaps  that  may  be  my  ne  phis  ultra.  But  the  gospel 
range  is  of  such  large  extent,  that  I  have,  as  it  were,  scarce  begun  to 
begin.  .Surely  nothing  but  a  very  loud  call  of  Providence  could  make  me 
so  much  as  think  of  returning  to  England  as  yet.  I  have  been  mercifully 
carried  through  the  summer's  heat  ;  and,  had  strength  permitted,  I  might 
have  preached  to  thousands  and  thousands  thrice  every  day.  Zealous 
ministers  are  not  so  rare  in  this  new  world  as  in  other  parts.  Here  is  room 
for  a  hundred  itinerants.  Lord  Jesus,  send  by  whom  Thou  wilt  send! 
Fain  would  1  end  my  life  in  rambling  after  those  who  have  rambled  away 
from  Jesus  Christ. 

'  For  this  let  men  despise  my  name  ; 
Pd  shun  no  cross  ;  Pd  fear  no  shame  ; 
All  hail  reproach  ! ' 

"  I  am  persuaded  you  are  like-minded.  I  wish  you  and  all  your  dear 
fellow-labourers  great  prosperity.  O  to  be  kept  from  turning  to  the  right 
hand  or  the  left !  Methinks,  for  many  years,  we  have  heard  a  voice 
behind  us,  saying,  *  This  is  the  way;  walk  ye  in  it.'  I  do  not  repent  being 
a  poor,  despised,  cast-out,  and  now  almost  worn-out  itinerant.  I  would 
do  it  again,  if  I  had  my  choice.  Having  loved  His  own,  the  altogether 
lovely  Jesus  loves  them  to  the  end.  Even  the  last  glimmerings  of  an 
expiring  taper.  He  blesses  to  guide  some  wandering  souls  to  Himself.  In 
New  England,  New  York,  and  Pennsylvania,  the  word  has  run  and  been 
glorified.  Scarce  one  dry  meeting  since  my  arrival.  All  this  is  of  grace. 
In  various  places,  there  has  been  a  great  stirring  among  the  dry  bones. 

"If  you  and  all  yours  would  join  in  praying  over  a  poor  worthless,  but 
willing  pilgrim,  it  would  be  a  very  great  act  of  charity,  he  being,  though 
less  than  the  least  of  all, 

"  Rev.  and  very  dear  sir, 

"  Ever  yours  in  Jesus, 

"George  Whitefield.'" 

Whitefield  continued  a  month  at  Philadelphia  ;  and,  on 
leaving  it,  about  October  21,  exclaimed,  "  O  what  blessings 
have  we  received  in  this  place  !     Join  in  crying,  Hallelujah  l"^ 

On  his  departure  from  Philadelphia,  Whitefield  proceeded 
to  Virginia,  and  to  North  and  South  Carolina.  He  met 
with  the  "  new  lights  "  at  almost  every  stage  :  a  nickname 
given  to  evangelical  preachers  and  their  converts,  and 
analogous  to  that  of  "Methodists"  in  England.  The  present 
was  a  marvellous  contrast  when  compared  with   the  state  of 

'  Armhiian  Magazine,  1782,  p.  440, 
'"  Whicefield's  Works,  vol.  iii.,  p.  317. 


The  Orphan  House.  479 

things,  at  the  time  of  Whitefield's   first  visit  to  Virginia  a    ^^64 
quarter  of  a  century  before  ;  and  no  wonder  that  he  wrote,  Age  49 
"  It  makes   me    almost   determine   to   come    back  early  in 
the  spring.      Surely  the  Londoners,  who   are  fed  to  the  full, 
will  not  envy  the  poor  souls  in  these  parts,  who  scarce  know 
their  right  hand  from  the  left." 

On  December  3,  he  left  Charleston  for  Georgia,  and, 
about  a  week  afterwards,  reached  Savannah, — more  than  a 
year  and  a  half  from  the  time  of  his  embarkation  for  America. 
His  detention,  in  the  northern  colonies,  had  been  long  ;  but 
no  time  was  wasted  after  his  arrival.  Within  a  week,  he 
had  the  boldness  to  ask  the  governor  of  Georgia,  and  the 
two  Houses  of  Assembly,  for  a  grant  of  two  thousand  acres 
of  land,  to  enable  him  to  convert  his  Orphan  House  into  a 
college.  The  story  will  be  best  told  by  the  insertion  of 
Whitefield's  "  Memorial,"  and  the  answers  it  evoked  : — 

"To  His  Excellency  James  Wright,  Esq.,  Captain-General  and  Governor- 
in-Chief  of  His  Majesty's  Province  of  Georgia,  and  to  the  Members  of 
His  Majesty's  Council  in  the  said  Province. 

"  The  Memorial  of  George  Whitefield,  Clerk, 

"  SJiewcth, — That  about  twenty-five  years  ago,  your  memorialist,  assisted 
by  the  voluntary  contributions  of  charitable  and  well-disposed  persons,  at 
a  very  great  expense,  and  under  many  disadvantages,  did  erect  a  commo- 
dious house,  with  necessary  out-buildings,  suitable  for  the  reception  of 
orphans,  and  other  poor  and  deserted  children  ;  and  that  with  the  repair 
of  the  buildings,  purchase  of  negroes,  and  supporting  a  large  orphan 
family  for  so  many  years,  he  hath  expended  upwards  of  ^12,000  sterling, 
as  appears  by  the  accounts,  which  from  time  to  time  have  been  audited 
by  tlie  magistrates  of  Savannah. 

"  That  your  memorialist,  since  the  commencement  of  this  institution, 
hath  had  the  satisfaction  of  finding,  that,  by  the  money  expended  thereon, 
not  only  many  poor  families  were  assisted,  and  thereby  kept  from  leaving 
the  Colony  in  its  infant  state,  but  also  that  a  considerable  number  of  poor 
helpless  children  have  been  trained  up  ;  who  have  been,  and  now  are, 
useful  settlers  in  this  and  the  neighbouring  Provinces. 

"  That  in  order  to  render  the  institution  aforesaid  more  extensively 
useful,  your  memorialist,  as  he  perceived  the  colony  gradually  increasing, 
hath  for  some  years  past  designed  within  himself,  to  improve  the  original 
plan,  by  making  further  provision  for  the  education  of  persons  of  superior 
rank  ;  who  thereby  might  be  qualified  to  serve  their  king,  their  country, 
or  their  God,  either  in  Church  or  State.  That  he  doth  with  inexpressible 
pleasure  see  the  present  very  flourishing  state  of  the  Province  ;  but  with 
concern  perceives  that  several  gentlemen  have  been  obliged  to  send  their 


480  Tiie  Life  of  Whitejield. 

1764     sons  to  the  northern  Provinces  ;  who  would  much  rather  have  had  them 
—       educated  nearer  home,  and  thereby  prevent  their  affections  being  alienated 
Age  49  ^^^^^^  j^j^^.^  native  country,  and  also  considerable  sums  of  money  from  being 
carried  out  of  this  into  other  Provinces. 

"Your  memorialist  further  observes,  that  there  is  no  seminary  for 
academical  studies  as  yet  founded  southward  of  Virginia ;  and  conse- 
quently if  a  College  could  be  established  here  (especially  as  the  late  addi- 
tion of  the  two  Floridas  renders  Georgia  more  centrical  for  the  southern 
district)  it  would  not  only  be  highly  serviceable  to  the  rising  generation  of 
the  Colony,  but  would  occasion  many  youths  to  be  sent  from  the  British 
West  India  Islands  and  other  parts.  The  many  advantages  accruing 
thereby  to  this  Province  must  be  very  considerable. 

"  From  these  considerations,  your  memorialist  is  induced  to  believe, 
that  the  time  is  now  approaching,  when  his  long-projected  design  for 
further  serving  this  his  beloved  Colony,  shall  be  carried  into  execution. 

"  That  a  considerable  sum  of  money  is  intended  speedily  to  be  laid  out 
in  purchasing  a  large  number  of  negroes,  for  the  further  cultivation  of  the 
present  Oi'phan  House  and  other  additional  lands,  and  for  the  future 
support  of  a  worthy,  able  president,  and  for  professors,  and  tutors,  and 
other  good  purposes  intended. 

"  Your  memorialist  therefore  prays  your  Excellency  and  Honours  to 
grant  to  hini  in  trust,  for  the  purposes  aforesaid,  two  thousand  acres  of 
land,  on  the  north  fork  of  the  Turtle  River,  called  the  Lesser  Swamp,  if 
vacant,  or  where  lands  may  be  found  vacant,  south  of  the  River  Altamaha, 

"  George  Whitefield. 
Iv-v** Savannah,  in  Georgia,  December  18,  1764." 

•  Whitefield's  case  was  a  strong  one.      There  cannot  be  a 

doubt  that  Georgia  had  had  no  benefactor  superior  to  him- 
self ;  and  it  must  also  be  admitted  further,  that  his  proposed 
academy,  or  college,  was  greatly  needed.  In  addition  to 
this,  there  was  another  fact  favourable  to  the  success  of 
his  application.  His  old  friend,  James  Habersham, -the 
first  Superintendent  of  his  Orphanage,  was  now  raised  to 
the  dignity  of  being  the  "  president  of  the  Upper  House 
of  Assembly."  Under  such  circumstances,  it  is  not  sur- 
prising, that,  only  two  days  after  the  date  of  "Whitefield's 
ATemorial,  the  following  "  Address "  was  presented  to  the 
Governor  of  Georgia  : — 

'•The  Address  of  both  Houses  of  Assembly,  Georgia. 

"To  His  Excellency  James  Wright,  Esq.,  Captain-General  and  Governor- 
in-Chief  of  His  Majesty's  Province  of  Georgia. 

"May  rr  please  your  Excellency,— We,  his  Majesty's  most  dutiful 
and  loyal  subjects,  the  Council  and  Commons  House  of  Assemblyof  Georgia 
in  General  Assenjbly  met,  beg  leave  to  acquaint    your  Excellency  that 


Orphan  House  Accounts.  481 

with  the  highest  satisfaction,  we  learn  that  the  Rev.  Mr.  George  Whiteficld 
has  apphed  for  lands,  in  order  to  the  endowment  of  a  College  in  this 
Province.  The  many  and  singular  obligations  Georgia  has  been  con- 
tinually laid  under  to  that  reverend  gentleman,  from  its  very  infant  state, 
would  in  gratitude  induce  us,  by  every  means  in  our  power,  to  promote 
any  measure  he  might  recommend  ;  but,  in  the  present  instance,  where 
the  interest  of  the  Province,  the  advancement  of  religion,  and  the  pleasing 
prespect  of  obtaining  proper  education  for  our  youth,  so  clearly  coincide 
with  his  views,  we  cannot  in  justice  but  request  your  Excellency  to  use 
your  utmost  endeavours  to  promote  so  desirable  an  event,  and  to  transmit 
home  our  sincere  and  very  fervent  wishes,  for  the  accomplishment  of  so 
useful,  so  beneficent,  and  so  laudable  an  undertaking. 

"  By  order  of  the  Upper  House, 

"James  Habersham,  President, 
"  December  20,  1764. 

"By  Order  of  the  Commons  House, 

"Alex.  Wylly,  Speaker:' 

The  reply  of  the  governor  of  Georgia  was  as  courteous 
and  generous  as  the  address  of  the  Houses  of  Assembly  : — 

"  Geni*lemen, — I  am  so  perfectly  sensible  of  the  very  great  advantage 
which  will  result  to  the  Province  in  general,  from  the  establishment  of  a 
seminary  for  learning  here,  that  it  gives  me  the  greatest  pleasure  to  find 
so  laudable  an  undertaking  proposed  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Whitefield.  The 
friendly  and  zealous  disposition  of  that  gentleman,  to  promote  the  pros- 
perity of  this  Province,  has  been  often  experienced  ;  and  you  may  rest 
assured,  that  I  shall  transmit  your  address  home,  with  my  best  endeavours 
for  the  success  of  the  great  point  in  view. 

"James  Wright. 
"  December  20,  i ;  6 ).." 

These  documents  greatly  redound  to  Whitefield's  honour, 
and  are  too  important  to  be  omitted  in  the  memoirs  of  the 
poor,  persecuted  preacher.  Another  of  the  same  class  must 
also  be  inserted.  On  three  previous  occasions,  Whitefield's 
Orphan  House  accounts  had  been  subjected  to  an  official 
audit.  On  April  16,  1746,  it  was  ascertained  that,  up  to 
that  date,  Whitefield  had  expended  ;^5,5ii  17s.  9:|d.  ;  and 
had  received,  ^^4,982  12s.  8d. ;  leaving  him  out  of  pocket, 
^^^529  5s.  i^d.  From  that  date  to  February  25,  1752,  he 
expended  ;^2,026  13s.  7^d.,  and  received  ^^1,386  8s.  7|d., 
leaving  another  deficiency  of  ;^640  5s.  From  February  25, 
1752,  to  February  19,  1755,  he  spent  ^1,966  i8s.  2d., 
towards  which  he  received  ^1,289  2s.  3d.,  leaving  a  third 
deficiency  amounting  to   £6^^    15s.    lid.      On   the    9th   of 

VOL.  II.  31 


Atre 


482  The  Life  of  Whitefteld, 


1765  February,  1765,  the  fourth  audit  of  the  accounts  took  place, 
AgTso  from  which  it  appeared  that,  during  the  last  ten  years, 
Whitefield  had  expended  the  sum  of  £z^ZA9  I  5s.  lod.,  and 
had  received  £i,\i2  i6s.  o|d.,  he  being  a  fourth  time  out 
of  pocket  to  the  amount  of  ;^2  16  19s.  9|d.  These  four  de- 
ficiencies put  together  make  £2, 06 A-  5s.  lod.,  the  amount 
of  Whitefield's  own  private  contributions  to  his  Orphanage  in 
Georgia.  Remembering  that  the  value  of  money  then  was 
four  times  greater  than  its  value  now,  this  was  an  enormous 
sum  for  the  unbeneficed  Methodist  clergyman  to  give. 
Whitefield  was  born  and  bred  in  a  public-house  ;  the  ex- 
pense of  his  collegiate  education  had  been  met  partly  by 
private  benefactions,  and  partly  by  his  submitting  to  perform 
the  drudgeries  of  a  college  servitor  ;  the  only  church  living 
that  he  had  ever  had  was  Savannah,  and  even  that  only  for 
a  few  short  months  ;  fixed  income  he  had  none ;  all  his 
life,  he  had  contentedly  and  joyously  relied  on  Providence 
for  the  supply  of  his  daily  needs.  Providence  had  never 
failed  him.  He  had  had  enough,  and  to  spare.  To  say 
nothing  of  his  other  gifts,  in  London  and  elsewhere,  it  was 
now  officially  and  publicly  declared  that,  out  of  his  own 
private  purse,  he  had  given  more  than  i^2,ooo  to  his  Orphan 
House  in  Georgia.  The  two  attestations,  declaring  this, 
were  as  follows  : — 

"  Georgia. 

"Before  me,  the  Honourable  Noble  Jones,  Esq.,  senior,  one  of  the 
Assistant  Justices  for  the  Province  aforesaid,  personally  appeared  the 
Rev.  Mr.  George  Whitefield,  and  Thomas  Dixon  of  the  Province  afore- 
said, who,  being  duly  sworn,  declare  that  the  accounts  relating  to  the 
Orphan  House,  from  folio  82  to  folio  98  in  this  book,  amounting  on 
the  debit  side  to  ^3,349  15s,  lod.  sterling,  and  on  the  credit  side  to 
^{^3,132  i6s.  Ojd.,  contain,  to  the  best  of  their  knowledge,  a  just  and  true 
account  of  all  the  monies  collected  by,  or  given  to  them,  or  any  other, 
for  the  use  or  benefit  of  the  said  house,  and  that  the  disbursements, 
amounting  to  the  sum  aforesaid,  have  been  faithfully  applied  to,  and  for 
the  use  of  the  same. 

,,  „.       ,  j  George  Whitefield, 
^ignea,  ^  Thomas  Dixon. 

*' February  C),  1765. 

"Sworn  this  9th  day  of  February,  1765,  before  me,  in  justification 
whereof  I  have  caused  the  seal  of  the  General  Court  to  be  affixed. 

"Signed,'^.  ]0^¥.s.     Sealed.'' 


Orphan  House  Accounts.  483 

"  Georgia.  1765 
**  Before  me,  the  Honourable  Noble  Jones,  Esq.,  senior,  personally  . 
appeared  James  Edward  Powell  and  Grey  Elliot,  Esqrs.,  members  of  '^ 
His  Majesty's  Honourable  Council  for  the  Province  aforesaid,  who, 
being  duly  sworn,  declare  that  they  have  carefully  examined  the  accounts 
containing  the  receipts  and  disbursements,  for  the  use  of  the  Orphan 
House  of  the  said  Province,  and  that,  comparing  them  with  the  several 
vouchers,  they  find  the  same  not  only  just  and  true  in  every  respect,  but 
kept  in  such  a  clear  and  regular  manner,  as  does  honour  to  the  managers 
of  that  house  ;  and  that,  on  a  careful  examination  of  the  several  former 
audits,  it  appears  that  the  sum  of  ^2,064  5s.  lod.  has,  at  several  times, 
been  given  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  George  Whitefield  for  the  use  of  the  said 
house  ;  and  that,  in  the  whole,  the  sum  of  ;^  12,85  5  5s.  4|d.  has  been 
iaid  out  for  the  same  house  since  the  7th  of  January,  1739,  to  this  day. 
Also,  that  it  doth  not  appear  that  any  charge  has  ever  been  made  by  the 
said  Rev\  Mr.  Whitefield,  either  for  travelling  charges  or  any  other 
expenses  whatever ;  and  that  no  charge  of  salary  has  been  made  for 
any  person  whatever,  employed  or  concerned  in  the  management  of  the 
said  house. 

''Signed  \  ^^'^^^^  Edward  Powell, 
^  ^     '  \  Grey  Elliot. 

*^  February  <^,  1765. 

"  Sworn  this  9th  day  of  February,  1765,  before  me,  in  justification 
whereof  I  have  caused  the  seal  of  the  General  Court  to  be  affixed. 

''Signed,  N.  Jones.     Sealed:' 

These  are  lengthy  documents  to  insert,  but  the  honour  of 
Whitefield's  memory  requires  them  ;  and  they,  also,  without 
the  need  of  further  evidence,  triumphantly  acquit  the  great 
itinerant  from  the  numerous  mercenary  charges,  which,  from 
time  to  time,  were  brought  against  him.  No  wonder  that 
poor  afflicted  Whitefield  was  full  of  gratitude.  The  following 
extracts  from  his  letters  will  be  welcome  : — 

"Bethesda,  Januaiy  14,  1765.  I  have  been  in  Georgia  above  five 
weeks.  All  things,  in  respect  to  Bethesda,  have  gone  on  successfully. 
God  has  given  me  great  favour  in  the  sight  of  the  Governor,  Council,  and 
Assembly.  A  memorial  was  presented  for  an  additional  grant  of  lands, 
consisting  of  two  thousand  acres.  It  was  immediately  complied  with. 
Both  houses  addressed  the  Governor  in  behalf  of  the  intended  College. 
As  warm  an  answer  was  given  ;  and  I  am  now  putting  all  in  repair,  and 
getting  everything  ready  for  that  purpose.  Every  heart  seems  to  leap  for 
joy,  at  the  prospect  of  its  future  utility  to  this  and  the  neighbouring 
colonies.  The  only  question  now  is,  whether  I  should  embark  directly 
for  England,  or  take  one  tour  more  to  the  northward.  He,  who  holceth 
(he  stars  in  His  right  hand,  will  direct  in  due  time.  I  am  here  in  de- 
lightful winter   quarters.     Peace   and  plenty   reign   at   Bethesda.     His 


484  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

-1765     Excellency  dined  with  me  yesterday,  and  expressed   his   satisfaction  in 

the  warmest  terms.     Who  knows  how  many  youths  may  be  raised  up  for 

*^  the  ever-loving  and  altogether  lovely  Jesus?     Thus  far,  however,  we  may 

•    set  up  our  Ebenezer,      Hitherto,  the  bush  has  been  burning,  but  not 

consumed.     Lord,  I  believe  ;  help  Thou  my  unbelief ! " 

"  Bctliesda,  February  3,  1765.  We  have  just  been  wishing  some  of  our 
London  friends  were  here.  We  have  lovefeasts  every  day.  Nothing  byt 
peace  and  plenty  reign  in  Bethesda,  this  house  of  mercy.  God  be  praised 
for  making  the  chapel,  in  London,  such  a  Bethel.  I  believe  it  will  yet  be 
the  gate  of  heaven  to  many  souls.  Whether  we  liv6  or  die,  we  shall  see 
greater  things.  Remember,  my  dear  friend,  to  ask  something  worthy  of 
a  God  to  give.  Be  content  with  nothing  short  of  Himself.  His  presence 
alone  can  fill  and  satisfy  the  renewed  soul." 

"Bethesda,  February  13,  1765.  A  few  days  more,  and  then  farewell 
Bethesda,  perhaps  for  ever.  The  within  audit,  I  sent  to  the  Governor. 
Next  day,  came  Lord  J.  A.  G n,  to  pay  his  Excellency  a  visit.  Yes- 
terday morning,  they,  with  several  other  gentlemen,  favoured  me  with 
their  company  to  breakfast.  But  how  was  my  Lord  surprised  and  de- 
lighted !  After  expressing  himself  in  the  strongest  terms,  he  took  me 
aside,  and  informed  me  that  the  Governor  had  shown  him  the  accounts, 
by  which  he  found  what  a  great  benefactor  I  had  been  ; — that  the  intended 
College  would  be  of  the  utmost  utility  to  this  and  the  neighbouring  Pro- 
vinces ; — that  the  plan  was  beautiful,  rational,  and  practicable  ; — and  that 
he  was  persuaded  his  Majesty  would  highly  approve  of  it,  and  also 
favour  it  with  some  peculiar  marks  of  his  royal  bounty.  At  their  desire, 
I  wsnt  to  town,  and  dined  with  him  and  the  Governor  at  Savannah.  On 
Tuesday  next,  God  willing,  I  move  towards  Charleston,  leaving  all 
arrears  paid  off,  and  some  cash  in  hand,  besides  the  last  year's  whole 
crop  of  rice,  some  lumber,  the  house  repaired,  painted,  furnished  with 
plenty  of  clothing,  and  provision  till  the  next  crop  comes  in,  and  perhaps 
some  for  sale.  Only  a  few  boys  will  be  left,  two  of  whom  are  intended 
for  the  foundation  ;  so  that,  this  year,  they  will  be  getting  rather  than 
expending.  Near  ten  boys  and  girls  have  been  put  out.  The  small-pox 
has  gone  through  the  house,  with  the  loss  of  about  six  negroes  and  four 
orphans.  Before  this,  I  think  not  above  four  children  have  been  taken 
off  these  twenty-four  years.  As  an  acknowledgment  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Dixon's  faithfulness  and  care,  I  have  made  them  a  present  of  a  bill  of 
exchange  drawn  upon  you.  And  now,  farewell,  my  beloved  Bethesda ! 
surely  the  most  delightfully  situated  place  in  all  the  southern  parts  of 
America." 

On  Thursday,  February  21,  Whitefield  arrived  at  Charles- 
ton,! where  he  wrote  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dixon,  and  other 
friends,  as  follows  : — 

"Charleston,  March  5,  1765.  My  very  dear,  dear  friends.  Often  have 
we  thought  and  talked  of  Bethesda.     No  place  like  that  for  peace,  and 

'  Lloyd's  Evening  Post,  April  10,  1765. 


M'i: 


Another  ^^  Wilderness  Ranged  485 

plenty  of  eveiy  kind.  This  leaves  me,  aiming,  in  my  poor  way,  to  do  a  1765 
Jittlc  for  Him,  who  has  done  and  suffered  so  much  for  me.  People  of  all 
ranks  fly  to  the  gospel,  like  doves  to  the  windows.  The  word  begins  to 
fall  with  great  weight,  and  all  are  importunate  for  my  longer  stay  ;  but 
next  week  I  expect  to  move.  The  negroes'  shirts,  etc.,  are  in  hand.  O 
that  these  Ethiopians  may  be  made  to  stretch  out  their  hands  unto  God  ! 
I  feel  a  great  compassion  for  them." 

"Charleston,  March  15,  1765,  I  have  had  a  most  pleasant  winter. 
Words  cannot  well  express  what  a  scene  of  action  I  leave  behind.  Mv 
American  work  seems  as  yet  scarce  begun.  My  health  is  better  ;  and 
every  day  the  word  of  God  runs  and  is  glorified  more  and  more.  In  two 
days,  my  wilderness  range  commences  afresh.  In  about  six  weeks,  I 
hope  to  see  Philadelphia.  From  thence,  they  say,  I  am  to  set  sail  for  my 
native  country.  But  heaven,  a  blessed,  long- wished  for  heaven,  is  my 
home." 

"Wilmington,  Cape  Fear,  March  29,  1765.  Thus  far  hath  the  Lord 
brought  me  in  my  way  to  Philadelphia.  We  had  a  most  cutting  parting 
from  Charleston.  I  preached  thrice  in  my  way  to  this  place.  At  the 
desire  of  the  mayor  and  other  gentlemen,  I  shall  stay  till  next  Sunday. 
This  pilgrimage  kind  of  life  is  the  very  joy  of  my  heart  Ceiled  houses 
and  crowded  tables  I  leave  to  others.  A  morsel  of  bread,  and  a  little  bit 
of  cold  meat,  in  a  wood,  is  a  most  luxurious  repast  Jesus'  presence  is 
all  in  ail,  whether  in  the  city  or  the  wilderness." 

Whitefield  seems  to  have  spent  about  a  month  in  the 
journey  between  Charleston  and  Philadelphia,  but  has  left 
no  detailed  account  of  his  labours.  Possibly,  he  made  an- 
other tour  through  Virginia  and  Maryland.  Indeed,  this 
seems  to  be  hinted  in  the  letter  about  to  be  quoted.  He 
was  now  on  his  way  to  England,  but  he  wished  to  be  per- 
manently exempt  from  the  responsibility  of  supplying  the 
pulpits  and  managing  the  affairs  of  his  London  chapels. 
Hence  the  following  addressed  to  Mr.  Keen  : — 

"Newcastle,  30  miles  from  Philadelphia,  May  4,  1765.  I  am  just 
come  here,  in  my  way  to  embark  from  Philadelphia.  But  how  shall  I  do 
it  ?  All  along,  from  Charleston  to  this  place,  the  cry  is,  '  For  Christ's 
sake,  stay  and  preach  to  us.'  O  for  a  thousand  lives  to  spend  for  Jesus  ! 
He  is  good,  He  is  good  !  His  mercy  endureth  for  ever.  Help,  help,  my 
dear  English  friends,  to  bless  and  praise  Him  !  Thanks  be  to  God  !  all 
outward  things  are  settled  on  this  side  the  water.  The  auditing  the 
accounts,  and  laying  a  foundation  for  a  college,  have  silenced  enemies 
and  comforted  friends.  The  finishing  this  affair  confirms  my  call  to 
England  ;  but  I  have  no  prospect  of  being  able  to  serve  the  Tabernacle 
and  the  chapeL  I  cannot  preach  once  now,  without  being  quite  ex- 
hausted. How,  then,  shall  I  bear  the  cares  of  both  those  places }  I  must 
Leg  you  and  dear  Mr.  Hardy  to  continue  trustees  when  I  am  present,  as 


486  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 


1765     well  as  in  my  absence.     I  am  praying  night  and  day  for  direction.     The 

word  runs  here,  and  is  glorified  ;  but  the  weather,  for  two  days,  has  been 

^^^  ^°  so  hot,  that  I  could  scarce  move.     I  dread  the  shaking  of  the  ship  ;  but 

if  it  shakes  this  tottering  frame  to  pieces,  it  will  be  a  trading  voyage 

indeed." 

Instead  of  finding  a  ship  at  Philadelphia,  as  he  expected, 
Whitefield  was  obliged  to  proceed  to  New  York,  where  he 
embarked  on  June  9,  and,  after  a  quick  passage  of  twenty- 
eight  days,  landed  in  England  on  July  7. 

During  his  absence  in  America,  Whitefield  was,  compara- 
tively speaking,  exempt  from  persecution.  The  principal 
exception  was  a  maniacal  attack  by  John  Harman,  who 
published  an  8vo.  shilling  pamphlet,  with  the  title,  "  Remarks 
upon  the  Life,  Character,  and  Behaviour  of  the  Rev.  George 
Whitefield,  as  written  by  himself,  from  the  Time  of  his  Birth 
to  the  Time  he  Departed  from  his  Tabernacle." 

There  also  appeared  in  Lloyd's  Evening  Post  an  article, 
which  was  a  combination  of  censure  and  eulogy.  The 
writer  condemned  "  the  incoherent,  wild,  and  unconnected 
jargon "  of  Whitefield  and  his  friends  ;  but,  at  the  same 
time,  he  acknowledged  they  had  greater  success  than  the 
regular  clergy  of  the  Church  of  England.  He  was  pro- 
foundly grieved  to  witness  "irreverent  behaviour"  at  the 
Church  services, — such  as  the  "gaping  and  yawning"  of 
the  people,  "  picking  their  noses,  and  rubbing  their  faces, 
admiring  and  exposing  to  admiration  their  little  finger  with 
its  ring  on,  and  staring  all  round  the  church,  even  when 
rehearsing  the  most  solemn  prayers."  All  this  he  attributed 
to  the  clergy's  "  being  taken  up  with  too  great  eagerness  for 
the  things  of  this  life,"  and  also  to  their  "sloth  and  idleness." 
On  the  other  hand,  the  Methodist  preacher  "strains  his  voice 
to  the  utmost,  that  every  one  may  hear,  and  affects  a  tone 
of  voice  and  manner  of  pronunciation"  most  likely  to  impress 
and  please  his  hearers.  "  In  this  really  severe  and  fatiguing 
manner  of  utterance,  he  gives  long  discourses,  and  exposes 
his  person  anywhere,  in  any  corner,  on  any  dunghill,  and 
gets  well  pelted  every  now  and  then." 


WHITEFIELDS  LAST  FOUR    YEARS  IN  GREAT 

BRITAIN. 

From  July  7,  1765,  to  September  5,  1769. 

UPON  the  whole,  Whitefield's  health  was  not  improved  1765 
by  his  visit  to  America.  He  had  worked  when  others  Age  50 
would  have  rested.  If  he  had  them  with  him,  which  perhaps 
is  doubtful,  he  had  worn  "gown  and  cassock,"  Avhen  it  would 
have  been  more  prudent  to  have  lounged  and  travelled  in  a 
tourist's  dress.  No  doubt,  his  preaching  in  America  had 
been  of  inestimable  service  ;  but  he  came  back  to  England 
scarcely  able  to  preach  at  all.  On  his  arrival,  he  thus  wrote 
to  Mr.  Keen  : — 

"Plymouth,  July  12,  1765.  I  left  the  Halifax  packet,  from  New  York, 
near  the  Lizard  ;  and,  by  the  blunder  of  a  drunken  fellow,  missed  the 
post  on  the  8th  inst.  I  want  a  gown  and  cassock.  Child,  in  Chancery 
Lane,  used  to  make  for  me,  and  perhaps  knows  my  measure.  Amazing, 
that  I  have  not  been  measured  for  a  coffin  long  ago  !  I  am  very  low  in 
body,  and,  as  yet,  undetermined  what  to  do.  Perhaps,  on  the  whole,  it 
may  be  best  to  come  on  leisurely,  to  see  if  my  spirits  can  be  a  little 
recruited.  You  may  write  a  few  lines,  at  a  venture,  to  Bristol.  Had  I 
bodily  strength,  you  would  find  me  coming  upon  you  unawares  ;  but  that 
fails  me  much.  I  must  have  a  little  rest,  or  I  shall  be  able  to  do  nothing 
at  all." 

Six  days  after  this,  he  was  at  Bristol,  in  "a  fine  com- 
modious house,  and  kept  from  much  company,"  but  still 
begging  "  not  to  be  brought  into  action  too  soon."  He 
wrote,  "  The  poor  old  shattered  bark  has  not  been  in  dock 
one  week  for  a  long  while." 

A  fortnight  afterwards,  he  arrived  in  London,  and  wrote 
as  follows,  probably  to  one  of  his  old  assistants,  John  Edwards, 
now  Congregationalist  minister  in  Leeds  : — 


488  The  Life  of  Wliitefield. 

1765  "  London,  August  3,  1765.  I  am  very  weak  in  body,  but  gratitude  con- 
—  strains  me  to  send  you  a  few  lines  of  love  unfeigned,  for  your  labours 
'^^  S°  during  my  absence  abroad.  I  rejoice  to  hear  they  were  blessed.  Our 
friends  tell  me  that  the  sound  of  your  Master's  feet  was  heard  behind  you. 
To  Him,  and  Him  alone,  be  all  the  glory  !  Thanks  be  to  God  !  we  do 
not  go  a  warfare  at  our  own  charges.  The  Captain  of  our  Salvation  will 
conquer  for,  and  in  us.  Let  us  but  acknowledge  Him  in  all  our  ways, 
and  He  will  direct  and  prosper  all  our  paths.  Our  enemies  shall  be  at 
peace  with  us.  The  very  ravens — birds  of  prey — shall  be  obliged  to 
come  and  feed  us.  O  for  an  increase  of  faith  !  I  hope  you  have  refresh- 
ing times  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord,  among  your  own  flock.  O  to 
end  life  well !  Methinks,  I  have  now  but  one  more  river  to  pass  over, — 
Jordan  ;  and  we  know  who  can  carry  us  over,  without  being  ankle  deep. 
Yet  a  little  while,  and  all  true  labourers  shall  enter  into  the  joy  of  their 
Lord.    Amen!     Hallelujah!" 

Despite  his  wish  that  Messrs.  Keen  and  Hardy  would 
continue  to  manage  his  London  chapels,  Whitefield  was 
obliged  to  obtain  supplies  for  them  himself.  To  Mr.  Andrew 
Kinsman,  whom  he  was  accustomed  to  address  as  his  "  dear 
Timothy,"  he  wrote  : — 

"  London,  September  20,  1765.  Pray,  when  are  we  to  have  the  honour 
of  a  visit  from  you  1  I  believe  more  than  three  weeks  are  elapsed  since 
you  came  to  Bristol.  Mr.  Adams'  is  to  be  your  colleague  here.  I  pur- 
pose for  both  of  you  to  preach  at  the"  (Tottenham  Court  Road)  "chapel 
as  well  as  at  the  Tabernacle.  Write  an  immediate  answer,  fixing  your 
time  of  coming  ;  and  you  must  not  think  of  returning  soon.  I  have  been 
better  in  health  for  a  week  past  than  I  have  been  for  these  four  years. 
My  wife,^  last  night,  returned  well,  from  Bury.  She  indulges  this  morn- 
ing, being  weary  ;  but,  I  take  it  for  granted,  that,  you  and  I  rise  at  five. 
Mr.  Adams's  room  will  be  large  enough  for  you  to  breathe  in.  I  shall 
never  breathe  as  I  would,  till  I  breathe  in  heaven." 

Mr.  Kinsman,  in  reply,  evidently  proposed  that,  if  he 
came  to  supply  in  London,  Whitefield  should  supply  in 
Bristol.  Apart  from  his  health,  Whitefield  had  no  liking  for 
this  proposal.  His  labours  at  Bristol  had  not  been  so  suc- 
cessful and  happy  as  in  other  places.  Hence  the  following 
extract  from  a  second  letter  to  Mr.  Kinsman  : — 

•  Thomas  Adams,  one  of  Whitefield's  helpers,  when  he  was  moderator 
of  the  Calvinistic  Methodists,  but  now  the  founder  and  pastor  of  the 
Tabernacle  at  Rodborough,  in  the  county  of  Gloucester.  ('•  Bristol  Taber- 
nacle Centenary  Services,"  p.  90.) 

*  Notwithstanding  Whitefield's  long  absence,  and  the  recentncss  of  liis 
return,  she  had  been  a  fortnight  in  the  country  !  (Whitefield's  Works 
vol.  iii.,  p.  330.) 


Important  Letter.  489 


"London,  September  2.Z,  1765.         jygr 
"  Nothing  is  wanting  at  Bristol,  London,  and  elsewhere,  but  labourers       — 
full  of  the  first  old  Methodistical  spirit  ;  but  where  to  get  them  is  the    "^^^  ^° 
question.     Those,  who  are  thus  minded,  are  almost  worn  out.     I  would 
gladly  fly  to   Bristol  if  I  could  ;  but  I  see  it  is  best  to  be  here  for  some 
time.     Besides,  things  have  always  been  at  such  a  low  ebb,  when  I  have 
been  at  Bristol,  and  matters  carried  on  with  so  little  spirit,  that  I  have 
generally  come  away  mourning.     If  a  few,  such  as  Mr.  Collet,'  would 
exert  themselves  steadily  and  perseveringly,  and  if  proper  preachers  were 
sent,  something  might  be  done  to  purpose  ;  but,  as  neither  of  these  things 
is  likely  to  happen,  my  expectations  are  not  much  raised.     However 
the  residue  of  the  Spirit  is  in  the  Redeemer's  hands.     Fain  would  I  have    • 
you  up  at  London  for  some  time,  at  this  season.    Mr.  D — r  expects  to  see 
you  in  a  clerical  habit  about  Christmas.    He  asked  me  if  I  would  get  him 
a  scarf.?    I  answered,  that,  you  must  have  one  first.     You  may  guess  how 
he  smiled.   However,  I  really  intend  you  shall  preach  in  the  "  (Tottenham 
Court  Road)  "chapel.     I  want  you  also  to  read  the  letters,  and  give  me 
leave  to  comment  upon  them,  as  my  breath  will  allow." 

Without  unduly  commenting  on  Whitefield's  letter,  there 
are  five  facts  in  it,  which  must  be  apparent  to  every  careful 
reader  ; — three  of  them  interesting,  and  two  of  great 
importance.  I.  Tottenham  Court  Road  chapel  was  con- 
sidered to  occupy  a  higher  position,  than  the  Tabernacle 
in  Moorfields.  2.  Meetings  for  reading  letters  were  still 
held  among  Whitefield's  followers.  3.  Bristol  was  not  one 
of  Whitefield's  favourite  preaching  places.  4.  In  Whitefield's 
opinion,  MetJiod-ist preachers  were  already  deteriorated.  5.  That^ 
zvitJioui  right  preachers  and  a  ivorking  Chnrch,  spiritual  pro- 
gress is  next  to  impossible. 

On  October  i,  Whitefield  set  out  for  Bath.  For  twenty- 
five  years,  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon  had  been  accustomed 
to  visit  that  fashionable  city.  Wherever  she  went,  she  took 
her  religion  with  her,  for  her  religion  was  a  part  of  herself. 
Her  position,  in  many  respects,  was  new  and  peculiar.  She 
seemed  to  be  a  combination  of  Puritan,  Churchman,  Dis- 
senter, and  Reformer.  Her  chief  characteristic,  however, 
was  heartfelt  and  practical  religion.  Her  lighted  "  candle  " 
was  never  "  put  under  a  bushel."  On  all  suitable  occasions, 
she  was  ready  to  speak  of  the  sins  and  errors  of  her  early 
life,  and  to  tell  of  her  conversion  to  God,  and  to  insist  that 


'  Messrs.  Collet  and  Ireland  were  the  chief  men  in  the  Bristol  Taber- 
nacle.    ("  Memoirs  of  Cornelius  Winter,"  p.  148.) 


4 go  TJie  Life  of  Whit ef  eld. 

^765  the  same  change  is  necessary  in  all.  At  Bath,  she  had  con- 
Age  50  versed  on  religious  subjects,  with  many  of  the  most  distin- 
guished personages  of  the  time.  Whitefield,  Charles  Wesley, 
and  others,  had  conducted  religious  services  in  her  lodgings, 
and  the  services  had  been  attended  by  considerable  numbers 
of  the  aristocracy,  who  would  have  declined  to  enter  an 
ordinary  Methodist  meeting-house.  To  meet  the  case  of 
such,  her  ladyship,  years  ago,  had  built  chapels  of  her  own 
at  Brighton,  and  at  Bristol;  and  now  she  erected  a  third  at 
.  Bath  ;  and,  soon  afterwards,  built  a  fourth  at  Tunbridge 
Wells, — all  of  them  places  of  fashionable  resort. 

The  chapel  at  Bath  being  completed,  the  Countess 
summoned  six  clergymen  of  the  Church  of  England  to  the 
opening,  namely,  Whitefield,  Romaine,Venn,  Madan,  Shirley,^ 
and  Townsend.'-^  On  October  6,  Whitefield  and  Tovvnsend 
preached,  and  an  immense  crowd  attended,  including  a  large 
number  of  the  nobility,  who  had  been  specially  invited  by 
her  ladyship.^  Whitefield  mentions  this  event  in  the  follow- 
ing letter  addressed  to  Mr.  Keen  ; — 

"Bath,  October  •],  1765. 
The  Chapel  is  extremely  plain,  and  yet  equally  grand.  A  most  beauti- 
ful original  !  ^  All  was  conducted  with  great  solemnity.  Though  a  very 
wet  day,  the  place  was  very  full  ;  and  assuredly  the  great  Shepherd  and 
Bishop  of  souls,  by  His  presence,  consecrated  and  made  it  holy  ground. 
I  preached  in  the  morning,  and  Mr.  Townsend  in  the  evening.  I  am  to 
preach  to-morrow  night,  and  have  hopes  of  setting  off  on  Wednesday 
morning." 

Whitefield,  probably,  spent  the  remainder  of  the  year  in 
London.  Wesley  breakfasted  with  him  on  October  28,  and 
spoke  of  him  as  "  an  old,  old  man,  fairly  worn  out  in  his 
Master's    service,    though  he  has  hardly  S2en   fifty  years." 

'  The  Hon.  and  Rev.  Walter  Shirley,  brother  of  the  notorious  Earl 
Ferrers,  and  a  first  cousin  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon.  He  had  been 
converted  under  the  ministry  of  Venn,  and  was  now  an  evangelical  and 
earnest  minister  of  Christ. 

''■  The  Rev.  Joseph  Townsend,  son  of  the  celebrated  Alderman  Town- 
send,  of  London,  and  fellow  of  Clare  Hall,  Cambridge,  and  rector  of 
Pewsey,  in  Wiltshire.  He  also  heartily  co-operated  with  the  Methodist 
clergymen  of  the  day. 

^  "  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  i.,  p.  468. 

■*  "The  chapel,"  wrote  Horace  Walpole,  "is  very  neat,  with  true  Gothic 
windows."     (''  Lite  and  Times  of  Wesley,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  558.) 

^  Wesley's  Journal, 


The  Orphan  House.  491 


No  doubt,  he  preached  as  often  as  he  could.      He  was  also     '766 
occupied  with  his  project  for  converting  his  Orphan  House  Age  51 
into  a  college.      In  a  letter  to  Mr.  Dixon,  his  manager,  he 
wrote  : — 

"London,  October  26,  1765. 
"  Bethesda  matters  are  likely  to  come  to  a  speedy  and  happy  issue. 
We  talk  of  my  coming  over  again.     It  is  not  impossible,  if  my  health 
admits.     At  present,  blessed  be  God !    I  am  better  than  I  was  last  year. 
The  word  runs  and  is  glorified  in  London." 

This  was  written  only  two  days  before  he  and  Wesley 
breakfasted  together.  Evidently,  he  scarcely  considered  his 
case  so  serious  as  Wesley  did.  Hopefulness,  throughout 
life,  was  one  of  his  prominent  characteristics.  ■  This  was  true 
at  present,  both  in  reference  to  his  health  and  to  the  affairs 
of  Bethesda.  He  was  pushing  the  proposal  for  a  college  as 
much  as  possible  ;  but  the  accomplishment  of  his  wish  was 
more  remote  than  he  expected.  He  had  sent  a  memorial 
to  the  king,  in  which  he  embodied  nearly  the  whole  of  his 
memorial  to  the  Governor  and  Council  of  Georgia.  That 
to  the  king  concluded  thus  : — 

"  Upon  the  arrival  of  your  memorialist,  he  was  informed  that  this 
address,  '  of  the  General  Assembly  to  the  Governor  of  Georgia,'  was 
remitted  to,  and  laid  before  the  Lords  Commissioners  for  Trade  and 
Plantations  ;  and,  having  received  repeated  advices  that  numbers  both  in 
Georgia  and  South  Carolina  are  waiting  with  impatience  to  have  their 
sons  initiated  in  academical  exercises,  your  memorialist  therefore  prays 
that  a  charter,  upon  the  plan  of  New  Jersey  College,  may  be  granted  ; 
upon  which  your  memorialist  is  ready  to  give  up  his  present  trust,  and 
make  a  free  gift  of  all  lands,  negroes,  goods,  and  chattels,  which  he  now 
stands  possessed  of  in  the  Province  of  Georgia,  for  the  present  founding, 
and  towards  the  future  support  of  a  college,  to  be  called  by  the  name  of 
Bethesda  College,  in  the  Province  of  Georgia." 

At  this  stage  of  the  business,  Bethesda  must  be  left  until 
the  beginning  of  the  year  1767. 

One  of  the  first  of  Whitefield's  good  deeds,  in  1766,  was 
to  heal  a  breach.  Four  years  before,  Wesley's  Society  in 
London  had  been  thrown  into  great  confusion,  by  a  large 
number  of  its  members  using  the  most  fanatical  expressions 
in  reference  to  the  doctrine  of  Christian  Perfection.  Thomas 
Maxfield,   generally    reputed    (though    incorrectly)    to    have 


492  Tiie  Life  of  Wliit field. 

been  the  first  layman,  whom  Wesley  authorised  to  preach, 
and  George  Bell,  a  corporal  in  the  Life  Guards,  and  who,  for 
a  season,  seemed  to  be  insane,  became  the  chief  agitators. 
The  result  was  a  great  scandal,  a  reduction  of  Wesley's 
metropolitan  Society  from  2,800  members  to  2,200,  and  a 
Society  debt  of  more  than  ^^600.  After  many  strange 
vicissitudes,  Bell  was  brought  back  to  a  'better  state  of 
feeling,  and  Whitefield  was  the  means  of  it.  Wesley 
writes  : — 

"January  3,  1766.  Mr.  Bell  called  upon  me,  now  calm,  and  in  his 
right  mind.  God  has  repressed  his  furious,  biUer  zeal,  by  means  of 
Mr.  Whitefield." 

And  again,  a  month  later  : — 

"January  31.  Mr.  Whitefield  called  upon  me.  He  breathes  nothing 
but  peace  and  love.  Bigotry  cannot  stand  betore  him,  but  hides  its 
head  wherever  he  comes." ' 

Another  event  occurred  about  the  same  time,  but  of  a 
painful  character.  In  Lloyd's  Evening  Post,  for  February 
10,  1766,  the  following  announcement  was  made  : — - 

"  Lately  died  suddenly,  at  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon's,  at  Bath, 
Mr.  James  Whitefield,  formerly  a  merchant  of  Bristol,  and  brother  of  the 
Rev.  Mr.  George  Whitefield." 

At  the  commencement  of  the  year,  Whitefield  was  invited 
to  Sheerness,  where  there  existed  a  Society  of  w^hat  might 
be  considered  his  followers.  Some  of  Wesley's  preachers 
had  visited  the  town.  The  simple-minded,  but  somewhat 
bigoted  people  took  alarm.  They  were  angry  at  their 
Calvinistic  enclosure  being  approached  by  Arminian  forces. 
Cornelius  Winter,  then  in  Kent,  heard  of  this,  and  went  and 
preached  to  them,  from—"  Gideon  said  unto  him,  O  my 
lord,  if  the  Lord  be  with  us,  why  then  is  all  this  befallen 
us  .''  And  where  be  all  His  miracles  which  our  fathers  told  us 
of,  saying.  Did  not  the  Lord  bring  us  out  of  Egypt }  but 
now  even  the  Lord  hath  forsaken  us,  and  delivered  us  into 
the  hands  of  the  Midianites."  ^ 

*  Wesley's  Journal.  "^  "  Memoirs  of  C.  Winter,"  p.  63. 


Samson   Occum.  493 


The  people  now  wanted  Whitefield  to  visit  them,  and  his     ^766 
affecting  and  admonitory  answer  was  as  follows  : —  AgTsi 

"London,  January,  18,  1766. 
*'  Dearly  Beloved,— Not  want  of  love,  but  of  leisure  and  health,  has 
occasioned  you  the  trouble  of  writing  a  second  letter.  And  now  I  am  sorry 
to  acquaint  you,  that  it  is  not  in  my  power  to  comply  with  your  request. 
For  want  of  more  assistance,  I  am  confined  in  town,  with  the  care  of  two 
important  posts,  when  I  am  only  fit  to  be  put  into  some  garrison,  among 
the  invalids,  to  stand  by  an  old  gun  or  two.  However,  my  former  ambi- 
tion still  remains,  and,  through  the  help  of  your  prayers,  who  knows  but  I 
may  yet  be  strengthened  to  annoy  the  enemy  1  If  others  are  blessed  to  do 
any  execution,  God  forbid  that  I  should  hinder,  though  in  all  things  they 
follow  not  with  us.  Let  the  Lord  send  by  whom  He  will  send.  So  that 
Christ  is  preached,  and  holiness  promoted,  I  rejoice,  yea,  and  will 
rejoice." 

Whitefield  was  glad  to  get  away  from  London.  The  care 
of  his  two  chapels  was  too  much  for  him.  He  went  to  Bath 
and  Bristol,  and  was  willing,  if  not  wishful,  to  visit  Wales. 
Hence  the  following  to  Mr.  Keen  : — 

"  Bristol,  March  17,  1766.  A  desire  to  be  free  from  London  cares  has 
made  me  indifferent  about  frequent  hearing  from  thence.  If  dear  Mr. 
Howell  Davies  will  continue  to  officiate,  I  have  a  mind  to  visit  Wales  for 
him.  Last  Friday  evening,  and  twice  yesterday,  I  preached  at  Bath,  to 
thronged  and  brilliant  audiences.'  I  am  told  it  was  a  high  day.  The 
glory  of  the  Lord  filled  the  house.  To-morrow,  God  willing,  I  return 
thither.  Mr.  Townsend  is  too  ill  to  officiate.  If  any  urgent  business 
requires,  be  pleased  to  direct  either  to  this  place  or  Bath.  Pray  shew  my 
wife  this.  Cordial  respects  attend  her,  yourself,  dear  Mr.  Hardy  and 
sisters,  and  Mr.  Howell  Davies.  Many  think  old  times  are  coming  round 
again." 

At  this  period,  England  was  visited  by  a  man  who  rose  to 
great  notoriety.  Samson  Occum  was  a  descendant  of  Uncas, 
the  celebrated  chief  of  the  Mohegans,  and  was  born  at 
Mohegan,  about  the  year  1723.      His  parents  led  a  wander- 

'  On  this  occasion,  the  Earl  and  Countess  of  Sutherland  were  among 
Whitefield's  hearers.  Immediately  after,  the  Earl  was  attacked  with  a 
putrid  fever.  For  twenty-one  nights  and  days,  without  intermission  or 
retuing  to  rest,  the  Countess  watched  over  her  noble  husband.  She  then 
sunk  and  died,  the  Earl  himself  dying  seventeen  days  afterwards.  The 
Earl  of  Sutherland  was  in  his  thirty-first,  and  his  Countess  in  her  twenty- 
fifth  year.  They  left  behind  them  an  infant  daughter,  who  succeeded  her 
tather  in  the  honours  of  Sutherland,  and  married  the  Marquis  of  Stafford. 
She  died  in  1839.  ("  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon," 
vol.  i.,  p.  473.) 


494  ^/^^  Life  of  IVhitefidd. 


4766  ing-  life,  dwelt  in  wigwams,  and  depended  chiefly  upon 
Age  51  hunting  and  fishing  for  subsistence.  During  the  religious 
excitement,  at  the  time  of  Whitefield's  first  visits  to  America, 
Occum  was  converted,  chiefly  by  the  preaching  of  Whitefield 
and  Gilbert  Tennent,  and  became  desirous  of  acting  as  the 
teacher  of  his  tribe.  In  a  year  or  two,  he  learned  to  read 
the  Bible,  and  then  went  to  the  Indian  school  of  Mr. 
Wheelock,  of  Lebanon.  Here  he  remained  for  four  years. 
During  the  next  ten  or  eleven  years,  he  taught  a  school 
among  the  Indians,  and  also  preached  to  them,  in  their  own 
language.  Many  of  his  hearers  became  Christians.  He 
lived  in  a  house  covered  with  mats,  and  changed  his  abode 
twice  a  year,  to  be  near  the  planting  ground  in  the  summer, 
and  the  woods  in  the  winter.  Amongst  his  various  toils  for 
sustenance,  he  was  expert  with  his  fish-hook  and  his  gun  ; 
he  bound  old  books  for  the  people  at  East  Hampton  ;  and 
made  wooden  spoons,  cedar  pails,  piggins,  and  churns.  In 
1759,  he  was  ordained  by  the  Suffolk  Presbytery.  During 
his  late  visit  to  America,  Whitefield  met  with  Occum,  took 
him  along  with  him  in  his  travels,  and  sometimes  heard  him 
preach.^  Now,  in  1766,  in  company  with  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Whitaker,  Occum  was  sent  to  England,  to  obtain  subscrip- 
tions towards  the  support  of  VVheelock's  school.^  He  was 
the  first  Indian  preacher  who  had  visited  Great  Britain. 
The  chapels,  in  which  he  preached,  were  thronged.  Between 
February  16,  1766,  and  July  22,  1767,  he  delivered,  in 
various  parts  of  the  kingdom,  above  three  hundred  sermons. 
He  and  Mr.  Whitaker  met  with  the  most  liberal  patronage 
from  Christians  of  all  denominations,  and  of  all  ranks  in 
society.  His  majesty,  King  George  III.,  gave  a  subscription 
of  iJ^200,  and  the  whole  contributions,  in  England  and  Scot- 
land, amounted  to  ii^  12,500.^  After  his  return,  Occum 
sometimes  resided  at  Mohegan,  but  was  often  employed  in 
missionary  labours  among  distant  Indians.  In  1786,  he 
removed  to  Brotherton,  near  Utica,  in  the  neighbourhood   of 


'  Old  Newspaper. 

"^  This  Indian  school  was  ultimately  merged  in  Dartmouth  College,  of 
whic'a  Wheelock  was  the  first  president. 

'  Brown's  "  Mistory  of  Missions,"  vol.  iii.,  p.  481. 


Samson  Occum.  495 


the  Stockbridge  Indians,  where  he  died  in  1792.1     Upwards     1766 
of  three  hundred  Indians  attended  his  funeral.     A  portrait  Aee"'?! 
of    him    appeared    in  the   Evangelical  Magazine  for   1808. 
Whitefield  refers  to  him  and  his  mission,  in  the  following 
letter  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Gillies,  of  Glasgow : — • 

"  London,  April  25, 1766. 

"Reverend  and  very  dear  Sir,— Not  want  of  love,  but  of  leisure 
and  better  health,  has  prevented  you  hearing  from  me  more  frequently.  I 
find  I  cannot  do  as  I  have  done  ;  but,  through  infinite  mercy,  I  am  enabled 
to  ascend  my  gospel-throne  three  or  four  times  a  week  ;  and  a  glorious 
infiuence  attends  the  word.  People  have  a  hearing  ear,  but  we  want 
more  preachers. 

"  The  prospect  of  a  large  and  effectual  door  opening  among  the  heathen 
is  very  promising.  Mr.  Occum,  the  Indian  preacher,  is  a  settled  humble 
Christian.  The  good  and  great,  with  a  multitude  of  lower  degree,  heard 
him  preach  last  week  at  Tottenham  Court  chapel,  and  felt  much  of  the 
power  and  presence  of  our  common  Lord.  Mr.  Romaine  has  preached, 
and  collected  ^loo  ;  and,  I  believe,  seven  or  eight  hundred  pounds  more 
are  subscribed.  Lord  Dartmouth  espouses  the  cause  most  heartily,  and 
His  majesty  has  become  a  contributor.  The  King  of  kings,  and  Lord  of 
all  lords,  will  bless  them  for  it. 

"  I  trust  you  and  all  my  other  dear  friends  at  Glasgow  are  so  grown  as 
to  become  tall  cedars  in  the  spiritual  Lebanon.  I  pray  for  them,  though 
I  cannot  write  to  them.  I  hope  all  is  well  at  Cambuslang.  Blessed  be 
God  !  all  will  be  well  in  heaven.  I  will  not  interrupt  you.  You  want  to 
say,  Amen!  Hallelujah  !  I  only  add,  when  upon  the  mount,  put  in  a 
word  for  an  old  friend,  who  retains  his  old  name,  '  the  chief  of  sinners,  less 
than  the  least  of  all  saints  ^ — but,  for  Jesus  Christ's  sake, 

"  Reverend  and  very  dear  sir,  your  willing  servant, 

"  George  Whitefield." 

Shortly  after  this,  Whitefield  formed  a  friendship  with 
Thomas  Powys,  Esq.,  a  gentleman  in  Shropshire,  of  large 
fortune  and  of  high  connections,  who,  in  conjunction  with 
Sir  Richard  Hill,  in  that  county,  became  conspicuous  for 
zeal  in  the  cause  of  God  and  truth.'"^  To  Mr.  Powys,  White- 
field  wrote  as  follows  : — 

"Tottenham  Court,  May  15,  1766.  Though  at  present  almost  in  a 
breathless  state,  by  preaching  last  night,  yet  I  hope  to  be  strengthened  to 

>  It  is  said,  that  the  first  Sunday  school  in  the  United  States  was 
founded  in  the  house  of  Cecum's  sister,  a  few  months  after  his  death. 
(Belcher's  "  Biography  of  Whitefield,"  p.  387.) 

^  "  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  i.,  p.  375. 

After  the  death  of  Mr.  Powys,  in  1775,  his  widow  became  the  second 
■wife  of  Sir  Rowland  Hill,  of  Hawkeston,  Bart. 


496  The  Life  of  VVIntefield. 

1766     give  the  holy  sacrament  at  seven  next  Sunday  morning  ;  and,  if  able,  to 

.  preach  afterwards  at  ten.     If  good  Mr.  R and  lady  will  come,  at  near 

.  ^^  ^'  seven,  to  the  Chapel  House,  they  shall  be  conducted  to  a  proper  place.  I 
wish  them  a  Pentecost,  not  only  on  Whit-Sunday,  but  every  day,  every 
hour,  and  every  moment  of  their  lives." 

In  the  month  of  June,  Whitefield  set  out  for  Bath  and 
Bristol.  He  complained  of  the  continuance  of  his  "  feverish 
heat,"  and  drank  the  water  of  the  Hot  Wells  twice  a  day  ; 
but  managed,  at  six  o'clock,  in  the  mornings,  "  to  call  thirsty- 
souls  to  come  and  drink  of  the  water  of  life  freely."  ^ 

On  his  return  to  London,  he  and  the  Wesleys  met  several 
days  in  succession,  for  the  purpose  of  promoting  a  closer 
union  between  themselves  and  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon. 
Wesley  had  set  out  on  one  of  his  gospel  tours,  but  was 
summoned  back  to  join  in  these  important  conferences.  He 
writes  : — 

"  My  brother  and  I  conferred  with  Mr.  Whitefield  every  day  ;  and,  let 
the  honourable  men  do  what  they  please,  we  resolved,  by  the  grace  of 
God,  to  go  on,  hand  in  hand,  through  honour  and  dishonour."" 

One  of  their  arrangements  was,  that  the  Wesleys  should 
preach  in  the  chapels  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,  as 
Whitefield,  for  many  years,  had  been  accustomed  to  preach 
in  theirs.  Charles  Wesley  was  delighted.  In  a  letter  to  his 
wife,  he  wrote  : — 

"London,  August  21,  1766.  Last  night,  my  brother  came.  This 
morning,  we  spent  two  blessed  hours  with  George  Whitefield.  The  three- 
fold cord,  we  trust,  will  never  more  be  broken.  On  Tuesday  next,  my 
brother  is  to  preach  in  Lady  Huntingdon's  Chapel  at  Bath.  That  and 
all  her  chapels  (not  to  say,  as  I  might,  herself  also)  are  now  put  into  the 
hands  of  us  three." ' 

Some,  however,  were  dissatisfied.  In  another  letter  to  his 
"  Dear  Sally,"  written  within  three  weeks  afterwards,  he 
remarks  : — 

"September  9,  1766.  This  morning,  I  spent  in  friendly,  close  confer- 
ence with  George  Whitefield,  who  is  treated  most  magnificently,  by  his 
own  begotten  children,  for  his  love  to  us."  ^ 

*  Whitefield's  Works,  vol.  iii.,  p.  338. 

Wesley's  Works,  vol.  iii.,  p.  250. 
^  Charles  Wesley's  Journal,  vol.  ii.,  p.  247. 

Charles  Wesley's  Journal,  vol.  ii.,  p.  249. 


'■^ Quadruple  Alliance. ''"'  497 

On  the  other  hand,  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon  approved     ^7^6 
of    the    arrangements    made.      In   a    letter   to   Wesley,    she  Age  51 
wrote  : — 

"  September  14,  1766.  I  am  most  highly  obHged  by  your  kind  offer  of 
serving  the  chapel  at  Bath  during  your  stay  at  Bristol.  I  do  trust  that 
this  luiion  which  is  comtnenced  \\\\\  be  for  the  furtherance  of  our  faith  and 
mutual  love  to  each  other.  It  is  for  the  interest  of  the  best  of  causes  that 
we  should  all  be  found,  first,  faithful  to  the  Lord,  and  then  to  each  other. 
I  find  something  wanting,  and  that  is,  a  meeting  now  and  then  agreed 
upon,  that  you,  your  brother,  Mr..  Whitefield,  and  I,  should,  at  times, 
regularly  communicate  our  observations  upon  the  general  state  of  the 
work.  Light  might  follow,  and  would  be  a  kind  of  guide  to  me,  as  I  am 
connected  with  many." ' 

This  "  quadruple  alliance,"  as  Charles  Wesley  called  it, 
lasted  till  Whitefield's  death.  Then,  as  all  readers  of 
Methodist  history  are  well  aware,  there  was,  in  more  respects 
than  one,  a  distressing  rupture. 

Whitefield  continued  his  pulpit  labours,  as  far  as  he  was 
able  ;  and  also  wrote  letters  in  abundance.  Hence  the 
following  extracts  from  his  correspondence. 

John  Fawcett,  afterwards  Doctor  of  Divinity,  and,  for 
above  half  a  century,  a  laborious  minister  of  Christ  in  York- 
shire, had  recently  begun  to  preach,  and,  having  been  con- 
vinced of  sin  under  Whitefield's  ministry,  he  wrote  to  him, 
asking  his  advice.      Part  of  the  answer  was  as  follows  : — 

"  London,  September  i,  1766.  I  have  been  so  often  imposed  upon  by 
letters  from  strangers,  that  it  is  high  time  to  be  a  little  more  cautious"  [in 
answering  them].  "  Besides,  bodily  weakness  prevents  my  writing  as  for- 
merly ;  but  your  letters  seem  to  evidence  simplicity  of  heart.  If  truly 
called  to  the  glorious  work  of  the  ministry,  of  which  I  can  be  no  judge  at 
this  distance,  I  wish  you  njuch  prosperity  in  the  name  of  the  Lord.  The 
language  of  ray  soul  is,  '  Would  to  God  that  all  the  Lord's  servants  were 
prophets  ! '  A  clear  head,  and  an  honest,  upright,  disinterested,  warm 
heart,  with  a  good  elocution,  and  a  moderate  degree  of  learning,  will  carry 
you  through  all,  and  enable  you  to  do  wonders.  You  will  not  fail  to  pray 
for  a  decayed,  but,  thanks  be  to  God  !  not  a  disbanded  soldier.  Whether 
I  shall  ever  visit  Yorkshire  again,  is  only  known  to  Him,  who  holdeth  the 
stars  in  His  right  hand."  * 

The  next  extract  is  from  a  letter  addressed  to  a  gentle- 
man at  Wisbeach  : — 

'  "  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  i.,  p.  476. 
'  "  Life  of  John  Fawcett,  D.D.,"  p.  56. 

VOL.  n.  •  32 


498  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1766  "  London,  September  25,  1766.  I  am  sorry  your  letter  has  been  so  long 
unanswered  ;  but  bodily  weakness,  and  a  multiplicity  of  correspondents, 
at  home  and  abroad,  must  be  pleaded  as  excuses.  The  shout  of  a  King 
is  yet  heard  in  the  Methodist  camp.  Had  I  wings,  I  would  gladly  fly 
from  pole  to  pole  ;  but  they  are  clipped  by  the  feeble  labours  of  thirty 
years.  Twice  or  thrice  a  week,  I  am  permitted  to  ascend  my  gospel- 
throne.  Pray  that  the  last  glimmering  of  an  expiring  taper  may  be  blessed 
to  the  guiding  of  many  wandering  souls  to  the  Lamb  of  God." ' 

The  next  was  written  to  Mr.  Gustavus  Gidley,  an  officer 
of  Excise,  who  was  the  principal  founder  of  Wesley's  Society 
in  Exeter,  and  the  chief  promoter  of  Wesley's  first  chapel  in 
that  city: — 

"  London,  October  2,  1766.  The  love  of  Christ  constrains  me  to  wish 
you  joy.  Of  what  ?  Of  being  made  partaker  of  the  grace  and  cross  of 
Christ.  You  will  find  that  both  are  inseparably  connected.  God  be  praised 
that  you  have  an  inclination  to  invite  others  to  partake  of  your  joy  in  the 
Lord.  Thus,  your  brother  Matthew  the  publican  did.  He  made  a  feast. 
Jesus,  that  friend  of  publicans  and  sinners,  was  there.  With  such  He  is 
now  ;  and  with  such,  to  all  eternity,  He  will  be  surrounded  in  the  kingdom 
of  glory.  There  you  and  I  must  strive  which  will  shout  loudest,  '  Grace, 
grace  ! '  And  why  should  not  this  contest  begin  on  earth .''  It  will,  it  must, 
if  the  kingdom  of  God  be  witliiu  its.  Look  continually  unto  Jesus.  That 
He  may  be  the  Alpha  and  Omega — the  beginning  and  end  of  all  your 
thoughts,  words,  and  deeds,  is  the  earnest  prayer  of,  dear  sir, 

"  Your  brother  sinner, 

"  George  Whitefield."^ 

Not  unfrequently  was  Whitefield  accused  of  disloyalty. 
From  first  to  last,  all  such  charges  were  absolutely  false  and 
calumnious.  If  he  erred  at  all,  it  was  in  expressing  his 
attachment  to  the  throne  and  government  of  the  day,  in 
language  stronger  than  they  merited.  His  eulogiums  of 
George  II.  were  extravagant,  but  it  would  be  unjust  to 
designate  them  insincere.  Everywhere,  at  home  and 
abroad,  he  availed  himself  of  every  opportunity  to  evince 
his  fidelity  to  his  rightful  sovereign,  and  his  respect  for  the 
House  of  Hanover.  This,  at  the  time,  was  of  more  than 
ordinary  importance.  Jacobite  and  popish  plots  were  nume- 
rous. Traitors  existed  in  abundance.  Loyal  men  were 
needed,  and  declarations  of  loyalty  were  of  greater  value 
than  at  present,  when  treason  is  not  so  rampant  as  it  was  in 


'  Evangelical  Ma^a2t?ie,  18 10,  p.  351. 
"  Metliodist  Magazine,  1808,  p.  376. 


A  Royal  Marriage.  499 

the  days  of  the  Pretender.    Such  facts  will  help  to  explain     ^766 
the  following  incident : —  Age  51 

On  October  i,  Her  Royal  Highness  Princess  Caroline 
Matilda,  sister  of  George  HI.,  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  was 
married  to  the  worthless  king  of  Denmark.  The  ceremony 
was  performed  by  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  in  the 
Grand  Council  Chamber  at  St.  James's,  in  the  presence  of  the 
Royal  Family  and  a  large  number  of  the  English  nobility. 
The  puny  king  of  Denmark  was  not  present ;  but  Her  Royal 
Highness's  brother,  the  Duke  of  York,  acted  as  his  proxy. 
On  the  day  after  the  marriage,  at  half-past  six  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  the  young  queen  set  out  for  Harwich,  to  embark 
for  Denmark,  being  escorted  by  a  detachment  of  Horse 
Guards,  and  a  numerous  train  of  attendants.  On  the  same 
day,  says  Lloyd's  Evening  Post,  "  The  Rev.  Mr.  Whitefield 
preached,  at  the  Tabernacle,  in  praise  of  the  queen  of  Den- 
mark, and  concluded  with  a  fervent  prayer  for  her  preserva- 
tion and  good  journey." 

This  was  an  odd  kind  of  service  for  worn-out  Whitefield 
to  undertake  ;  but  loyalty  to  the  House  of  Hanover  led  him 
for  once  to  use  his  "  gospel-throne  "  in  sounding  the  praises, 
not  of  King  Jesus,  but  of  the  unfortunate  queen  of  Denmark. 

Among  others,  who  now  began  to  render  assistance  in 
Whitefield's  London  chapels,  was  the  saintly  Fletcher,  vicar 
of  Madeley.^  It  is  not  improbable  that  this  was  one  of  the 
results  of  the  "  quadruple  alliance,"  formed  two  months  before. 
Be  that  as  it  may,  the  following  extract  from  Whitefield's 
letter  to  Mr.  Powys  will  interest  the  reader  : — 

"  London,  November  i,  1766.  Dear  Mr.  Fletcher  is  become  a  scan- 
dalous Tottenham  Court  preacher.  I  trust  he  will  come  down  into  your 
parts,  baptized  with  the  Holy  Ghost.  Dear  Mr.  Romaine  has  been  much 
owned  in  good  Lady  Huntingdon's  chapel "  (at  Bath).  "  I  am  to  go 
thither  next  week.  Dear  Mr.  Madan  is  detained  at  Aldwinkle,  by  his 
children  having  the  small-pox  in  town.  The  shout  of  a  King  is  yet  heard 
in  the  Methodist  camp.  The  glorious  cry,  '  What  shall  I  do  to  be  saved?' 
is  frequently  sounding  in  our  years.  Had  we  more  reproach,  and  were  we 
more  scandalous,  more  good  would  be  done.  Several  promise  well.  Some 
say  shibboleth  with  a  good  grace,  and  very  proper  accent  ;  others,  as  yet, 

'  "  Mr.  Whitefield,"  says  Fletcher,  "was  not  a  flighty  orator,  but  spoke 
the  words  of  soberness  and  truth,  with  divine  pathos,  and  floods  of  tears 
declarative  of  his  sincerity."     (Fletcher's  Works,  vol.  i.,  p.  298.) 


500  The  Life  of  Whiiefield. 

1766  can  only  say  sibboleth;  but  I  have  heard  of  one  who  can  teach  the  tongue 
of  the  stammerer  to  speak  plain.     Good  Lady  Huntingdon  is  an  excellent 

^  •'  school-mistress  in  this  way.  But  I  must  have  done.  A  dear  company  of 
ministerial  cast-outs  are  coming  to  breakfast  under  my  despised  roof.  I 
cannot  die.     Cold  bathing  and  cool  weather  brace  me  up." 

Whitefield  went  to  Bath,  as  he  intended  ;  and,  whilst 
there,  wrote  to  his  faithful  friend,  Mr.  Keen,  as  follows  : — 

"Bath,  November  12,  1766.  I  have  been  low  ever  since  my  coming 
here.  The  Bath  air,  1  believe,  will  never  agree  with  me  long.  However 
if  good  is  done,  all  will  be  well.  They  tell  me,  that  Sunday  and  last  night 
were  seasons  of  power.  Some,  we  trust,  were  made  willing.  I  hope  you 
enjoy  much  of  God  in  town.  Surely,  London  is  the  Jerusalem  of  England. 
Happy  they  who  know  the  day  of  their  visitation  !  Remember  me  to  all 
at  the  Tabernacle.  I  hope  to  write  to  Mr.  Fletcher  to-morrow  or  next 
day." 

*'  Bath,  November  20,  1766.  On  Tuesday  evening,  I  preached  at 
Bristol,  to  a  very  crowded  auditory,  though  the  weather  was  veiy  foul. 
Last  night"  (Wednesday)  "I  administered  the  sacrament  there.  We 
used  near  eight  bottles  of  wine.  I  trust  some  tasted  of  the  new  wine  o^ 
the  kingdom.  I  want  just  one  week  more  to  settle  Bristol  affairs  ;  and 
have,  therefore,  written  to  dear  Mr.  Jesse  '  to  stay  two  or  three  weeks  at 
London.  Mr.  Plowell  Davies,"  who,  they  say,  is  expected  here  next  week, 
may  then  officiate  for  that  space  of  time  at  Bath,  and,  at  Mr.  Jesse's 
leaving  London,  may  go  up  to  town.  I  beg  that  Captain  Joss  would  go 
through  with  the  Tabernacle  work,  and  stick  to  it  with  his  whole  heart. 
I  hope,  at  farthest,  to  be  in  London  by  next  Tuesday  se'nnight,  and  to 
preach  at  the  Tabernacle  the  following  evening.  I  was  afraid  my  wife 
would  get  cold  by  her  late  excursions,  as,  at  other  times,  she  is  so  much 
confined.     Be  pleased  to  show  this  to  her." 

"Bristol,  November  23,  1766.  Such  a  numerous  brilliant  assembly  of 
the  mighty  and  noble,  I  never  saw  attend  before  at  Bath.  Everything  is 
so  promising,  that  I  was  constrained  to  give  notice  of  preaching  next 
Sunday.  Congregations  have  been  very  large  and  very  solemn.  O  what 
Bethels  has  Jesus  given  to  us  !  O  that  God  would  make  my  way  into 
every  town  in  England  !  I  long  to  break  up  fresh  ground.  I  am  just  come 
here,  weary,  but  am  going  to  speak  a  few  words." 

Captain  Joss  has  just  been  mentioned,  and  deserves  further 
notice.  Torial  Joss  was  born  on  September  29,  1 731,  at 
Auck-Medden,  a  small  village,  on  the  sea  coast,  about  twenty 

>  Another  Methodist  clergyman,  who,  afterwards,  resided  at  West  Brom- 
wich.  "He  is,"  said  Henry  Venn,  "a  very  excellent  man,  and  seems 
appointed  to  evangelise  the  JVo/ds,  the  inhabitants  of  which  are  dark 
almost  as  the  heathens."  ("  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Hunting- 
don," vol.  ii.,  p.  41;  and  Wesley's  Works,  vol.  iii.,  p.  161.) 

^  The  famous  Methodist  clergyman,  in  Wales. 


Captain    Torial  yoss.  ^o\ 


miles  north  of  Aberdeen.  His  father  died  when  Torial  was  1766 
very  young  ;  his  mother  neglected  him  ;  and  he  went  to  sea.  ArTsi 
The  vessel  in  which  he  sailed  was  taken  by  the  French,  and 
he  became  an  inmate  of  a  foreign  prison,  where  his  sufferings 
were  great.  At  the  age  of  fifteen,  he  returned  to  Scotland  ; 
was  seized  by  a  press-gang;  and  sent  on  board  a  man-of-war. 
He  made  his  escape;  travelled  to  Sunderland;  and  bound 
himself  an  apprentice  to  the  captain  of  a  coasting  vessel, 
belonging  to  Robin  Hood's  Bay.  By  overhearing  a  religious 
conversation,  and  by  reading  the  works  of  Bunyan,  and  "The 
Whole  Duty  of  Man,"  he  was  converted.  The  Methodist 
preachers  visited  Robin  Hood's  Bay;  a  number  of  the  people 
were  convinced  of  sin  ;  and  Wesley  came  and  formicd  them 
into  a  Society.  Previous  to  this,  Torial  had  begun  to  pray 
and  exhort  in  public  ;  and  Wesley  encouraged  him  to  con- 
tinue. He  was  now  about  eighteen  years  of  age,  and  became 
a  member  of  Wesley's  Society.  When  his  apprenticeship 
expired,  he  was  appointed  first  mate  of  his  captain's  vessel. 
Wherever  the  ship  put  into  port,  he  tried  to  preach,  and,  in 
some  instances,  suffered  cruel  persecution.  At  Shields,  a 
press-gang  dragged  him  through  the  town,  amid  shoutings 
and  triumph,  and  sent  him  on  board  a  tender,  where  he  was 
kept  a  prisoner  for  seven  weeks.  The  profane  swearing  and 
the  obscene  language  of  the  crew  were  terrific  trials  ;  and, 
added  to  this,  having  but  twenty  minutes  in  forty-eight  hours 
on  deck,  he  was  nearly  suffocated  with  the  foul  air  and  heat. 
Soon  after  his  release,  he  was  made  captain  of  a  ship,  set  up 
regular  worship,  and,  as  often  as  the  weather  would  permit, 
preached  regularly  to  his  crew.  During  a  long  detention  at 
Berwick-upon  Tweed,  his  preaching  to  the  crowds  was  so 
successful,  that  a  gentleman  wrote  to  Whitefield,  telling  him. 
Joss  was  sailing  to  London,  in  a  vessel  named  the  Hartley 
Trader,  but  which  the  people  nicknamed  "  The  Pulpit."  On 
arriving  in  the  Thames,  Joss  was  surprised  by  being  told  that 
Whitefield  had  announced  him  to  preach  in  the  Tabernacle. 
Whitefield  was  so  gratified  with  the  sermon,  that  he  urged 
the  captain  to  quit  the  compass,  the  chart,  and  the  ocean,  for 
the  Christian  pulpit.  After  considerable  delay,  Joss,  in  1766, 
yielded  to  Whitefield's  wish,  and,  henceforth,  acted  as  one  of 
his  assistants.      In   London,  his  congregations  were  crowds, 


50^  TJie  Life  of  White  field. 

1766  and  his  sermons  full  of  converting  power.  Four  or  five 
Age  51  months  every  year  he  spent  in  itinerating,  regularly  visiting 
Bristol,  Gloucestershire,  and  South  Wales,  and,  occasionally, 
other  parts  of  the  kingdom.  In  Wales,  especially,  the  people 
followed  him  in  multitudes,  and,  on  Sundays,  would  travel 
twenty  miles  to  hear  him.  He  died  in  1797,  and  was  in- 
terred in  Tottenham  Court  Road  chapel.^  Berridge  used  to 
call  him  "  The  Archdeacon  of  Tottenham."  ^ 

Another  of  Whitefield's  helpers  must  be  introduced. 
Captain  Scott,  son  of  Richard  Scott,  Esq.,  of  Betton,  in  the 
county  of  Salop,  belonged  to  the  7th  regiment  of  dragoons. 
He  was  present  at  the  famous  battle,  at  Minden,  on  the  1st 
of  August,  1759,  attached  to  the  cavalry  of  the  right  wing, 
commanded  by  Lord  George  Sackville.  After  this,  he  became 
the  subject  of  powerful  religious  impressions,  and  made  it 
his  daily  practice  to  read  the  psalms  and  lessons  of  the  day. 
In  due  time,  he  heard  Romaine,  and  found  peace  with  God. 
He  soon  began  to  preach.  Fletcher  of  Madeley,  in  a  letter 
to  Lady  Huntingdon,  wrote  : — 

"  I  went  last  Monday  to  meet  Captain  Scott — a  captain  of  the  truth,  a 
bold  soldier  of  Jesus  Christ.  He  boldly  launches  into  an  irregular  useful- 
ness. For  some  months,  he  has  exhorted  his  dragoons  daily ;  for  some 
weeks,  he  has  preached  publicly  at  Leicester,  in  the  Methodist  meeting- 
house, in  his  regimentals,  to  numerous  congregations,  with  good  success. 
The  stiff  regular  ones  pursue  him  with  hue  and  cry  ;  but,  I  believe,  he  is 
quite  beyond  their  reach.  I  believe  this  red  coat  will  shame  many  a  black 
one.     I  am  sure  he  shames  me." 

Whiteficld  heard  of  the  military  preacher,  and,  on  February 
12,  1767,  wrote  to  him  as  follows  : — 

"  What,  not  answer  so  modest  a  request  as  to  send  dear  Captain  Scott 
a  few  lines  !  God  forbid  !  I  must  again  welcome  him  into  the  field  of 
battle.  I  must  entreat  him  to  keep  his  rank  as  a  captain,  and  not  suffer 
any  persuasions  to  influence  him  to  descend  to  the  lower  degree  of  a 
common  soldier.  If  God  shall  choose  a  red-coat  preacher,  who  shall  say 
unto  Him,  '  What  doest  Thou  ?' 


'  Evangelical  Magazine,  1 797,  pp.  397 — 407. 

A  small  monument,  in  memory  of  Torial  Joss,  exists  at  Tottenham 
Court  Road  chapel  ;  but,  strangely  enough,  it  is  placed  in  one  of  the 
vestries,  and,  therefore,  scarcely  ever  seen. 

''■  "Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  i.,  p.  214. 


Captain   Scott.  503 

*  Strong  in  the  Lord's  almighty  power,  1766 

And  armed  in  panoply  divine, 

Firm  may'st  thou  stand  in  danger's  hour,  ^   ^ 

And  prove  the  strength  of  Jesus  thine. 
The  helmet  of  salvation  take  ; 
The  Lord  the  Spirit's  conquering  sword  ; 
Speak  from  the  word  ;  in  lightning  speak  ; 
Cry  out,  and  thunder  from  the  Lord.' 

"  Gladly  would  I  come,  and,  in  my  poor  way,  endeavour  to  strengthen 
your  hands  ;  but,  alas  !  I  am  fit  for  nothing  but,  as  an  invalid,  to  be  put 
into  some  garrison,  and  then  put  my  hand  to  some  old  gun.  Blessed  be 
the  Captain  of  our  salvation  for  drafting  out  young  champions  to  recon- 
noitre and  attack  the  enemy.  You  will  beat  the  march  in  every  letter 
and  bid  the  common  soldiers  not  halt,  but  go  forward.  Hoping  one  day 
to  see  your  face  in  the  flesh,  and  more  than  hoping  to  see  you  crowned 
with  glory  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  I  am,  my  dear  captain,  yours  in  our 
all-glorious  Captain-General, 

"George  Whitefield."' 

As  yet,  Whitefield  had  not  seen  Captain  Scott  ;  but  he 
requested  him  to  come  and  preach  in  London.  "  I  have 
invited  the  captain,"  said  Whitefield  to  the  Tabernacle 
congregation,  "  to  bring  his  artillery  to  the  Tabernacle 
rampart,  and  try  what  execution  he  can  do  here."  Soon 
after  this,  Captain  Scott  sold  his  commission,  and,  for 
upwards  of  twenty  years,  was  one  of  the  supplies  of  the 
Tabernacle  pulpit.^ 

In  this  same  year,  1766,  Whitefield  entered  into  corre- 
spondence with  another  distinguished  man,  who  was  destined, 
for  a  brief  period,  to  be  one  of  his  successors  at  the  Taber- 
nacle and  at  Tottenham  Court  Road  chapel.  Rowland  Hill, 
the  sixth  son  of  Sir  Rowland  Hill,  Bart.,  was  now  twenty-one 
years  of  age.  He  had  been  to  school  at  Eton,  and,  for  the  last 
two  years,  had  been  an  undergraduate  at  Cambridge.  Here 
he  became  intimately  acquainted  with  good  old  Berridge,  of 
Everton,  and  scarcely  a  week  elapsed  without  their  holding 
religious  intercourse  with  each  other.  Rowland,  even  now, 
was  full  of  religious  fire  and  energy  and  boldness.  He  had 
already  been  the  means  of  awakening  anxiety  about  their 
souls  in  several  of  his  fellow-students.  He  had  also  visited 
the  gaol,  and   the  sick,  and  had   begun   to  preach  in   several 

•  Evangelical  Magazine,  18 15,  p.  272. 
"  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  i.,  pp.  317 — 319. 


504  The  Life  of  WJiitefeld. 

^766    places   in   Cambridge,   and    in    the  adjacent  villages.      This 
Age  52  brought  upon  him  the  severest  censure  of  his  college.     Mobs 
also  commenced   to"  insult  him  ;   and,   at   length,  the  opposi- 
tion   he  encountered    became   so    serious,   that  he   wrote   to 
Whitefield  for  advice.      Whitefield's  reply  was  as  follows  : — 

"  London,  December  27,  1766. 
■  "About  thirty-four  years  ago,  the  master  of  Pembroke  College,  where  I 
was  educated,  took  me  to  task  for  visiting  the  sick,  and  going  to  the 
prisons.  In  my  haste,  I  said,  '  Sir,  if  it  displeaseth  you,  I  will  go  no 
more.'  My  heart  smote  me  immediately.  I  repented,  and  went  again. 
He  heard  of  it,  and  threatened  ;  but,  for  fear  he  should  be  looked  upon 
as  a  persecutor,  let  me  alone.  The  hearts  of  all  are  in  the  Redeemer's 
hands.  I  would  not  have  you  give  way,  no  not  for  a  moment.  The  storm 
is  too  great  to  hold  long.  Visiting  the  sick  and  imprisoned,  and  instruct- 
ing the  ignorant,  are  the  very  vitals  of  true  and  undefiled  religion.  If 
threatened,  denied  degree,  or  expelled  for  this,  it  will  be  the  best  degree 
you  can  take — a  glorious  preparative  for,  and  a  blessed  presage  of,  future 
usefulness.  I  have  seen  the  dreadful  consequences  of  giving  way  and 
looking  back.  How  many,  by  this  wretched  cowardice,  have  been  turned 
into  pillars,  not  of  useful,  but  of  useless  salt  !  Felix  queju  faciunt  aliena 
pericula  caiitmn.  Now  is  the  time  to  prove  the  strength  of  Jesus  yours. 
If  opposition  did  not  so  much  abound,  your  consolations  would  not  so 
abound.  Blind  as  he  is,  Satan  sees  some  great  good  coming.  We 
never  prospered  so  much  at  Oxford,  as  when  we  were  hissed  at  and 
reproached  as  we  walked  along  the  street.  Go  on,  therefore,  my  dear 
man,  go  on.  Old  Berridge,  I  believe,  would  give  you  the  same  advice. 
You  are  honoured  in  sharing  his  reproach  and  name.  God  be  praised, 
that  you  are  helped  to  bless  when  others  blaspheme.  Do  not  drop  the 
Bible  and  old  books.  You  write  good  sense.  Nothing  is  wanting  but  to 
write  it  in  a  proper  manner.  God  bless,  direct,  and  prosper  you  !  He 
will,  He  will.  Good  Lady  Huntingdon  is  in  town.  She  will  rejoice  to 
hear  you  are  under  the  cross.  You  will  not  want  her  prayers,  or  the  prayers 
of,  my  dear  young  honest  friend, 

"  Yours,  in  the  all-conquering  Jesus, 

"  George  Whitefield. 
«  To  Mr.  Rowland  Hill, 

"At  St.  John's  College,  Cambridge." 

For  above  thirty  years,  Whitefield  had  been  the  butt  of 
persecution,  and,  therefore,  was  not  unprepared  to  give 
advice  to  young  Rowland  Hill.  He  was  still  hunted  by 
the  hatred  of  his  enemies.  Among  other  publications, 
there  was   issued,   about  this   period,  a  sixpenny  pamphlet, 


Life  of  Rev.  Rowland  Hill,"  p.  25. 


Hostile  Publications.  505 


in    folio,    with    the    title,    "The    Celebrated  Lecture    upon    ^'^^■ 
Heads,"  most  of  which   is  too   coarse   and   blasphemous   to  Age 
be    quoted.       One    specimen,    concerning   Whitefield,    must 
suffice. 

"  Behold  here  one  of  the  righteous  07>er-7n!tch—yQt  nought  doth  he  give 
away  in  charity  !  No,  no  !  He  is  the  bell-wether  of  the  flock,  who  hath 
broken  down  orthodoxy's  boiaids,  and  now  riots  on  the  connnon  of  hypo- 
crisy. With  one  eye  he  looks  up  to  heaven,  to  make  his  congregation  think 
he  is  devout,  that's  his  spiritual  eye  ;  and  with  the  other  eye  he  looks 
down  to  see  what  he  can  get,  and  that's  his  carnal  ^-^^  ;  and  thus,  with 
jokes  flowing  down  his  face,  he  says,  or  seems  to  say,  or,  at  least  with  your 
permission,  we'll  attempt  to  say  for  him, '  Bretheren  !  bretheren  !  bretheren  ! 
The  word  bretheren  comes  from  the  Tabernacle,  because  we  all  breathe- 
thcrc-in.  If  ye  want  rousing,  I'll  7-onse  you.  I'll  beat  a  tat-too  upon  the 
parchment  cases  of  your  consciences,  and  whip  the  devil  about  like  a 
ivhirl-a-gig^' 

Quantum  snfficit !  The  remainder  is  a  great  deal  worse 
than  this. 

Another  pamphlet  of  the  same  description,  price  eighteen- 
pence,  was  entitled  "  The  Methodist  and  Mimic.  A  Tale 
in  Hudibrastic  Verse.  By  Peter  Paragraph.  Inscribed  to 
Samuel  Foote,  Esq."  The  gist  of  this  foul  publication  is, 
that  Whitefield  sends  one  of  his  congregation  to  Foote, 
with  a  proposal  that  the  comedian  should  turn  preacher  ; 
and,  of  course,  Samuel  Foote,  Esq.,  rejects  the  proposal 
with  disdain. 

One  more  must  be  mentioned:  "The  Methodist.  A 
Poem.  By  the  Author  of  the  Powers  of  the  Pen,  and  the 
Curate.  Eondon,  1766."  (4to.  pp.  54.)  Some  parts  of 
this  impious  publication  are  obscene,  and  attribute  to  White- 
field  behaviour  of  the  most  infamous  and  impure  descrip- 
tion. The  general  purport  of  it  is  to  describe  the  devil 
making  a  tour  of  discovery,  to  find  some  one  to  manage 
his  affairs  on  earth,  so  that  he  himself  might  have  leisure 
to  attend  to  his  government  in  hell.      With  this  object  in 

view, 

"  he  searched,  without  avail, 
Each  meeting,  dungeon,  court,  and  jail, 
Each  mart  of  villainy,  where  vice 
Presides,  and  virtue  bears  no  price." 

But  nowhere  could  he  find  an  agent  suited  to  his  mind,  till 


5o6  The  Li/e  of  IVhitefield. 

'766  he  got  to  Tottenham  Court  Road  chapel,  where  he  discovered 
Age  52  Whitefield.  For  the  sake  of  gold,  Whitefield  became  his 
terrestrial  viceroy,  and  swore  fealty  to  him.  One  of  the 
devil's  requirements  was,  that,  because  what  WhiteReld  did 
was  contrary  to  what  he  said,  his  eyes  ought  to  look  differ- 
ent ways  ;  and,  accordingly,  they  were  twisted.  Describing 
Whitefield 's  sermons,  the  writer  says  : — 

"He  knows  his  Ahisiet's  realm  so  well, 
His  sermons  are  a  map  of  hell. 
An  Ollio  made  of  conflagration, 
Oi gnlphs  of  brimstone,  and  damnation, 
Eternal  torments,  furnace,  worm. 
Hell-fire,  a  whirlwind,  and  a  stor7nP 

An  apology  is  almost  needed  for  the  insertion  of  such 
profanity  as  this,  and  yet,  without  it,  it  is  impossible  to 
convey  to  the  reader  an  adequate  idea  of  the  ridicule  and 
odium  cast  upon  dying  Whitefield.  Vile  as  are  the  extracts 
given,  much  viler  remain  unquoted. 

Whitefield  concluded  the  year  1766  by  writing  one  of  his 
characteristic  letters  to  Thomas  Powys,  Esq.,  who  was  enter- 
taining, at  his  mansion  in  Shropshire,  during  Christmastide, 
the  Rev.  Messrs.  Venn,  Ryland,  Dr.  Conyers,  and  Powley, 
vicar  of  Dewsbury.^ 

"At  my  Tottenham  Court  Bethel, 

"  Six  in  the  Alorning,  December  30,  1766. 

"  My  very  dear  Sir,— The  Christmas  holiday  season  has  prevented 
me  sending  an  immediate  answer  to  your  last  kind  letter.  The  love 
therein  expressed  shall  be  returned,  by  praying  for  the  writer's  whole 
self,  and  the  honourable,  Christian,  and  ministerial  circle  with  which  you 
are  at  present  happily  surrounded.  Four  Methodist  parsons  !  Honour- 
able title  !  so  long  as  it  is  attended  with  the  cross.  When  fashionable, 
we  will  drop  it.  Four  MetJiodist  parsons !  Enough,  when  Jesus  says, 
'  Loose  them  and  let  them  go,'  to  set  a  whole  kingdom  on  fire  for  God. 
I  wish  them  prosperity  in  the  name  of  the  Lord. 

"To-morrow,  God  willing,  and  on  Thursday  also,  with  many  hundreds 
more,  I  intend  to  take  the  sacrament  upon  it,  that  I  will  begin  to  be  a 
Christian.  Though  I  long  to  go  to  heaven,  to  see  my  glorious  Master, 
what  a  poor  figure  shall  I  make,  among  saints,  confessors,  and  martyrs, 
without  some  deeper  signatures  of  His  divine  impress — without  more 
scars  of  Christian  honour  ! 

"  Our  truly  noble  mother  in  Israel  is  come  to  London  full  of  them. 

'  "  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  i,,  p.  378. 


'"'■  Preface*''   to  Bunyaii's   Works.  ^q>'i 

Crescit  sub  pondere  virtus.     Happy  they  who  have  the  honour  of  her     1767 

acquaintance  !     Highly  honoured  are  the  ministers,  who  have  the  honour 

of  preaching  for  and  serving  her  !  ^^  ^ 

*'  O  this  single  eye, — this  disinterested  spirit, — this  freedom  from  worldly 
hopes  and  worldly  fears, — this  flaming  zeal, — this  daring  to  be  singularly 
good, — this  holy  ambition  to  lead  the  van!  O,  it  is,  what?  a  heaven 
upon  earth  ]  O  for  a  plerophory  of  faith  !  to  be  filled  with  the  Holy 
Ghost !  This  is  the  grand  point.  All  our  lukewarmness,  all  our  timidity, 
all  our  backwardness  to  do  good,  to  spend  and  be  spent  for  God, — all  is 
owing  to  our  want  of  more  of  that  faith,  which  is  the  inward,  heartfelt, 
self-evident  demonstration  of  things  not  seen. 

"But  whither  am  I  going.?  Pardon  me,  good  sir.  I  keep  you  from 
better  company.  Praying  that  all  of  you  (if  you  live  to  be  fifty-two)  may 
not  be  such  dwarfs  in  the  Divine  hfe  as  I  am,  I  hasten  to  subscribe 
myself,  etc., 

"  George  Whitefield." 

Whitefield  began,  the  year  1767  by  writing  a  preface  to 
the  third  edition  of  the  collected  works  of  Bunyan,  published 
in  two  large  folio  volumes  (pp.  856  and  882),  admirably 
printed,  and  containing  curious  and  well-executed  illustrations. 
The  title  was,  "  The  Works  of  that  Eminent  Servant  of 
Christ,  Mr.  John  Bunyan,  Minister  of  the  Gospel,  and  for- 
merly Pastor  of  a  Congregation  at  Bedford.  With  Copper- 
plates, adapted  to  the  Pilgrim's  Progress,  the  Holy  War,  etc., 
in  Two  Volumes.  The  Third  Edition.  To  which  are  now 
added  The  Divine  Emblems,  and  several  other  Pieces,  which 
were  never  printed  in  any  former  Collection,  with  a  Recom- 
mendatory Preface  by  the  Reverend  George  Whitefield, 
M.A.,  Chaplain  to  the  Right  Honourable  the  Countess  of 
Huntingdon.  London:  printed  for  W.Johnston,  in  Ludgate 
Street ;  and  E.  and  C.  Dilly,  in  the  Poultry,  near  the  Man- 
sion House.      1767."^ 

Whitefield's  preface  is  dated  January  3,  1767.  Two 
extracts  from   it   must  suffice.      In  reference  to  the  fact  that 

'  The  volumes  were  published  in  numbers.  Hence  the  following  ad- 
vertisement, taken  from  an  old  newspaper  :  "  This  day  is  published, 
recommended  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  G.  Whitefield,  Number  I.,  containing  five 
sheets,  and  a  head  of  the  author,  price  only  sixpence,  of  a  new  and 
beautiful  edition  of  the  works  of  Mr.  John  Bunyan,  the  whole  to  be 
comprised  in  eighty-four  numbers.  Those  who  incline  to  take  the  work 
in  complete  sets,  may  subscribe  for  the  same,  paying  one  guinea  at  the 
time  of  subscribing,  and  the  remainder  on  the  delivery  of  the  two 
volumes  ;  and  those  who  subscribe  for  six  sets  shall  have  a  seventh 
gratis." 


5o8  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

^767     Bunyan's  Pilgrim's  Progress  was  written   in  Bedford   Gaol, 
Age  52  Whitefield  remarks  : — 

"  Ministers  never  write  or  preach  so  well  as  when  under  the  cross. 
The  Spirit  of  Christ  and  of  glory  then  rests  upon  them.  •  It  was  this,  no 
doubt,  that  made  the  Puritans  of  the  last  century  such  burning  and 
shining  lights.  When  cast  out  by  the  black  Bartholomew  Act,  and 
driven  from  their  respective  charges  to  preach  in  barns  and  fields,  in 
the  highways  and  hedges,  they,  in  an  especial  manner,  wrote  and  preached 
as  men  having  authority.  Though  dead,  by  their  writings  they  yet  speak, 
A  peculiar  unction  attends  them  to  this  very  hour.  For  these  thirty  years 
past,  I  have  remarked  that  the  more  true  and  vital  religion  has  revived, 
either  at  home  or  abroad,  the  more  the  good  old  Puritanical  writings,  or 
the  authors  of  a  like  stamp,  who  lived  and  died  in  the  communion  of  the 
Church  of  England,  have  been  called  for." 

Then  again,  with  reference  to  what,  throughout  the  whole 
of  his  career,  was  one  of  Whitefield's  favourite  virtues,  namely, 
catholicity  of  spirit,  he  writes  : — 

"  I  must  own  that  what  more  particularly  endears  Mr.  Bunyan  to  my 
heart  is  this,  he  was  of  a  catholic  spirit.  The  want  of  water  adult 
baptism,  with  this  man  of  God,  was  no  bar  to  outward  Christian  com- 
munion. And  I  am  persuaded,  that  if,  like  him,  we  were  more  deeply 
and  experimentally  baptized  into  the  benign  and  gracious  influences  of 
the  blessed  Spirit,  we  should  be  less  baptized  into  the  waters  of  strife, 
about  circumstantials  and  non-essentials.  We  should  have  but  one  grand, 
laudable,  disinterested  strife,  namely,  who  should  live,  preach,  and  exalt 
the  ever-loving,  altogether  lovely  Jesus  most." 

Just  at  this  period,  Whitefield  took  under  his  patronage  a 
young  man,  who,  if  not  a  tinker,  was  quite  as  poor  as  the 
"  immortal  dreamer."  Cornelius  Winter,  the  son  of  a  shoe- 
maker, and  bred  in  a  workhouse,  was  now  in  the  twenty-fifth 
year  of  his  age.  For  twelve  long  years,  he  had  been  the 
drudge  and  the  butt  of  a  drunken  brute  in  Bunhill  Row. 
The  poor  workhouse  lad  had  been  converted  by  attending 
Whitefield's  Tabernacle,  and  had  become  a  member  of  its 
Society.  During  the  last  year  or  two,  he  had  been  an 
itinerant  preacher,  and  now  he  applied  to  Whitefield  to 
send  him,  as  a  minister,  to  America,      Whitefield  replied  : — • 

"  London,  Jajiiiary  29,  1767. 
"  Dear  Mr.  Winter, — Your  letter  met  with  proper  acceptance.     The 
first  thing  to  be  done  now  is  to  get  some  knowledge  of  the  Latin  language. 
We  can  talk  of  the  method  to  be  pursued,  at  your  return  to  London. 


Cor'ivd.us    V/iiiUr.  509 


l\Tr.   Green'   would   make  a  suitable  master.     No  time   should  be  lost.     1767 
One  would  hope  that  the  various  humiliations  you  have  met  with  were 
intended  as  preparations  for  future  exaltations.     The  greatest  preferment   *  '^ 
under  heaven  is  to  be  an  able,  painful,  faithful,  successful,  suffering,  cast- 
out  minister  of  the  New  Testament.     That  this  may  be  your  happy  lot 
is  the  hearty  prayer  of  yours,  etc., 

"George  Whitefield."* 

Gn  coming  to  London,  Cornelius  Winter  waited  upon 
Whitefield.      He  writes  : — 

"  Mr,  Whitefield  gave  me  a  mild  reception.  The  interview  was  short. 
He  said  he  should  expect  me  to  preach  in  the  Tabernacle  next  morning 
at  six  o'clock,  and  he  appointed  a  time  when  I  should  come  to  him  again. 
I  heard  him  in  the  evening.  He  announced  that  a  stranger,  recommended 
by  Mr,  Rerridgc,  would  preach  on  the  morrow  morning.  I  had  little  rest 
that  night,  and  prayed,  rather  than  studied  for  the  service." 

This  was  in  February,  1767.  The  result  was,  Whitefield 
desired  Winter  to  procure  testimonials  from  the  places  he 
had  visited,  and  also  to  write  him  an  account  of  his  conver- 
sion.     Winter  says  ; — 

'•  For  several  days,  Mr.  Whitefield  kept  me  in  suspense.  At  last,  he 
set  me  upon  a  little  business,  and  told  me  he  should  expect  me  to  preach 
two  mornings  in  the  week.  He  appointed  me  particular  times  when  I 
was  to  call  upon  him  ;  and,  besides  sending  me  upon  errands,  of  which 
he  always  had  a  great  number,  he  set  me  to  transcribe  some  of  his 
manuscripts.  He  shewed  himself  much  dissatisfied  with  my  writing  and 
orthography ;  but  he  desired  me  to  take  a  lodging  near  the  chapel,  where 
he  could  conveniently  send  for  me  ;  gave  me  a  little  money  to  defray  my 
expenses ;  and,  by  degrees,  brought  me  into  a  capacity  to  be  useful  to 
him.  Soon  after,  he  proposed  my  going  to  Mr.  Green's  for  a  few  hours; 
in  the  day,  to  be  initiated  into  the  Latin  grammar  ;  but  he  interrupted 
the  design  by  requiring  a  close  attention  to  his  own  business,  and  the 
large  demand  he  made  of  my  pulpit  services.  A  single  quarter  of  a  year 
closed  my  school  exercise,  in  which  I  hardly  gained  knowledge  enough  to 
decline  Mnsa.  It  was  plain  Mr.  Whitefield  did  not  intend  to  promote 
my  literary  improvement.  Indeed,  he  said,  Latin  was  of  little  or  no  use, 
and  that  they  who  wish  to  enter  upon  it  late  in  life,  had  better  endeavour 
to  acquire  a  good  knowledge  of  their  mother  tongue.  Having  recently 
attended  Mr.  Wesley's  conference,  and  having  heard  him  speak  to  the 
saine  effect,  he  was  confirmed  in  this  sentiment,  and  discouraged  my 
perseverance. 

"  Perhaps  it  would  be  putting  the  picture  of  so  valuable  a  man,  as  Mr. 


'  Mr.  Green  was  one  of  Whitefield's  occasional  assistants,  but  subsisted 
by  teaching  a  school.     ("Winter's  Memoirs,"  p.  45.) 
-  "  Winter's  Memoirs,"  p.  68. 


5IO  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1767  Whitefield  was,  into  too  deep  a  shade,  to  say  that  he  was  not  a  tit  person 
—  for  a  young  man  in  humble  circumstances  to  be  connected  with.  He 
^"^  52  ^^g  j^Q^  satisfied  with  deficient  abilities,  but  he  did  not  sufficiently  en- 
courage the  use  of  the  lamp  for  their  improvement.  The  attention  of  a 
youth,  designed  for  the  ministry,  was  too  much  diverted  from  the  main 
object,  and  devoted  too  much  to  objects  comparatively  trifling.  I  was 
considered  as  much  the  steward  of  his  house  as  his  assistant  in  the 
ministry.  While  I  was  kept  in  bay  and  at  anchor,  many,  piloted  by  him, 
set  sail,  and  I  at  last  knew  not  whether  I  was  to  indulge  a  hope  for 
America  or  not.  My  fidelity  being  proved,  I  became  one  of  the  family, 
slept  in  the  room  of  my  honoured  patron,  and  had  the  privilege  to  sit 
at  his  table.  I  judged  I  was  where  I  should  be,  and  was  determined 
never  to  flinch  from  the  path  of  duty,  nor  intentionally  to  grieve  the  man, 
who  had  many  burdens  upon  him,  and  for  whom  I  could  have  laid  down 
myhfe."' 

Considering  the  circumstances  of  Cornelius  Winter,  there 
is  a  little  unseemly  grumbling  in  the  foregoing  extract ;  but 
let  it  pass.  The  quondam  workhouse  boy  seems  to  have 
been  an  inmate  of  Whitefield's  house  for  about  eighteen 
months  ;  and  as  he  is  the  only  one,  tints  privileged,  who  has 
left  behind  him  any  account  of  Whitefield's  domestic  habits 
and  public  life,  this  is  a  fitting  place  to  introduce  what  he 
says  concerning  the  patron  to  whom  he  owed  so  much. 

In  reference  to  the  composition  of  sermons,  the  mode  of 
conducting  public  services,  and  action  in  the  pulpit,  Winter 
writes  : — 

"The  time  Mr.  Whitefield  set  apart  for  praparations  for  the  pulpit,  during- 
my  connection  with  him,  was  not  distinguished  from  the  time  he  appro- 
priated to  other  business.  If  he  wanted  to  write  a  pamphlet,  he  was 
closeted  ;  nor  would  he  allow  access  to  him,  except  on  an  emergency, 
while  he  was  engaged  in  the  work.  But  I  never  knew  him  engaged  in 
the  composition  of  a  sermon,  until  he  was  on  board  ship,  when  he  em- 
ployed himself  partly  in  the  composition  of  sermons,  and  partly  in  reading 
the  history  of  England.  He  had  formed  a  design  of  writing  the  history 
of  Methodism,  but  never  entered  upon  it.  He  was  never  more  in  retire- 
inent  on  a  Saturday  than  on  another  day  ;  nor  sequestered  at  any  parti- 
cular time  for  a  period  longer  than  he  used  for  his  ordinary  devotions.  I 
never  met  with  anything  like  the  skeleton  of  a  sermon  among  his  papers, 
with  which  I  was  permitted  to  be  familiar,  and  I  believe  he  knew  nothing 
of  sucli  a  kind  of  exercise  as  the  planning  of  a  sermon. 

"Usually,  for  an  hour  or  two  before  he  entered  the  pulpit,  he  claimed 
retirement  ;  and,  on  the  Sabbath  morning  especially,  he  was  accustomed 
to  have  Clarke's  Bible,  Matthew  Henry's  Comment,  and  Cruden's  Con- 

^  "Winter's  Memoirs,"  p.  75. 


Winter  s  Delineation,  of  Whitefield.  5  1 1 

cordance  within  his  reach.     His  frame  at  that  time  was  more  than  ordi-     1767 
narily  devotional ;  I  say  more  than  ordinarily,  because,  though  there  was    . 
a  vast  vein  of  pleasantry  usually  in   him,  the  intervals  of  conversation 
then  appeared  to  be  filled  up  with  private  ejaculation  and  with  praise. 

".His  rest  was  much  interrupted,  and  he  often  said  at  the  close  of  an 
address,  '  I  got  this  sermon  when  most  of  you  were  fast  asleep.'  He 
made  very  ininute  observations  ;  and,  in  one  way  or  another,  the  occur- 
rences of  the  week,  or  of  the  day,  furnished  him  witli  matter  for  the  pulpit. 
When  an  extraordinary  trial  was  going  on,  he  would  be  present,  and  I 
have  known  him,  at  the  close  of  a  sermon,  avail  himself  of  the  formality 
of  the  judge  putting  on  the  black  cap  to  pronounce  sentence.  With  his 
eyes  full  of  tears,  and  his  heart  almost  too  big  to  admit  of  speech,  he  would 
say,  after  a  momentary  pause,  '  I  am  now  going  to  put  on  my  condemning 
cap.  Sinner,  I  must  do  it.  I  must  pronounce  sentence  upon  thee.'  And 
then,  in  a  strain  of  tremendous  eloquence,  he  would  recite  our  Lord's 
words,  '  Depart,  ye  cursed.'  It  was  only  by  hearing  him,  and  by  beholding 
his  attitude  and  his  tears,  that  the  effect  could  be  conceived. 

"  My  intimate  knowledge  of  him  enables  me  to  acquit  him  of  the  charge 
of  affectation.  He  always  appeared  to  enter  the  pulpit  with  a  countenance 
that  indicated  he  had  something  of  importance  to  divulge,  and  was  anxious 
for  the  effect  of  the  communication.  His  gravity  on  his  descent  was  the 
same.  As  soon  as  he  was  seated  in  his  chair,  he  usually  vomited  a  con- 
siderable quantity  of  blood. 

"  He  was  averse  to  much  singing  after  preaching,  supposing  it  diverted 
attention  from  the  subject  of  his  sermon.  Nothing  awkward,  nothing 
careless  appeared  about  him  in  the  pulpit.  Whether  he  frowned  or  smiled, 
whether  he  looked  grave  or  placid,  it  was  nature  acting  in  him.  Professed 
orators  might  object  to  his  hands  being  lifted  up  too  high,  and  it  is  to  be 
lamented  that  in  that  attitude,  rather  than  in  any  other,  he  is  represented 
in  print.  His  own  reflection  upon  that  picture  was,  when  it  was  first  put 
into  his  hands,  '  Sure  I  do  not  look  such  a  sour  creature  as  this  sets  me 
forth.  If  I  thought  I  did,  I  should  hate  myself.'  The  attitude  was  very 
transient,  and  always  accompanied  by  expressions  which  would  justify  it. 
He  sometimes  had  occasion  to  speak  of  Peter  going  out  and  weeping 
bitterly  ;  and,  then,  he  had  a  fold  of  his  gown  at  command,  which  he  put 
before  his  face  with  as  much  gracefulness  as  familiarity. 

"  I  hardly  ever  knew  him  go  through  a  sermon  without  weeping,  and  I 
believe  his  were  the  tears  of  sincerity.  His  voice  was  often  interrupted 
by  his  affection  ;  and  I  have  heard  him  say  in  the  pulpit,  '  You  blame  me 
for  weeping,  but  how  can  I  help  it,  when  you  will  not  weep  for  yourselves, 
though  your  souls  are  upon  the  verge  of  destruction,  and,  for  aught  I  know, 
you  are  hearing  your  last  sermon!'  Sometimes  he  wept  exceedingly, 
stamped  loudly  and  passionately,  and  was  frequently  so  overcome,  that 
nature  required  some  little  time  to  compose  itself 

"  When  he  treated  upon  the  sufferings  of  our  Saviour,  it  was  with  great 
pathos.  As  though  Gethsemane  were  in  sight,  he  would  cry,  stretching 
out  his  hand,  '  Look  yonder  !  What  is  that  I  see  ?  It  is  my  agonizing 
Lord  ! '    And,  as  though  it  were  no  difficult  matter  to  catch  the  sound  of 


512  7 he  Life  of  Whiiefidd. 

11^1     the  Saviour  praying,    he  would  exclaim,  'Hark!    Hark!     Do  you  not 
hear  ? '     This  frequently  occurred  ;  but  though  we  often  knew  what  was 
^'''^  ^"  coming,  it  was  as  new  to  us  as  if  we  had  never  heard  it  before. 

"  The  beautiful  apostrophe,  of  the  prophet  Jeremiah,  *  O  earth,  earth, 
earth,  hear  the  word  of  the  Lord  ! '  was  very  subservient  to  him,  and  was 
never  used  impertinently.  He  abounded  with  anecdotes,  which,  though 
not  always  recited  verbatim,  were  very  just  as  to  the  matter  of  them.  On 
the  Sabbath  morning,  he  dealt  far  more  in  the  explanatory  and  doctrinal 
mode  of  preaching,  than,  perhaps,  at  any  other  time  ;  and  occasionally 
inade  a  little,  but  by  no  means  improper,  shew  of  learning.  If  he  had 
read  upon  astronomy  in  the  course  of  the  week,  you  would  be  sure  to 
discover  it.  He  had  his  charms  for  the  learned  as  well  as  for  the  un- 
learned.    The  peer  and  the  peasant  alike  went  away  satisfied. 

"This  was  his  work,  in  London,  at  one  period  of  his  life.  After  admi- 
nistering the  Lord's  supper  to  several  hundred  communicants  at  half-past 
six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  he,  in  the  forenoon,  read  the  Liturgy,  and 
preached  full  an  hour.  In  the  afternoon,  he  again  read  prayers  and 
preached.  At  half-past  five,  he  preached  again,  and,  afterwards,  ad- 
dressed a  large  Society.  At  the  Society  meeting,  widows,  married  people, 
young  men,  and  spinsters  were  placed  separately  in  the  area  of  the  Taber- 
nacle. Hundreds  used  to  stay,  and  receive  from  him,  in  a  colloquial  style, 
various  exhortations,  comprised  in  short  sentences,  and  suitable  to  their 
various  stations. 

"  Perhaps  he  never  preached  greater  sermons  than  at  six  in  the  morn- 
ing ;  for  at  that  hour  he  did  preach,  winter  and  summer,  on  Mondays, 
Tuesdays,  Wednesdays,  and  Thursdays.  At  these  times,  his  congtcga- 
tions  were  of  the  select  description.  Young  men  received  admonitions 
similar  to  what  were  given  in  the  Society  meetings.  '  Beware  of  being 
golden  apprentices,  silver  journeymen,  and  copper  masters,'  was  one  of 
the  cautions  I  remember  being  given.  His  style  was  now  colloquial,  with 
little  use  of  motion  ;  pertinent  expositions,  with  suitable  remarks  ;  and  all 
comprehended  within  the  hour. 

"  Christian  experience  principally  was  the  subject  of  his  Monday, 
Tuesday,  Wednesday,  and  Thursday  evening  lectures  ;  when,  frequently 
having  funeral  sermons  to  preach,  the  character  and  experience  of  the 
dead  helped  to  elucidate  the  subject. 

"  Mr.  Whitefield  adopted  the  custom  of  the  inhabitants  of  New  England, 
in  their  best  clays,  of  beginning  the  Sabbath  at  six  o'clock  on  Saturday 
evenings.  The  custom  could  not  be  observed  by  many,  but  it  was  conve- 
nient to  a  few.  Now  ministers  of  every  description  found  a  peculiar 
pleasure  in  relaxing  their  minds  from  the  fatigues  of  study.  It  was  also 
an  opportunity  peculiarly  suited  to  apprentices  and  journeymen  in  some 
businesses,  which  allowed  of  their  leaving  work  sooner  than  on  other 
days,  and  of  availing  themselves  of,  at  least,  the  sermon. 

"  The  peculiar  talents  he  possessed  can  be  but  faintly  guessed  from  his 
sermons  in  print.  The  eighteen,  taken  in  shorthand,  and  faithfully  tran- 
scribed by  Mr.  Gurney,  have  been  supposed  to  do  discredit  to  his  memory, 
and,  therefore,  they  were  suppressed ;  but  much  of  his  genuine  preaching 


Winter's  Delmeation  of  Whitcfield.  513 


may  be  collected  from  them.  They  were  far  from  being  the  best  speci-  176 
mens  that  might  have  been  produced.  He  preached  many  of  them  when, 
in  fact,  he  was  almost  incapable  of  preaching  at  all.  His  constitution,  '^'^'^  '■ 
long  before  they  were  taken,  had  received  its  shock,  and  all  of  them, 
except  the  two  last,  were  the  productions  of  a  Wednesday  evening,  when 
by  the  business  of  the  day,  he  was  fatigued  and  worn  out.  He  was  then 
like  an  ascending  Elijah,  and  many  were  eager  to  catch  his  dropping 
•mantle.  In  the  sermons  referred  to,  there  are  many  jewels,  though  not 
connected  in  proper  order.  Whatever  invidious  remarks  may  be  «.iade 
upon  his  written  discourses,  they  cannot  invalidate  his  preaching.  Mr. 
Toplady  called  him  the  prince  of  preachers,  and  with  good  reason,  for 
none  in  our  day  preached  with  the  like  effect." 

So  much  in  reference  to  Whitefield  as  a  preacher,  to  which 
may  be  added  another  fact  stated  by  Cornehus  Winter, 
namely,  that,  excepting  Andrew  Kinsman,  most  of  White- 
field's  substitutes  at  the  Tabernacle  and  at  Tottenham  Court 
chapel  were  very  inferior  preachers  to  himself,  and  that,  in 
consequence,  the  congregations,  during  his  absence,  were 
greatly  diminished.  Notwithstanding  this,  however,  "  con- 
versions were  very  frequent."  ^ 

Winter's  portraiture  of  Whitefield  will  not  be  perfect 
vvithout  the  addition  of  what  he  says  respecting  the  renowned 
preacher's  private  character  and  habits.      He  continues  :  — 

"  Mr.  Whitefield  was  accessible  but  to  few.  He  was  cautious  in  admit- 
ting people  to  him.  He  would  never  be  surpi'ised  into  a  conversation. 
You  could  not  knock  at  his  door  and  be  allowed  to  enter  at  any  time.  '  Who 
is  it .'"  '  What  is  his  business  ? '  and  such-like  enquiries  usually  preceded 
admission  ;  and,  if  admission  were  granted,  it  was  thus,  '  Come  to-morrow 
morning  at  six  o'clock,  perhaps  five,  or  immediately  after  preaching.  If 
later,  I  cannot  see  you.' 

"  A  person  consulting  him  upon  going  into  the  ministry,  might  expect 
to  be  treated  with  severity,  if  not  well  recommended,  or  if  he  had  not 
something  about  him  particularly  engaging.  One  man,  on  saying,  in 
answer  to  his  enquiry,  that  he  was  a  tailor,  was  dismissed  with,  '  Go  to 
rag-fair,  and  buy  old  clothes.'  Another,  who  was  admitted  to  preach  in 
the  vestry  one  winter's  morning  at  six  o'clock,  took  for  his  text,  '  These 
that  have  turned  the  world  upside  down  have  come  hither  also.'  'That 
man  shall  come  here  no  more,'  said  Mr.  Whitefield.  '  If  God  had  called 
him  to  preach,  he  would  have  furnished  him  with  a  proper  text.'  A  letter 
well  written,  as  to  style,  orthography,  and  decency,  would  prepossess  him 
much  in  favour  of  a  person. 

*'  He  used  too  much  severity  to  young  people,  and  required  too  much 
rr(,ni   them.     He   connected   circumstances   too  humiliating  with  public 


'  "  Winter's  Memoirs,"  p.  21. 
V(/L.    Tj  33 


514  ^^^^  Life  of  Whitefield. 

\l6l  services,  in  a  young  man  with  whom  he  could  take  liberty  ;  urging  that 
—  it  was  necessary  as  a  curb  to  the  vanity  of  human  nature,  and  referred  to 
Age  52  ^^  young  Roman  orators,  who,  after  being  exalted  by  applauses,  were 
sent  upon  the  most  trifling  errands.  His  maxim  was,  if  you  love  me, 
you  will  serve  me  disinterestedly  ;  hence  he  settled  no  certain  income,  or 
a  very  slender  one,  upon  his  dependants,  many  of  whom  were  sycophants, 
and,  while  they  professed  to  serve  him,  underhandedly  served  themselves. 
Through  this  defect,  his  charity  in  Georgia  was  materially  injured,  owing  to 
the  wrong  conduct  of  some  who  insinuated  themselves  into  his  favour  by 
humouring  his  weakness,  and  letting  him  act  and  speak  without  contra- 
diction. He  was  impatient  of  contradiction,  but  this  is  a  fault  to  be 
charged  upon  almost  all  great  people. 

"  No  time  was  to  be  wasted ;  and  his  expectations  generally  went  before 
the  ability  of  his  servants  to  perform  his  commands.  He  was  very  exact 
to  the  time  appointed  for  his  stated  meals.  A  few  minutes'  delay  would 
be  considered  a  great  fault.  He  was  irritable,  but  soon  appeased.  Not 
being  patient  enough,  one  day,  to  receive  a  reason  for  his  being  dis- 
appointed, he  hurt  the  mind  of  one  who  was  studious  to  please  ;  but,  on 
reflection,  he  burst  into  tears,  saying,  '  I  shall  hve  to  be  a  poor  peevish 
old  man,  and  everybody  will  be  tired  of  me.'  He  never  commanded 
haughtily,  and  always  took  care  to  applaud  when  a  person  did  right.  He 
never  indulged  parties  at  his  table  ;  but  a  select  few  might  now  and  then 
breakfast  with  him,  dine  with  him  on  a  Sunday,  or  sup  with  him  on  a 
Wednesday  night.  In  the  last-mentioned  indulgence,  he  was  scrupulously 
exact  to  break  up  in  time.  In  the  height  of  a  conversation,  I  have  known 
him  abruptly  say,  '  But  we  forget  ourselves ; '  and,  rising  from  his  seat 
and  advancing  to  the  door,  would  add,  '  Come,  gentlemen,  it  is  time  for 
all  good  folks  to  be  at  home.' 

"Whether  only  by  himself,  or  having  but  a  second,  his  table  must  be 
spread  elegantly,  though  it  produced  but  a  loaf  and  a  cheese.  He  was 
unjustly  charged  with  being  given  to  appetite.  His  table  was  never  spread 
with  variety.  A  cow-heel  was  his  favourite  dish,  and  I  have  known  him 
cheerfully  say,  *  How  surprised  would  the  world  be,  if  they  were  to  peep 
upon  Dr.  Squintum,  and  see  a  cow-heel  only  upon  his  table.'  He  was 
extremely  neat  in  his  person,  and  in  everything  about  him.  Not  a  paper 
must  be  out  of  place,  or  be  put  up  irregularly.  Each  part  of  the  furniture, 
likewise,  must  be  in  its  proper  position  before  we  retired  to  rest.  He 
said  he  did  not  think  he  should  die  easy,  if  he  thought  his  gloves  were 
not  where  they  ought  to  be.  There  was  no  rest  after  four  in  the  morning, 
nor  sitting  up  after  ten  in  the  evening. 

"  He  never  made  a  purchase  without  paying  the  money  immediately. 
He  was  truly  generous,  and  seldom  denied  relief.  More  was  expected  from 
him  than  was  meet.  He  was  tenacious  in  his  friendship.  He  felt  sensibly 
when  he  was  deserted,  and  would  remark,  '  The  world  and  the  church 
ring  changes.'  He  dreaded  the  thought  of  outliving  his  usefulness.  He 
often  dined  among  his  friends  ;  and  usually  connected  a  comprehensive 
prayer  with  his  thanksgiving  when  the  table  was  dismissed,  in  which  he 
noticed  particular  cases  relative  to  the  family.     He  never  protracted  his 


Winters  Delineation  of  Whitefield.  5(5 


visit  long  after  dinner.     He  often  appeared  tired  of  popularity  ;  and  said,     1767 
he  almost  envied  the  man  who  could  take  his  choice  of  food  at  an  eating--       — 
house,  and  pass  unnoticed.     He  apprehended  he  should  not  glorify  God    *  S^  5* 
in   his   death   by  any     emarkable   testimony ;    and   he  desired   to   die 
suddenly." 

Cornelius  Winter's  critique  on  Whitefield  is  unartistic,  but 
it  is  not,  on  that  account,  the  less  valuable.  Facts  are  not 
lost  among  words,  as  is  the  case  too  often,  in  the  philosophic 
and  eloquent  eulogies,  or  censures,  written  by  men  who 
have  a  greater  wish  to  display  their  own  cleverness  than  to 
pourtray  the  life  and  character  of  the  person  on  whom  they 
exercise  their  skill.  In  some  of  his  statements,  Winter  may 
have  been,  unconsciously  to  himself,  somewhat  swayed  by 
his  relationship  to  Whitefield  ;  but,  generally  speaking,  his 
description  of  WHiitefield's  preaching,  and  of  his  spirit  and 
habits  in  domestic  life,  is  the  most  exact  that  has  ever  yet 
been  published.  The  foregoing  extracts  may  be  long,  but 
they  were  written  by  a  man  who,  during  Whitefield's  last 
two  years  in  England,  read  prayers  in  Whitefield's  Tottenham 
Court  Road  chapel,  assisted  in  Whitefield's  study,  sat  at 
Whitefield's  table,  and  occupied  a  bed  in  the  same  room  as 
Whitefield  did.  The  man  knew  his  master,  and  wrote  with 
the  utmost  frankness  concerning  him. 

It  is  now  time  to  return  to  Whitefield's  history.  Little 
is  known  concerning  him  during  the  first  three  months  of 
1767.  They  seem,  however,  to  have  been  chiefly  spent  in 
London,  where  his  "  feeble  hands  were  full  of  work."  ^ 

The  Orphan  House  in  Georgia  still  occupied  his  attention. 
He  was  anxious  for  "  Bethesda  to  put  on  its  college  dress." ^ 
The  w^arm  friendship  between  him  and  Wesley  yet  continued. 
On  Ash-Wednesday,  March  4,  Wesley  v/rote,  "  I  dined  at 
a  friend's  with  Mr.  Whitefield,  still  breathing  nothing  but 
love."  ^  On  the  20th  of  the  same  month,  the  Countess  of 
Huntingdon,  at  Brighton,  had  all  her  chaplains  around  her, 
and  Whitefield  re-opened  her  ladyship's  enlarged  chapel,  in 
that  tow^n,  by  preaching,  to  a  crowded  congregation,  from 
"  Grow  in   grace,  and   in   the    knowledge   of   the    Lord    and 

'  Whitefield's  Works,  vol.  iii.,  p.  344. 

^  Ibid. 

•  Wesley's  Journal. 


5i6  The  Life  of  Whitefeid. 


^7^7  Saviour  Jesus  Christ :  to  Him  be  glor>'  both  now  and  for 
^ge  52  ever.      Amen."^ 

In  April,  Whitefield  set  out  for  Norwich,  and  visited 
Rowland  Hill  and  his  Society,  at  Cambridge,  on  his  way."^ 
A  month  later,  he  was  introduced  to  a  young  clergyman, 
who,  afterwards,  became  famous.  Richard  de  Courcy  was 
the  descendant  of  an  ancient  and  respectable  family  in 
Ireland,  and  was  distantly  related  to  Lord  Kinsale.  He  had 
been  educated  at  Trinity  College,  Dublin,  and,  at  the  age 
of  twenty-three,  had  received  deacon's  orders,  and  become 
curate  of  the  Rev.  Walter  Shirley.  Being  invited  to  preach 
in  St.  Andrew's  Church,  Dublin,  his  fame  brought  a  crowded 
congregation.  Whilst  the  prayers  were  being  read,  and 
because  the  young  preacher  was  a  reputed  Methodist,  the 
pulpit  was  seized  by  order  of  the  metropolitan.  Dr.  Arthur 
Smythe,  and  De  Courcy  was  not  allowed  to  enter  it.  Upon 
this,  he  immediately  left  the  church  ;  the  congregation  fol- 
lowed him  ;  and,  mounting  a  tombstone,  he  at  once  com- 
menced preaching  in  the  open  air.  This  was  a  crime  too 
great  to  be  forgiven.  The  bishop  refused  to  ordain  him 
priest.  Shirley  wrote  to  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,  and, 
at  her  request,  De  Courcy  came  to  England,  expecting,  by 
the  help  of  her  ladyship,  to  obtain  ordination  by  an  English 
bishop.  On  arriving  in  London,  he  immediately  called  on 
Whitefield  at  the  Tabernacle  House.  Whitefield  being  told 
who  he  was,  took  off  his  cap,  and  bending  towards  De 
Courcy,  and,  at  the  same  time  placing  his  hand  on  the  deep 
scar  in  his  head,  said,  "Sir,  this  wound  I  got  in  your  country 
for  preaching  Christ."  De  Courcy  was  captivated,  and 
became  Whitefield's  guest,  Cornelius  Winter  being  charged 
to  take  care  of  him.  The  next  day,  which  was  Sunday,  the 
young  Hibernian  preached  in  Tottenham  Court  Road  chapel, 
and,  by  his  sermon,  laid  the  foundation  of  his  future  popu- 
larity.     Whitefield  and  he  became  ardent  friends.^ 

About  the  middle  of  the  month  of  May,  Whitefield  set 
out  for  the  west  of  England  and  Wales.      His  progress  will 

'  "  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  i.,  p.  379. 
^  Whitefield's  Works,  vol.  iii.,p.  344;  and  "Life  of  Rev.  Rowland  Hill," 
p.  29. 

*  "  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  158, 


Another  Preaching  Tour.  517 

be  best  told  by  extracts  from  his  letters.      On  arriving  at     '7^7 
Rodborough,  where  his  old  assistant,  Thomas  Adams,  lived  Age  52 
and  preached,  he  wrote  to  Mr.  Keen  as  follows  : — 

"Rodborough,  May  13,  1767.  My  new  horse  failed  the  first  night; 
but,  through  mercy,  we  got  here  last  evening.  I  was  regaled  with  the 
company  of  some  simple-hearted,  first-rate  old  Methodists,  of  near  thirty 
years'  standing.  God  willing,  I  am  to  preach  to-morrow  morning,  and  to 
have  a  general  sacrament  on  Friday  evening.  Perhaps,  I  may  move  after 
Sunday  towards  Wales  ;  but,  I  fear,  I  shall  be  obliged  to  take  post-horses. 
I  care  not,  so  that  I  can  ride  post  to  heaven.  Hearty  love  to  all  who  are 
posting  thither,  hoping  myself  to  arrive  first.  This  tabernacle  often  groans 
imder  the  weight  of  my  feeble  labours.  O  when  shall  I  be  unclothed  ! 
When,  O  my  God,  shall  I  be  clothed  upon  !  But  I  am  a  coward,  and 
want  to  be  housed  before  the  storm." 

A  week  after  this,  he  reached  Gloucester,  where  he  spent 
several  days,  and  wrote  as  follows  : — 

"  Gloucester,  May  20,  1767.  We  have  had  good  seasons  at  Rodborough, 
I  have  been  out  twice  in  the  fields.  Lady  Huntingdon  has  been  wonder- 
fully delighted.  She  and  her  company  lay  at  Rodborough  House.  Dear 
Mr.  Adams  is  about  to  be  married  to  a  good  Christian  nurse.  He  is 
sickly  in  body,  IxJt  healthy  in  soul." 

"Gloucester,  May  21,  1767.  I  have  preached  twice  in  the  open  air. 
Thousands  and  thousands  attended.  I  am  about  to  preach  here  this 
morning,  in  my  native  city.  On  Sunday  I  hope  to  take  to  Rodborough 
wood  again.  Good  Lady  Huntingdon  and  her  company  were  wonderfully 
delighted.  They  honoured  dear  Mr.  Adams's  house  with  their  presence. 
He  is  but  poorly,  and  wants  a  nurse.  Perhaps,  before  next  Sunday,  he 
may  be  married  to  a  simple-hearted,  plain,  good  creature,  who  has  waited 
upon  him  and  the  preachers  near  twenty  years.  She  has  no  fortune,  but 
is  one  who,  I  think,  will  take  care  of,  and  be  obedient  to  him,  for  Christ's 
sake." 

"  Gloucester,  May  25,  1767.  I  am  just  setting  out  in  a  post-chaise  for 
Haverfordwest ;  and  I  have  therefore  drawn  upon  you"  (  Mr.  Keen}  "for 
^20.  This  is  expensive  ;  but  it  is  for  One  who  has  promised  not  to  send 
us  a  wai-fare  on  our  own  charges.  We  had  a  most  blessed  season  yes- 
terday. Thousands  and  thousands  heard,  saw,  and  felt.  Mr.  Adams 
preached  in  the  evening,  on  '  The  Lord  is  my  portion,  therefore  will  I 
trust  in  Him.'  A  good  text  for  a  new-married  man,  I  have  advised  him 
to  preach  next  on  these  words,  '  The  Lord's  portion  is  His  people.'  He 
is  now  here." 

"Haverfordwest,  May  31,  1767,  Sunday.  I  am  just  come  from  my 
ficld-throne.  Thousands  and  thousands  attended  by  eight  in  the  morning. 
Life  and  light  seemed  to  fly  all  around.  On  Tuesday,  God  willing,  I  am 
to  preach  at  Woodstock  ;  on  Friday,  at  Pembroke  ;  here  again  next 
Sunday ;  and  then  for  England.  Rooms  are  not  so  lofty  or  large,  pros- 
jjects  not  so  pleasant,  bedsteads  not  so  easy,  in  these  parts,  as  in  some 


A 


518  The  Life  of  White  field. 

J^S"]  places  in  or  near  London  ;  but  all  are  good  enough  for  young  and  old 
pilgrims  who  have  got  good  breath.  I  have  been  pushing  dear  sick  Mr. 
Davies  to  go  out  and  preach  six  miles  oft".  He  is  gone  finely  mounted, 
and,  I  am  persuaded,  will  return  in  high  spirits.  Who  knows  but 
preaching  may  be  our  grand  catholicon  again.?  This  is  the  good, 
Methodistical,  thirty-year-old  medicine." 

"Gloucester,  June  10,  1767.  Blessed  be  God,  I  am  got  on  this  side 
the  Welsh  mountains!  Blessed  be  God,  I  have  been  on  the  other  side  I  What 
a  scene  last  Sunday  !'  What  a  cry  for  more  of  the  bread  of  life  !  But  I 
was  quite  worn  down.  I  am  now  better  than  could  be  expected.  To- 
morrow, God  willing,  my  wife  shall  know  what  route  I  take.  O  when 
shall  I  begin  to  live  to  Jesus,  as  I  would  !     I  want  to  be  a  flame  of  fire." 

A  week  after  this,  Whitefield  was  in  London.  During- 
his  absence,  he  had  tried  to  secure  the  services  of  Fletcher 
of  Madeley,  and  Fletcher's  reply  to  his  application  is  too 
characteristic  to  be  omitted  : — 

"  Madeley,  May  18,  1767. 
"  Reverend  and  dear  Sir, — Your  mentioning  my  poor  ministrations 
among  your  congregations  opens  again  a  wound  of  shame  that  was  but 
half  healed.  I  feel  the  need  of  asking  God,  you,  and  your  hearers'  pardon, 
for  weakening  the  glorious  matter  of  the  gospel  by  my  wretched,  broken 
manner,  and  spoiling  the  heavenly  power  of  it  by  the  uncleanness  of  my 
heart  and  lips.  I  should  be  glad  to  go  and  be  your  curate  some  time  this 
year;  but  I  see  no  opening,  nor  the  least  prospect  of  any.  What  between 
the  dead  and  the  living,  a  pai-ish  ties  one  dov/n  more  than  a  wife.  If  I 
could  go  anywhere  this  year,  it  should  be  to  Yorkshire,  to  accompany 
Lady  Huntingdon,  according  to  a  design  that  I  had  half  formed  last  year; 
but  I  fear  that  I  shall  be  debarred  even  from  this.  I  set  out,  God  willing, 
to-morrow  morning  for  Trevecca,  to  meet  her  ladyship  there,  and  to  show 
her  the  way  to  Madeley,  where  she  proposes  to  stay  three  or  four  days  in 
her  way  to  Derbyshire.     What  chaplain  she  will  have  there  I  know  not  ; 

'  This  was  Whit-Sunday.  The  following  is  from  Lloyd's  Evcninj^ 
/"fj/ of  June  15,  1767  :  "They  write  from  Haverfordwest  that,  on  Whit- 
Sunday,  about  eight  in  the  morning,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Whitefield's  congrega- 
tion consisted  of  upwards  often  thousand  people."  The  ensuing  extracts 
are  taken  from  the  archives  of  the  Moravian  Church  at  Haverfordwest  : — 

"1767.  May  31.  Many  people  flocked  from  the  country  to  hear  Mr. 
Whitefield  preach.  At  the  conclusion  of  his  sermon,  at  eight  in  the 
morning,  he  bid  the  people  go  to  any  place  of  worship  where  Christ  alone 
is  preached.  Numbers  hastened  to  our  chapel,  and  crowded  it  ;  and 
Brother  Nyberg  preached  to  them  on,  '  We  preach  Christ  crucified.'  Our 
dear  Saviour  was  in  our  midst. 

"  June  7  (Whit-Sunday).  Such  a  crowd  came  from  hearing  Mr.  White- 
field,  that  we  were  obliged,  as  on  Sunday  last,  to  drop  our  morning 
meeting  ;  and  Brother  Nyberg  prayed  the  Litany  in  the  pulpit,  and 
preached  on,  '  He  shall  testify  of  me  :  and  ye  also  shall  bear  witness.' 
A  still  greater  number  attended  the  afternoon  preaching,  when  Brother 
Parminster  discoursed  on  Proverbs  i.  20 — 24.  Amongst  the  hearers  were 
four  Methodist  preachers." 


Fletcher  of  Madelcy,  and  Rowland  Hill.        5 1 9 

God  will  provide.     I  rejoice  that,  though  you  are  sure  of  heaven,  you     1767 
have  still  a  desire  to  inherit  the  earth,  by  being  Zl  peacemaker.    Somehow, 
you  will  enjoy  the  blessings  that  others  may  possibly  refuse. 

"  Last  Sunday  seven-night,  Captain  Scott  preached,  to  my  congregation, 
a  sermon,  which  was  more  blessed,  though  preached  only  upon  my  horse- 
block, than  a  hundred  of  those  I  preach  in  the  pulpit.  I  invited  him  to 
come  and  treat  her  Ladyship  next  Sunday  with  another,  now  the  place  is 
consecrated.  If  you  should  ever  favour  Shropshire  with  your  presence, 
you  shall  have  the  captain's  or  the  parson's  pulpit  at  your  option.  Many 
ask  me  whether  you  will  not  come  to  have  some  fruit  here  also.  What 
must  I  answer  them .''  I,  and  many  more,  complain  of  a  stagnation  in  the 
work.  What  must  we  do  1  Everything  buds  and  blossoms  around  us, 
yet  our  winter  is  not  over.  I  thought  Mr.  Newton,'  who  has  been  three 
weeks  in  Shropshire,  would  have  brought  the  turtle-dove  along  with  him ; 
but  I  could  not  prevail  upon  him  to  come  to  this  poor  Capernaum.  I  think 
I  hardly  ever  met  his  fellow  for  a  judicious  spirit.  Still,  what  has  God 
done  in  him  and  in  me .''  I  am  out  of  hell,  and  mine  eyes  have  seen 
something  of  His  salvation.  Though  I  must  and  do  gladly  yield  to 
Mr.  Newton  and  all  my  brethren,  yet  I  must  and  will  contend,  that  my 
being  in  the  way  to  heaven  makes  me  as  rich  a  monument  of  mercy,  as 
he,  or  any  of  them. 

"  I  am,  reverend  and  dear  sir,  your  willing,  though  halting  and  un- 
worthy servant, 

"John  Fletcher." 

Rowland  Hill  has  been  mentioned.  Though  not  ordained, 
and  still  an  undergraduate  at  St.  John's  College,  Cambridge, 
he  had  begun  to  preach.  He  had  also  formed  a  small  So- 
ciety of  his  fellow-students,  and  was  infusing  into  them  a 
portion  of  his  own  ardent  zeal.  For  these  proceedings  he 
was  bitterly  assailed.  His  father  and  mother  were  decidedly 
opposed  to  the  action  he  had  taken.  His  superiors  in  the 
University  condemned,  in  the  strongest  terms,  what  they 
were  pleased  to  call  his  infringements  of  discipline  ;  and 
hints  were  given  him  of  a  refusal  of  testimonials  and  his 
degree,  as  the  probable  result  of  his  irregularities.  In  the 
midst  of  all  this,  Whitefield  wrote  to  him  as  follows  : — 

"Haverfordwest,  June  i,,  1767. 
"  My  dear  Professor, — I  wish  you  joy  of  the  late  high  dignity  con- 
ferred upon  you — higher  than  if  you  were  made  the  greatest  professor  in  the 
University  of  Cambridge."     The  honourable  degrees  you  intend  giving  to 

'  The  Rev.  John  Newton,  who,  after  many  rebuffs,  had  three  years 
before  obtained  ordination,  and  was  now  curate  at  Olney. 

-  The  reference  here  is  probably  to  the  Society  of  Students  just 
mentioned,  and  of  which  Rowland  Hill  was  the  leader.  ("Life  of  Rev. 
Rowland  Hill,"  p.  26.) 


520  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1767  your  promising  candidates,  I  trust,  will  excite  a  holy'ambition,  and  a  holy 
emulation.  Let  me  know  who  is  first  honoured.  As  I  have  been  admitted 
"°  -'  to  the  decree  of  doctor  for  near  these  thirty  years,  I  assure  you  I  like  my 
field  preferment,  my  airy  pluralities,  exceeding-  well. 

"  For  these  three  weeks  past,  I  have  been  beating  up  for  fresh  recruits 
in  Gloucestershire  and  South  Wales.  Thousands  and  thousands  attended. 
Good  Lady  Huntingdon  was  present  at  one  of  our  reviews.  Her  lad) - 
ship's  aide-de-camp  preached  in  Brecknock  Street  ;  and  Captain  Scott, 
that  glorious  field-officer,  lately  fixed  his  standard  upon  dear  Mr.  Fletcher's 
horse-block  at  Madeley.  Being  invited  thither,  I  have  a  great  inclination 
to  lift  up  the  Redeemer's  ensign,  next  week,  in  the  same  place  ; — with 
what  success,  you  and  your  dearly  beloved  candidates  for  good  old  Metho- 
distical  contempt  shall  know  hereafter.  God  willing,  I  intend  fighting 
my  way  up  to  town.  Soon  after  my  arrival  thither,  I  hope  thousands  and 
thousands  of  vollies  of  prayers — energetic,  effectual,  fervent,  heaven- 
besieging,  heaven-opening,  heaven-taking  prayers— shall  be  poured  forth 
for  you  all. 

"  Oh,  my  dearly  beloved  and  longed  for  in  the  Lord,  my  bowels  yearn 
towards  you.  Fear  not  to  go  without  the  camp.  Keep  open  the  corre- 
spondence between  the  two  Universities.'  Remember  the  praying 
legions.  They  were  never  known  to  yield.  God  bless  those  who  are 
gone  to  their  respective  cures  !  I  say  not  livings, — a  term  of  too  modern 
date.  Christ  is  our  life.  Christ  is  the  Levite's  inheritance.  Greet  your 
dear  young  companions  whom  I  saw.     They  are  welcome  to  write  to  me 

when  they  please. 

"  I  am,  etc., 

"George  Whitefield."* 

At  this  period,  there  was  great  excitement  in  the  English 
colonies  of  America  respecting  the  proposed  introduction  of 
bishops  of  the  Established  Church.  The  Rev.  Thomas 
Bradbury  Chandler,  D.D.,  was  now  in  the  forty-first  year  of 
his  age.  He  had  graduated  at  Yale  College,  but,  in  175  i, 
came  to  England,  and  was  episcopally  ordained.  He  re- 
turned to  America  as  a  missionary  of  the  Society  for  the 
Propagation  of  the  Gospel  in  Foreign  Parts,  and  became 
rector  of  St.  John's  Church,  at  Elizabeth  Town,  New  Jersey, 
where  he  long  maintained  a  high  character  for  talent  and 
learning.  In  the  present  year,  1767,  he  published  "An 
Appeal  to  the  Public  in  Behalf  of  the  Church  of  England 
in  An  cri  a,"  and  dedicated   his   able  performance  to  Seeker, 

'  As  will  soon  be  seen,  there  was,  at  this  time,  a  Society  of  Methodist 
Students  at  Oxford,  similar  to  the  Society  at  Cambridge. 
'^  "  Life  of  Rev.  Rowland  Hill,"  p.  29. 


Colonial  BisJiops.  521 


Archbishop  of  Canterbury.      The  object  of  it  was  to  secure    1767 
the  designation   of  two   or  more  bishops,  to   reside   and   to   ,^„g  ^, 
exercise  episcopal  jurisdiction  in  the  the  transatlantic  settle- 
ments. 

He    alleged    that   the   appointment   of  commissaries    had 
been  a  failure,  and  that,  as  a  consequence,  such  appointments 
had   ceased   for  near  twenty  years.      The  result  of  this  was, 
the   episcopal   clergy  in  America  had  no    ecclesiastical  supe- 
riors to  unite  or  to  control  them  ;   they  were   independent  of 
each  other  ;  and  the  people  were  free  from  all  restraints  of 
ecclesiastical  authority.      For  want  of  bishops,  candidates  for 
the  ministry  bad  to  come  to  England  for  ordination,  at  great 
hazard  and  expense  ;   and,  because  of  this,  numerous  congre- 
gations were  without  ministers.      In   the  province   of  New 
Jersey,  there  were  twenty-one  churches    and   congregations, 
eleven    of  which  were  entirely  destitute    of  clergymen,  and 
there  were  but   five  to  supply  the  pulpits   of  the   other  ten. 
In  Pennsylvania,  there  were  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia  three 
churches,  and    but    two   ministers  ;   and,    in  the   rest  of  the 
province,   the  number  of  the  churches  was  twenty-six,  and 
that    of  the   clergy  only  seven.      In    North   Carolina,  there 
were    six    clergymen,   to    supply  the    wants   of  twenty-nine 
parishes,   each  parish  containing  a  whole  county.      Another 
argument  adduced   by  Dr.  Chandler  was  "  the  impossibility 
that    a    bishop    residing   in    England  should    be    sufficiently 
acquainted  v/ith  the  characters  of  those  coming  to  them  for 
Holy  Orders.      To   this   it  was    owing,  that  ordination   had 
been    sometimes    fraudulently   and    surreptitiously   obtained 
by  such  wretches,  as  were  not  only  a  scandal  to  the  Church, 
but  a  disgrace  to  the  human  species."      Dr.  Chandler  further 
stated  that  the  white  population  of  America  numbered  about 
three  millions  ;   and   that,  of  these,  about  a  third  were  pro- 
fessed members  of  the  Church  of  England  ;   "  the  Presbyte- 
rians,  Independents,   and   Baptists  were   not  so  many  ;   and 
the  Germans,   Papists,  and  other  denominations,  amounted 
to  more."      Besides  these  three  millions,  however,  there  were, 
in   the  different  colonies,   about   840,000   negroes,   most  of 
whom  "belonged  to  the  professors  of  the  Church  of  England." 
And  there  were   also  the   native   Indians,  the   conversion   of 
whom  had  been  almost  altogether  neglected.      It  was  pro- 


522  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

posed  that  the  "  two  or  more  bishops  "  to  be  sent  should 
"  have  no  authority,  but  purely  of  a  spiritual  and  ecclesi- 
astical nature  ;  that  they  should  not  interfere  with  the 
property  or  privileges,  whether  civil  or  religious,  of  Church- 
men or  Dissenters  ;  that,  in  particular,  they  should  have  no 
concern  with  the  Probate  of  Wills,  Letters  of  Guardianship 
and  Administration,  or  Marriage  Licences,  nor  be  judjes  of 
any  cases  relating  thereto  ;  but  that  they  should  only  ordain 
and  govern  the  clergy,  and  administer  confirmation  to 
those  who  might  desire  it."  It  was  also  proposed  that  they 
should  be  supported,  not  by  tithes,  but  by  "  perquisites  such 
as  the  people  might  freely  grant  them  ;"  by  the  interest 
arising  from  a  fund  already  in  existence  for  the  purpose,  in 
connection  with  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the 
Gospel  in  Foreign  Parts  ;  and,  if  need  were  (which  was  not 
likely),  by  the  levying  of  a  tax  at  the  rate  of  fourpence  \x\£\qo. 
Such  was  the  substance  of  Dr.  Chandler's  temperate 
"  Appeal," — an  appeal  which  embodied  the  general  views 
and  feelings  of  the  clergy  and  members  of  the  Church  of 
England  in  America.  Considerable  excitement  existed 
previous  to  its  publication;  but  now  the  subject  became 
one  of  the  great  controversies  of  the  day.  An  American 
writer  affirms  that  "  it  had  more  to  do  with  the  American 
Revolution  than  is  generally  supposed."^  The  American 
Whig,  a  weekly  newspaper,  stoutly  opposed  the  scheme  of 
Dr.  Chandler.  So  also  did  the  PJiiladelphia  Centiuel. 
Their  articles  on  the  subject  were  reprinted  in  several  of  the 
colonies  ;  and  a  general  agitation  followed.  The  chief 
opponent,  however,  was  Dr.  Chauncy,  minister  in  Boston, 
who,  more  than  twenty  years  before,  had  made  a  vigorous 
onslaught  upon  Whitefield  and  his  co-revivalist's.  The 
general  apprehension  was,  that  the  taxation  of  the  colonies, 
and  the  proposal  to  send  them  bishops,  were  parts  of  the 
same  system,  the  object  of  which  was  to  infringe  upon  the 
political  and  religious  privileges  of  the  people.  Chauncy 
and  his  friends  were  afraid,  and  perhaps  not  without  reason, 
that  the  power  and  influence  of  the  government  were  being 


'  Dr.  Hodge's  "  History  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  America,"  pt.  ii., 
P-  395- 


Colonial  Bishops.  523 


used  to  give  ascendancy  to  the  Episcopal  Church.  They  '"^7 
were  angry  with  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  A;^e  5. 
Gospel  in  Foreign  Parts  for  sending  so  many  of  their  clergy 
to  New  England,  where  they  were  not  wanted.  At  this 
time,  there  were  at  least  five  hundred  and  fifty  educated 
ministers  in  the  province,  and  not  a  town,  unless  just  settled, 
without  a  pastor.  Besides,  the  clergy  thus  sent  were  arro- 
gant. They  spoke  of  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  town,  in 
which  they  lived,  as  tJicir  parishioners,  and  as  bound  both 
by  the  law  of  God  and  the  state  to  be  in  communion  with 
the  Church  of  England.  Other  churches  were  represented 
as  mere  excrescences  or  fungosities,  and  their  ministers  were 
declared  to  be  unauthorised,  and  their  ordinances  invalid. 
All  this  naturally  created  opposition  among  the  non-episcopal 
churches.  And,  further,  though  Dr.  Chandler  professed  that 
the  bishops  to  be  sent  would  be  no  burden  to  the  population, 
the  people  feared  it  would  be  otherwise.  Already  the 
support  of  the  episcopal  clergy  had  been  thrown  upon  the 
community  in  South  Carolina,  Virginia,  and  Maryland  ;  and 
it  was  thought  to  be  possible  and  probable  that  the  bishops, 
if  sent,  would  have  to  be  sustained,  at  least  in  part,  by  the 
public  taxes. 

Amid  this  state  of  things,  Whitefield  commenced  a  cor- 
respondence with  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  respecting 
the  conversion"  of  his  Orphanage  into  a  College  ;  and  a 
remembrance  of  the  facts  just  noticed  will  help  to  a  better 
understanding  of  some  parts  of  that  correspondence.  The 
letters  are  too  long  to  be  inserted  in  extenso,  but  their 
substance  shall  be  given.  They  were  first  published  in  the 
month  of  May,  1768,  with  the  title,  "A  Letter  to  his 
PIxcellency  Governor  Wright,  giving  an  Account  of  the  Steps 
taken  relative  to  the  converting  the  Georgia  Orphan  House 
into  a  College  ;  together  with  the  Literary  Correspondence 
that  passed  upon  that  Subject  between  his  Grace  the  Arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury  and  the  Reverend  Mr.  Whitefield.  To 
which  also  is  annexed  the  Plan  and  Elevation  of  the  present 
and  intended  Building?^,"  and  Orphan  House  Lands  adjacent, 


Lloyd's  Evsnins;  Post,  May  4,  17 58. 

The  "  intended  buildings  "  were  thirty-two  small  dwellings  for  the 


524  The  Life  of  i'Vliitefieid. 

1767  By  G.  Whitefield,  A.M.,  late  of  Pembroke  College,  Oxford, 
Age  52  and  Chaplain  to  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon.  London, 
1768."      (8vo.  31  pp.) 

In  his  letter  to  "  Governor  Wright,"  Whitefield  mentions 
the  deep  interest  which  his  Excellency  and  the  Council  of 
Georgia  had  taken  in  the  scheme  to  convert  the  Orphan 
House  into  a  College.  He  relates  that,  since  his  return  to 
England,  in  1765,  he  had  exerted  his  utmost  efforts  to 
accomplish  this  ;  but  various  circumstances  had  impeded 
the  fulfilment  of  his  plan.  He  had  "  delivered  a  memorial 
into  the  hands  of  the  late  Clerk  of  his  Majesty's  most 
honourable  Privy  Council."  The  memorial  had  been  "trans- 
mitted to  the  Lord  President;"  and  the  Lord  President  had 
submitted  it  "  to  the  consideration  of  his  Grace  the  Arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury."  He  (Whitefield)  had  had  "  a  literary 
correspondence "  with  his  Grace  ;  .  but  the  correspondence, 
and  the  negotiations,  were  now  ended.  He,  therefore, 
wished  to  lay  an  account  of  the  whole  transactions  before 
his  Excellency,  and  the  Council  and  Assembly  of  Georgia, 
and  also  before  "  all  the  other  American  colonists,  and  the 
public  in  general." 

Whitefield  commenced  his  correspondence  with  the  Arch- 
bishop on  June  17,  1767,  and  terminated  it  on  February  12, 
1768,  within  six  months  of  his  Grace's  death. 

He  begins  by  reminding  the  Primate  that  the  Lord 
President  had  submitted  his  memorial  to  his  Grace's  con- 
sideration, and  that  the  Earl  of  Dartmouth  had  put  into  his 
hands  a  copy  of  the  intended  charter  for  the  College.  The 
Archbishop  had  made  "  judicious  corrections,"  and  had 
suggested  that  the  charter  should  provide  that  the  president 
of  the  College  should  be  a  member  or  minister  of  the  Church 
of  England.      In  reply  to  this,  Whitefield  writes  : — 

"  I  cannot  in  honour  and  conscience  oblige  the  master  of  the  Georgia 
College  to  be  a  member  or  minister  of  the  Church  of  England.  Such  an 
obligation  has  greatly  retarded  the  progress  of  the  College  of  New  York  ; 
as,  on  the  contrary,  the  letter  signed  by  your  Grace,  Proprietor  Penn,  and 
the  late  Dr.  Chandler,  engaging  that  the  College  of  Philadelphia  shall  be 
continued  on  a  b7-oad  bottom,  has  promoted  the  growth  of  that  institution. 

students,  sixteen  on  each  side  of  the  Orphan  House.    Also  two  residences 
lor  tutors,  a  kitchen,  and  a  laundry. 


Correspondence  concernino  the  Orphan  House.     525 


The  trustees  of  that  seminary  (as  your  Grace  is  pleased  to  observe)  have 
agreed  '  That  their  provost  shall  always  be  a  minister  of  the  Established 
Church.'  But  they  are  not  thereto  enjoined  by  their  charter.  That  is 
entirely  silent  concerning  this  matter.  Their  agreement  is  purely  volun- 
tary. The  wardens  of  the  College  of  Georgia  will  not  be  prohibited  by 
charter  from  following  the  example  of  the  trustees  of  the  College  of  Phila- 
delphia," if  they  choose. 

"  The  first  master  will  assuredly  be  a  clergyman  of  the  Church  of 
England.  By  far  the  majority  of  the  intended  wardens  are,  and  always 
■will  be,  members  of  that  communion  ;  and,  consequently,  the  choice  of  a 
master  will  always  run  in  that  channel.  .  I  also  desire  that  some  worthy 
duly  qualified  minister  of  that  Church  maybe  always  found  for  this  office. 
Kut,  as  persons  of  all  denominations  have  been  contributors,  I  dare  not 
confine  or  fetter  the  future  electors.  The  monies  for  the  erecting  a  college 
m  New  York  were  given  by  persons  of  all  religious  persuasions,  in  con- 
fidence that  the  college  would  be  founded  on  an  enlarged  basis  ;  and  great 
numbers  think  themselves  injured  by  its  being  confined  within  its  present 
contracted  boundary.  Hence,  many  fine  promising  youths  are  sent  from 
the  college  in  their  native  city  to  that  of  New  Jersey.  I  dread  giving  the 
same  occasion  of  offence,  and,  therefore,  am  determined  to  avoid  it  in  the 
woi'ding  of  the  Georgia  College  charter." 

The  Archbishop  had  further  suggested  that  the  charter 
should  provide  for  the  daily  use  of  the  liturgy  of  the  Church 
of  England  in  the  College,  and  that  the  doctrines  to  be  taught 
in  it  should  be  specified.  Whitefield  objected  to  these  sug- 
gestions, and  wrote  : — 

"For  the  same  reasons,  I  dare  not  enjoin  the  daily  use  of  our  Church 
liturgy.  I  myself  love  to  use  it.  I  have  fallen  a  martyr,  in  respect  to 
bodily  health,  to  the  frequent  reading  it  in  Tottenham  Court  chapel.  It 
has,  also,  been  constantly  read  twice  every  Sunday  in  the  Orphan  House, 
from  its  first  institution  to  this  very  day.  The  wardens,  likewise,  when 
the  power  is  devolved  upon  them,  may  determine  this  point  as  they  please. 
But  I  cannot  enjoin  it  by  charter  ;  and  have,  therefore,  in  the  accompanying 
draught,  not  only  omitted  the  paragraph  concerning  public  prayer,  but  also 
that  concerning  doctrinal  articles. 

"  Your  Grace  further  wisely  observes,  '  His  Majesty  should  be  well 
advised,  whom  he  names  for  the  first  master.'  I  trust  he  will  be  so.  I 
believe  the  Earl  of  Dartmouth  will  be  so  good  as  to  present  the  first  master 
to  your  Grace's  approbation  ;  but,  in  the  meanwhile,  you  may  be  assured 
the  lot  will  not  fall  upon  me.  My  shoulders  are  too  weak  for  such  an 
academical  burden.  My  capacity  is  by  no  means  extensive  enough  for 
such  a  scholastic  trust.  To  be  a  Presbyter  at  large  is  the  station  which 
Divine  Providence  has  called  me  to  for  near  thirty  years  past.  During 
that  space,  I  trust  my  eye  has  been  single,  and  my  views  disinterested  , 
and  my  highest,  my  only  ambition  is  that  the  last  glimmerings  of  an 


526  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 


expiring  taper  may  be  blessed  to  guide  some  wandering  sinners  to  the 
practical  knowledge  of  the  great  Shepherd  and  Bishop  of  souls. 

"I  desire  to  bless  His  name,  that  I  have  been  spared  long  enough  to 
see  the  colony  of  the  once-despised  Georgia,  and  the  yet  more  despised 
Orphan  House,  advanced  to  such  a  promising  height.  My  honoured  friend 
and  father,  good  Bishop  Benson,  from  his  dying  bed,  sent  me  a  benefaction 
for  it  often  guineas,  and  poured  forth  his  dying  breathings  for  its  future 
prosperity.  That  your  Grace  may  be  instrumental  in  promoting  its  welfare, 
when  turned  into  a  College,  is  the  earnest  prayer  of,  etc., 

"  George  Whitefield." 

On  July  I,  the  Archbishop  acknowledged  the  receipt  of 
Whitefield 's  letter,  and  stated  that  he  had  put  Whitefield's 
draught  of  a  charter  for  the  College  into  the  hands  of  the 
Lord  President,  who  had  promised  to  consider  it,  but,  mean- 
while, desired  to  know  how  Whitefield  proposed  to  endow 
the  College.  Whitefield  replied  to  this  three  days  afterwards 
to  the  following  effect  : — 

"The  present  annual  income  of  the  Orpnan  House  is  between  four  and 
five  hundred  pounds  sterling.  The  house  is  surrounded  with  i,Soo  acres 
of  land.  The  number  of  negroes  employed  on  this  land,  in  sawing  timber, 
raising  rice  for  exportation,  and  corn,  with  all  other  provisions  for  the 
family,  is  about  thirty.  The  College  will  also  be  immediately  possessed  of 
2,000  acres  of  land  near  Altamaha,  which  were  granted  me  by  the  Governor 
and  Council,  when  I  was  last  in  Georgia  ;  and  1,000  acres  more,  left,  as  I 
am  informed,  by  the  late  Rev.  Mr.  Zububuhler.'  By  laying  out  ^r, 000  in 
purchasing  an  additional  number  of  negroes,  and  allowing  another  ;^i,ooo 
for  repairing  the  house  and  building  the  two  intended  wings,  the  present 
annual  income  may  easily  and  speedily  be  augmented  to  ^1,000  per 
annum. 

"  Out  of  this  standing  fund  may  be  paid  the  salaries  of  the  master, 
professors,  tutors,  etc.,  and  also  small  exhibitions  be  allowed  for  orphans 
or  other  poor  students,  who  may  have  their  tutorage  and  room-rent  gratis, 
and  act  as  servitors  to  those  who  enter  commoners. 

"  At  present,  I  would  only  further  propose,  that  the  negro  children, 
belonging  to  the  College,  shall  be  instructed,  in  their  intervals  of  labour, 
by  one  of  the  poorer  students,  as  is  done  now  by  one  of  the  scholars  in 
the  present  Orphan  House.  And  I  do  not  see  why  provision  may  not 
likewise  be  made  for  educating  and  maintaining  a  number  of  Indian 
children,  which,  I  imagine,  may  easily  be  procured  from  the  Creeks, 
Choctaws,  Cherokees,  and  the  other  neighbouring  nations." 

Such  was  Whitefield's  scheme.  Further  correspondence 
followed.      The  Lord   President  expressed   the  opinion   that 

'  The  Rev.  Mr.  Zububuhler  was  the  rector  of  Savannah.  ("  Memoirs 
of  Rev.  Cornelius  Winter,"  p.  109.) 


Correspondence  concerning  the  Orphan  House.     51*7 

the  head  of  the  College  must  be  a  member  of  the  Church  of  '7*''7 
England,  and  that  "  the  public  prayers  in  the  College  should  Age  52 
not  be  extempore  ones,  but  the  liturgy  of  the  Church,  or 
some  part  thereof,  or  some  other  settled  and  established 
form."  Whitefield's  reply  is  dated,  "  Tottenham  Court, 
October  16,  1767."  He  again  objected  to  any  clause 
being  inserted  in  the  charter,  making  it  obligatory  that  the 
head  of  the  College  should  be  a  member  of  the  Established 
Church.  He  reminded  the  Archbishop  that  "  by  far  the 
greatest  part  of  the  Orphan  House  collections  and  contribu- 
tions came  from  Dissenters,  not  only  in  New  England,  New 
York,  Pennsylvania,  South  Carolina,  and  Scotland,  but  in 
England  also."  He  stated  that,  since  the  announcement  of 
the  design  to  turn  the  Orphan  House  into  a  College,  and  of 
the  approval  of  that  project  by  the  Governor,  Council,  and 
Assembly  of  Georgia,  he  had  visited  most  of  the  places 
where  the  benefactors  of  the  Orphan  House  resided,  and 
had  frequently  been  asked,  "  Upon  what  bottom  the  College 
was  to  be  founded  ?  "  To  these  enquiries  he  had  answered, 
indeed,  he  had  declared  from  the  pulpit,  that  "  it  should  be 
upon  a  broad  bottom,  and  no  ot/ier^      He  then  continues  : — 

"  This  being  the  case,  I  would  humbly  appeal  to  the  Lord  President, 
whether  I  can  answer  it  to  my  God,  my  conscience,  my  king,  my  country, 
my  constituents,  and  Orphan  House  benefactors  and  contributors,  both  at 
home  and  abroad,  to  betray  my  trust,  forfeit  my  word,  act  contrary  to  my 
own  convictions,  and  greatly  retard  and  prejudice  the  growth  and  progress 
of  the  institution,  by  narrowing  its  foundation,  and  thereby  letting  it  fall 
upon  such  a  bottom,  as  will  occasion  general  disgust,  and  most  justly  open 
the  mouths  of  persons  of  all  denominations  against  me.  This  is  what  I 
dare  not  do." 

Whitefield  concludes  by  telling  the  Archbishop,  that,  as 
the  influence  of  his  Grace,  and  of  the  Lord  President,  "  will 
undoubtedly  extend  itself  to  others  of  His  Majesty's  Most 
Honourable  Privy  Council,"  he  will  not  trouble  them  again 
about  the  business,  but  will  himself  "  turn  the  charity  into  a 
more  generous  and  extensively  useful  channel." 

Thus  the  matter  ended.  Whitefield  tried  to  convert  his 
Orphan  House  into  a  College  ;  but,  because  the  Lord  Presi- 
dent of  the  Privy  Council,  and  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury, 
insisted   that  it  should    practically  be   an   institution   of  the 


528  The  Life  of  White  fie  Id. 


-/'''^7  Church  of  England,  by  insisting  that  its  provost  should  be  a 
Age  52  member  of  that  Church,  his  design,  together  with  that  of  the 
governor  and  rulers  of  Georgia,  was  frustrated.  He  was 
well  aware,  that,  in  the  present  state  of  excited  feeling  among 
the  non-episcopalians  of  America,  it  would  have  been  worse 
than  useless  to  turn  his  Orphanage  into  a  Church  of  England 
College.  His  decision  was,  at  once,  just  and  prudent.  When 
the  correspondence  with  the  Archbishop  was  concluded, 
Whitefield  wrote  as  follows  "  To  his  Excellency  James 
Wright,  Esq.,  Captain-General  and  Governor-in-Chief  of  the 
Province  of  Georgia  "  : — 

"  Thus,  may  it  please  your  Excellency,  concluded  my  correspondence 
with  his  Grace  ;  and,  I  humbly  hope,  the  Province  of  Georgia  will,  in  the 
end,  be  no  loser  by  this  negotiation.  For,  I  now  purpose  to  superadd  a 
public  academy  to  the  Orphan  House,  as  the  College  of  Philadelphia' 
was  constituted  a  public  academy,  as  well  as  charitable  school,  for  some 
time  before  its  present  college  charter  was  granted  in  1755." 

Whitefield  then  suggests  that  the  Orphan  House  estate, 
which,  for  three  years,  had  been  neglected,  should  be  vigorously 
improved,  so  as  to  make  permanent  provision  for  the  main- 
tenance of  indigent  orphans,  and  to  convert  the  Orphan 
House  itself  into  a  suitable  academy  for  opulent  students. 
He  proposes  to  send  from  England  proper  masters  to  "  pre- 
pare for  academical  honours  the  many  youths,  in  Georgia  and 
the  adjacent  provinces,  waiting  for  admission."  He  expresses 
his  willingness  to  settle  the  whole  estate  upon  trustees,  with 
the  proviso,  that  no  opportunity  should  be  neglected  "  of 
making  fresh  application  for  a  college  charter,  upon  a  broad 
bottom,  whenever  those  in  power  might  think  it  for  the  glory 
of  God,  and  the  interest  of  their  king  and  country,  to  grant 
the  same."  And  he  concludes  by  hoping,  that,  in  this  way, 
his  "  beloved  Bethesda  will  not  only  be  continued  as  a  house 
of  mercy  for  poor  orphans,  but  will  be  confirmed  as  a  seat 
and  nursery  of  sound  learning  and  religious  education,  to  the 
latest  posterity." 

On  Whitefield's  return   to  London,  in  the  month  of  June." 

'  Whitefield  subjoins  a  note  to  this,  saying,  "This  college  was  originally 
built,  above  twenty-eight  years  ago,  for  a  charity  school,  and  preaching 
place  for  me,  and  ministers  of  various  denominations,  on  the  bottom  of 
the  doctrinal  article?  of  the  Church  of  England." 


Letters  to  Roivland  Hill. 


529 


1767,  he  continued  his  correspondence  with  Rowland  Hill.  ^7^? 
The  latter  had  left  Cambridge,  for  the  long  vacation,  and  a^j-c  -■. 
had  returned  to  Hawkstone,  the  residence  of  his  father. 
Here  he  was  warmly  welcomed  by  Richard,  his  elder  brother, 
who,  like  himself,  had  lately  become  a  village  preacher,  and 
a  visitor  of  prisons  ;  but  his  parents  were  profoundly  grieved 
at  his  religious  irregularities  ;  and  his  walks,  amid  the  beautiful 
scenery  of  his  father's  grounds,  were  often  sorrowful.  To 
cheer  him  and  his  brother,  Whitefield  wrote  as  follows  : — 

"London,  July  14,  1767. 
"  Blessed  be  God,  for  what  he  has  done  for  your  dear  brother !  A 
preaching,  prison-preaching,  field-preaching  esquire  strikes  more  than  all 
black  gowns  and  lawn  sleeves  in  the  world.  If  I  am  not  mistaken,  God 
will  let  the  world,  and  His  own  children  too,  know  that  He  will  not  be 
prescribed  to,  in  respect  to  men,  or  garbs,  or  places,  much  less  will  He 
be  confined  to  any  order,  or  set  of  men  under  heaven.  I  wish  you  both 
much,  \cry  much,  prosperity.  You  will  have  it.  This  is  the  way  :  walk 
in  it.  Both  the  Tabernacle  and  the  chapel  pulpits  shall  be  open  to  a 
captain  or  an  esquire  sent  of  God.  The  good  news  from  Oxford  is 
encouraging. '  Say  what  they  will,  preaching  should  be  one  part  of  the 
education  of  a  student  in  divinity.  Usus  promptos  facit.  Write  often 
and  let  me  know  how  you  go  on.  What  says  your  friend  Mr,  Powys. 
God  bless  him,  and  help  him  to  go  forwards  !" " 

A  week  later,  Whitefield  wrote  again  : — 

"  London,  July  21,  1767.  I  hope,  ere  this  comes  to  hand,  you  will  have 
taken  your  second  degree.  A  good  degree  indeed  !  To  be  a  preacher, — 
a  young  preacher,— a  mobbed,  perhaps,  a  stoned  preacher, — O  what  an 
honour  !  How  many  prayers  will  you  get,  when  I  read  your  letter  at  the 
Tabernacle  !  And  the  prayers  of  so  many  dear  children  of  God  will  do 
you  no  hurt.  When  we  are  fighting  with  Amalek  below,  it  is  good  to  have 
a  Joshua  praying  for  us  above.  Jesus  is  our  Joshua — Jesus  is  our  inter- 
cessor. He  liveth,  He  ever  liveth  to  make  intercession,  especially  for  His 
young  soldiers.  Yonder,  yonder  He  sits  !  Whilst  praying,  He  reaches 
out  a  crown.  At  this  distance,  you  may  see  written  in  capital  letters, 
'  Vincciiti  dabo.'  All  a  gift — a  free  gift,  though  purchased  by  His  precious 
blood.  Tell  churchmen,  tell  meetingers,  tell  the  wounded,  tell  all  of  this. 
Tell  them  when  you  are  young  ;  you  may  not  live  to  be  old.  Tell  them 
whilst  you  are  an  undergraduate  ;  you  may  be  dead,  buried,  glorified, 
before  you  take  a  college  degree.     Tell  those  who  would  have  you  spare 


'  Rowland  Hill  had  called  at  Oxford,  on  his  way  home,  and  had  a 
profitable  meeting  with  the  Methodist  students  there.  ("  Life  of  Rev.  R. 
Hill,"  p.  31.) 

-  ■•  i^iic  of  Rev.  R,  Hill,"  p.  32. 

VOL.  IL  34 


530  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 


1767     yourself,  that  time  is  short,  that  eternity  is  endless,  that  the  Judge  is 
before  the  door.     God  bless  you  !     God  bless  you  !     Yours  in  Jesus, 
^^  5^  "  George  Whitefield." 

Before  proceeding  with  Whitefield's  history,  extracts  from 
three  other  letters,  to  Rowland  Hill,  may  be  welcome  : — 

"London,  August  6,  1767.  The  enclosed  made  me  pity,  smile,  and 
rejoice:  pity  the  writer's  ignorance,  smile  at  his  worn-out  sarcasms,  and 
rejoice  that  you  are  called  to  be  a  living  martyr  for  our  common  Lord. 
Fear  not ;  only  go  forward.  You  know  Jesus,  and,  by  preaching,  will 
know  more.  If  you  write,  let  him  know  that  Jesus  has  revealed  Himself 
not  only  fo  you  by  His  word,  but  in  you  by  His  spirit  ;  that  you  look  upon 
those  ^vhom  he  is  pleased  to  itrm  fanatics,  as  the  excellent  of  the  earth  ; 
and  that  you  choose  rather  to  suffer  reproach  with  them,  than  to  enjoy  all 
the  pleasures  of  sense,  and  all  the  preferments  in  the  world." 

"  London,  August  8,  1767.  God  be  praised,  if  another  of  your  brothers 
is  gained  !  What  grace  is  this  !  Four  or  five  out  of  one  family  !  It  is 
scarcely  to  be  paralleled.  Who  knows  but  the  root,  as  well  as  the 
branches,  may  be  taken  by  and  by.  Steadiness  and  perseverance,  in  the 
children,  will  be  one  of  the  best  means,  under  God,  of  convincing  the 
parents.  Their  present  opposition,  I  think,  cannot  last  very  long.  If  it 
does,  to  obey  God  rather  than  man,  when  forbidden  to  do  what  is  un- 
doubted duty,  is  the  invariable  rule.  Our  dear  Penty  ■  is  under  the  cross 
at  Cambridge ;  but  crescit  sub  pondere.  I  should  be  glad  if  any  one's 
exhibition  was  taken  from  him  for  visiting  the  sick,  etc.^  It  would  vastly 
tend  to  the  furtherance  of  the  Gospel  ;  but  Satan  sees  too  far,  I  imagine, 
to  play  such  a  game  now.  Let  him  do  his  work — he  is  only  a  mastiff 
chained.  Continue  to  inform  me  how  he  barks,  and  how  far  he  is  per- 
mitted to  go  in  your  parts  ;  and  God's  people  shall  be  more  and  more 
Stirred  up  to  pray  for  you  all,  by  yours,  in  our  all-conquering  Emmanuel, 

"  George  Whitefield."^ 

"London,  August  26,  1767.  Go  to  Jesus.  Learn  to  pray  of  the 
threatened  apostles.  (Acts  iv.  23 — 30.)  I  am  afraid  they  will  only  threaten- 
If  an  expulsion  should  be  permitted,  it  will  take  place,  I  believe,  only  for 
a  little  time,  and  will  soon  be  repented  of.  Thousands  of  prayers  were 
put  up  for  you  last  Monday,  at  the  Tabernacle  letter-day.  The  verses 
sung  were  these : — 

*  Give  him  thy  strength,  O  God  of  pow'r  ! 
Then,  let  men  rage  and  devils  roar, 
Thy  faithful  witness  he  shall  be  : 
'Tis  fixed,  he  can  do  all  through  Thee.'" 


'  Thomas  Pentycross,  who  soon  after  became  an  earnest  and  useful 
clergyman  of  the  Church  of  England. 

-  This  was  threatened  in  the  case  of  one  of  Rowland  Hill's  college 
friends.     ("  Life  of  Rev.  R.  Hill,"  p.  34). 

'  "  Life  of  Rev.  R.  Hill,"  p.  34, 


Whitejield  attends   Wesley's  Conference.         531 

While  Whitefield  was  acquiring  new  friends,  he  was  faith-    '76/ 
ful  to  his  old.      The  friendship  between  him  and  Wesley  was  Age  5a 
never   tenderer  than   now.      During  the    month  of  August, 
Wesley  held  his  annual  Conference,  in  London,  and  wrote: — 

"  1767,  August  18.  Tuesday.  I  met  in  Conference  with  our  assistants 
and  a  select  number  of  preachers.  To  these  were  added,  on  Thursday 
and  Friday,  Mr.  Whitefield,  Howell  Harris,  and  many  stewards  and  local 
preachers.     Love  and  harmony  reigned  from  the  beginning  to  the  end."  ' 

Such  a  re-union  of  old  friends,  fellow-labourers,  and  fellow- 
sufferers,  must  have  been  delightful.  A  trio,  like  Wesley, 
Whitefield,  and  Howell  Harris,  was  a  sight  worth  seeing, — ■ 
three  great  reformers,  because  three  great  revivers  of  pure 
and  undefiled  religion. 

In  reference  to  this  Conference,  Thomas  Olivers  remarks : — 

"  Mr.  Whitefield  not  only  attended  the  Conference,  but  also  invited  the 
preachers  to  the  Tabernacle,  ordered  them  to  be  placed  round  the  front 
of  his  galleries,  and  preached  a  good  sermon,  to  encourage  them  in  their 
holy  calling.  When  he  had  done,  he  took  them  to  his  house,  by  ten  or 
twenty  at  a  time,  and  entertained  them  in  the  most  genteel,  the  most 
hospitable,  and  the  most  friendly  manner." 

Olivers,  who  was  one  of  the  preachers  thus  entertained, 
continues  : — 

"  While  Mr.  Whitefield  lived,  he  was  glad  to  confirm  his  love  to  the 
members  of  Mr.  Wesley's  Societies,  by  preaching  in  their  chapels,  by 
sitting  at  their  tables,  by  lying  in  their  beds,  and  by  conversing  with  them, 
late  and  early,  in  the  most  friendly  and  Christian  manner.  When  he 
preached  in  Mr.  Wesley's  pulpits,  in  the  north  of  England,  he  several 
times  did  me  the  honour  of  making  my  house  his  home.  On  all  such 
occasions,  multitudes  can  tell  what  expressions  of  the  highest  esteem  he 
frequently  made  use  of,  in  exhorting  Mr.  Wesley's  Societies  ;  in  keeping 
lovefeasts,  and  watch-nights  with  them  ;  in  his  table  talk  ;  and  as  he 
tra\elled  with  them  by  the  way.  Nay,  strange  as  it  may  seem,  he  has 
been  known  to  say,  that  he  found  mo7'e  Christian  freedom  among  Mr. 
Wesley's  people  than  he  did  among  his  own  in  London.  As  to  the 
preachers  in  connexion  with  Mr.  Wesley,  these  have  frequently  received 
very  great  marks  of  Mr.  Whitefield's  esteem.  In  private,  he  conversed 
with  them,  as  with  brethren  3ind  fellotv-labourers.  In  public,  he  frequently 
said  far  greater  things  in  their  favour  than  Mr.  Wesley  thought  it  pru- 
dent to  say.  He  never  seemed  happier  than  when  he  had  a  number  of 
them  about  him.  When  he  had  opportunity,  he  gladly  attended  our 
Conferences  ;  sometimes  listening  to  our  debates,  and  at  olhers  Joining  in 

'  Wesley's  Journal. 


532  Tlie  Life  of  Whifefield. 


1767     them.     On  these  occasions,  he  more  than  once  favoured  us  with  a  suitable 

sermon  ;  and  often  said  such  things  in  our  behalf,  as  decency  forbids  me 
Age  52   ^  ,"1 

"    -^     to  mention. 

A  testimony  like  this  from  a  man  of  great  acuteness,  and 
inflexible  veracity,  is  more  than  ordinarily  valuable.  Im- 
mediately after  Wesley's  Conference,  Whitefield  was  anxious 
to  make  another  of  his  gospel  tours.  Writing  to  his  old 
assistant,  Thomas  Adams,  on  August  14,  he  says  : — 

"  I  have  been  sick  ;  but,  blessed  be  God  !  I  am  better.  Who  knows 
but  I  may  be  strengthened  to  take  a  trip  to  Scotland.  This  itch  after 
itinerating,  I  hope,  will  never  be  cured  till  we  come  to  heaven.  Though 
laymen  occupy  the  pulpits,  both  at  Tottenham  Court  chapel  and  the 
Tabernacle,  the  congregations  increase.  '  Not  by  might,  nor  by  power, 
but  by  my  Spirit,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts.'  No  weapon,  formed  against 
Sion,  shall  or  can  prosper.  Our  Thursday  morning  six  o'clock  lecture  at 
the  Tabernacle  is  crowded." 

Whitefield  was  not  able  to  extend  his  "  trip "  as  far  as 
Scotland  ;  but  he  travelled  what  he  called  his  "  northern 
circuit,"  reaching,  at  least,  from  Sheffield  to  Newcastle.  He 
started  about  the  beginning  of  September,  and,  on  his  way, 
preached  at  Northampton  and  Sheffield.  He  arrived  at 
Leeds  on  Thursday,  September  10,^  accompanied  by  the 
Countess  of  Huntingdon,  Here,  they  were  joined  by 
Captain  Scott,  who  preached  to  amazing  crowds,^ 

From  Leeds,  Whitefield  proceeded  further  north.  He 
preached  at  York  ;  and,  among  many  other  curious  entries 
in  the  old  book  of  the  Methodist  Society  in  that  city,  is  the 
following:  "1767.  September  16,  By  expenses  on  ac- 
count of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Whitefield,  14s.  9d." 

On  reaching  Newcastle,  he  wrote,  as  follows,  to  Mr. 
Keen  : — 

"  Newcastle,  Septeinbcr  20, "1767. 
"  My  dear,  very  dear  Friend, — Preaching  and  travelling  prevent 
writing.  Through  unmerited  mercy,  I  am  well  ;  but,  for  several  reasons, 
I  decline  going  to  Scotland  this  fall.  I  have  a  blessed  Methodist  field, 
street-preaching  plan  before  me.  This  afternoon,  in  the  Castle  Garth. 
To-morrow,  Sunderland.  Next  day,  at  Mr.  Romaine's  mother's  door 
(at  Hartlepool.)*    "Then  to  Yarm,  etc.    You  may  venture  to  direct  for  me 

*  "  Rod  for  a  Reviler.     By  Thomas  Olivers,  1777,"  p.  58. 

*  Whitefield's  Works,  vol.  iii.,  p.  352. 

*  "  Life  and  Times  of  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  i.,  p.  299. 

*  Ibid.,  vol.  i.,  p.  291. 


Ages:: 


A  Burglary.  533 

at  Mr.  William  Shent's,  peruke-maker,  at  Leeds;  but  send  me  no  bad  17G7 
news,  unless  absolutely  necessary.  Let  me  enjoy  myself  in  my  delightful 
itinerancy.  It  is  good,  both  for  my  body  and  soul.  I  have  been  enabled 
to  preach  in  the  street  at  several  places  ;  and  hope  to  go  to  Guisborough, 
Whitby,  Scarborough,  Malton,  York,  Leeds,  Liverpool,  Chester,  Man- 
chester, etc. ,  etc.  You  shall  know  particulars  as  we  go  on.  Tender  love 
to  all  friends.     Golden  seasons  !     Golden  seasons  !     Grace!     Grace!" 

Immediately  after  Whitefi eld's  departure  from  London, 
Bartholomew  Carrol  and  three  other  burglars  broke  into  his 
house,  stole  a  large  quantity  of  linen  and  other  articles,  were 
arrested,  and  committed  for  trial  at  the  Old  Bailey.^  In  the 
following  letter  to  Mr.  Keen,  Whitefield  refers  to  this  un- 
pleasantness : — 

"Thirsk,  September  28,  1767.  Never  was  I  so  long  a  stranger  to 
London  affairs  before.  What  part  of  the  paragraph  is  true,  about  the 
commitment  of  several  persons  for  a  cei'tain  robbery.?  I  hope  that  death 
will  not  be  the  consequence  to  any  of  the  criminals.  Father,  convict,  and 
convert  them  for  Thy  infinite  mercy's  sake  !  I  should  be  glad  to  ramble 
till  their  trial  is  over.  I  trust  there  will  be  no  necessity  of  my  appearing 
in  person.  To-morrow,  God  willing,  I  go  to  Dr.  Conyers.^  He  earnestly 
desires  to  see  me.  Where  the  next  reinove  will  be,  I  know  not.  Be 
pleased  to  direct  to  Leeds.  Every  stage,  more  and  more,  convinces  me, 
that  old  Methodism  is  the  thing.     Hallelujah  !  " 

Two  days  after  the  date  of  this  letter,  Whitefield  was  at 
Leeds,  and  wrote  :  "  I  have  been  enabled  to  go  forth  into 
the  highways  and  hedges,  into  the  streets  and  lanes  of  the 
towns  and  cities.  Good  old  work  !  Good  old  seasons  ! 
Help,  help  to  praise  Him,  whose  mercy  endureth  for  ever ! " 
Whitefield's  labours  were  still  of  sufficient  importance  to 
attract  the  attention  of  the  public  press.  Lloyd's  Ei^eniiig 
Post  of  October  2  had  the  following  announcement  :  "  For 
about  a  fortnight  past,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Whitefield  has  been 
travelling,  and  preaching,  at  York,  Thirsk,  Yarm,  Hartlepool, 
Stokesley,  Sunderland,  and  Newcastle,  where  his  congrega- 
tions have  been  very  numerous." 

Whitefield  was  requested  to  visit  Fletcher  at  Madeley,  but 
the  distance,  and  the  season  of  the  year,  deterred  his  going. 
He,  however,  spent  two  or  three  days  at  Huddersfield,''  with 

'  LloycVs  Eirenin^  Post,  September  21,  1707. 

^  The  Rev.  Richard  Conyers,  LL.D.,  vicar  of  Helmslej^  another  earnest 
Methodist  cleri.'Yman. 

^  Whitefield's  Works,  vol.  iii.,  p,  356;  and  '•'  Life  and  Times  of  Countess 
of  Huntington,"  vol.  i.,  p.  299;  and  "  Life  of  Rev.  Henry  Venn,"  p.  134. 


534  ^/^^  Life  of  Whitefield. 


1767    Venn,  who   had  recently  lost    his  wife  by  death.      While  in 
Age  52  Venn's  home  of  sorrow,  he  wrote  : — 

"  Huddersfield,  October  6,  1767.  How  is  death  scattering  his  arrows 
all  around  us  ?  The  call  to  us  is  loud,  very  loud.  Its  language  is  quite 
articulate.  '  Watch  and  pray,  for  ye  know  not  at  what  day  or  hour  the 
Son  of  Man  cometh.'  What  is  this  world  1  Nothing,  less  than  nothing. 
What  is  the  other  world  ?  An  eternity  of  endless  misery  or  endless  bliss. 
We  have  no  time  to  trifle,  to  be  light,  foolish,  or  worldly-minded." 

It  ought  to  be  kept  in  mind,  that,  in  all  the  towns  men- 
tioned in  the  foregoing  extracts,  Wesley  and  his  preachers 
had  already  formed  Societies,  and  that  Whitefield  went 
among'  them,  not  as  Wesley's  rival,  but  as  his  helper.  For 
many  years,  in  his  country  excursions,  Whitefield,  without 
ostentatiously  professing  it,  acted  in  this  capacity, — an  im- 
portant fact,  which  Whitefield's  biographers,  for  some  reason, 
have  not  noticed.  Whitefield  and  Wesley  were  never  firmer 
friends  than  now.  Writing  to  Mrs.  Moon,  of  Yarm,  a  few 
weeks  after  Whitefield's  return  to  London,  Wesley  says  :— 

"  In  every  place  where  Mr.  Whitefield  has  been,  he  has  laboured  in  the 
same  friendly.  Christian  manner.  God  has  indeed  effectually  broken 
down  the  wall  of  partition  which  was  between  us.  Thirty  years  ago  we 
were  one ;  then  the  sower  of  tares  rent  us  asunder  ;  but  now  a  stronger 
than  he  has  made  us  one  again.*' ' 

On  reaching  London,  Whitefield,  in  a  jubilant  strain,  wrote 
to  his  old  helper,  Thomas  Adams  : — 

"London,  October  13,  1767. 
"My  very  dear  Tommy, — Good- morrow  !  This  comes  to  enquire 
how  you  and  yours  do.  I  am  just  returned  from  my  northern  circuit. 
It  has  been  pleasant,  and,  I  trust,  profitable.  Praise  the  Lord,  O  our 
souls  !  Everywhere  the  fields  have  been  white,  ready  unto  harvest.  I  am 
become  a  downright  street  and  field  preacher.  I  Wish,  the  city,  and  want 
of  riding,  may  not  hurt  me.  No  nestling,  no  nestling  on  this  side  Jordan. 
Heaven  is  the  believer's  only  resting  place.  Mr.  Joss  has  been  much 
blessed  here.'' 

If  possible,  Whitefield  was  more  popular  than  ever,  as  the 
following  extract  from  Lloyds  Evening  Post,  of  October  30, 
will  tend  to  show  : — - 

"Wednesday  morning,  October  28,  was  preached,  by  the  Rev.  Mr. 
'  Wesley's  Works,  vol.  xii.,  p.  253. 


A  Remaj-kadle  Service.  535 


Whitefield,  at  his  Tabernacle  near  Moorfields,  a  sermon,  for  the  benefit     1767 
of  the  Society  for  Promoting  Christian  Knowledge  among  the  Poor,  by       — 
distributing  Bibles  and  other  good  books,  before  a  very  polite  audience  of  ^^  5* 
upwards  of  six  thousand  people,  and  above  forty  ministers  of  different 
persuasions.     Near ^200  was  collected."' 

In  reference  to   this   remarkable  service,  on  a  busy  week- 
day morning,  Whitefield  simply  says  :  "  I  would  reflect  upon         * 
Wednesday  with  humility  and  gratitude.      Lord,  what  am  I  .-* 
*  Less  than  the  least  of  all,'  must  be  my  motto  still." 

Whitefield's  text  on  this  occasion  was  "  Thy  kingdom 
come."  The  collection  was  four  times  larger  than  usual,  and 
eighty  persons  became  new  subscribers.  After  his  sermon, 
Whitefield  dined  with  the  ministers  present  at  Draper's 
Hall,  and  was  treated  with  great  respect.^ 

The  troubles  of  Rowland  Hill  and  his  associates,  at 
Cambridge,  have  been  repeatedly  mentioned,  and  are  alluded 
to  in  the  following  letter,  addressed  "  To  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Fletcher,  Rector  of  Madeley,  near  Bridgenorth,  Shrop- 
shire " : — 

"  London,  October  22,  1767.  What  more  offences  !  Surely,  my  dear 
friend,  you  must  have  done  Satan  some  late  harm  ;  otherwise,  I  think,  he 
would  not  be  so  angry.  I  hope  he  has  lost  some  ground  in  the  north. 
Street  and  field-preaching  were  made  very  pleasant  to  me,  and,  I  trust, 
they  were  equally  profitable.  Our  truly  noble  Lady  Sussex  sends  good 
news  from  Bath.  She  recovers  strength  apace.  There  is  hot  work  at 
Cambridge.  One  dear  youth  is  likely  to  be  expelled.  Mr.  Lee  is  sus- 
pended without  private  admonition,  or  having  a  moment's  warning. 
What  would  become  of  us,  if  a  hook  were  not  put  into  the  leviathan's 
jaws."*  Adieu!  In  great  haste,  but  greater  love,  I  hasten  to  subscribe 
myself,  my  dear  sir,  yours  in  our  all-conquering  Emmanuel, 

"George  Whitefield."' 

The  storm,  which,  in  one  of  the  universities,  burst  a  few 
months  afterwards,  was  already  brewing.  The  Methodist 
students,  both  at  Cambridge  and  Oxford,  were  in  trouble  ; 
and  Whitefield  did  his  best  to  comfort  and  encourage  them. 
Hence  the  following  extracts  from  his  letters,  written  at  this 
period  : — 

"London,  October  23,  1767.     By  your  brother's  letter,  it  appears  the 

'  A  foot-note,  in  Whitefield's  Works,  vol.  iii.,  p.  360,  says  the  collection 
amounted  to  ^105  13s. 
■■'  Gillies'  "  Life  of  Whitefield." 
"  MS.  Letter. 


536  The  Life  of  Whitfield. 


1767  hour  of  expulsion  is  not  yet  come.  Surely  they  will  not  be  so  imprudent, 
or  act  so  contrary  to  the  laws  of  English  liberty.      I  long  to  know  what 

■^^  5^  statutes  they  say  you  have  broken,  and  what  concessions  have  been  made. 
Your  diocesan  will  make  a  strict  enquiry.  I  wish  you  could  recollect  all 
circumstances  ;  the  rise  and  progress  of  the  present  contest  ;  with  all  the 
various  pleadings,  threats,  conferences, /^rc  and  con.  If  confined  to  college, 
this  will  be  a  good  exercise  for  you.     You  may  lodge  it  in  court,  as  a 

*  proof  whether  you  understand  to  write  plain  English,  or  sound,  practical, 

experimental  divinity.     This  can  do  you  no  harm  ;  it  may  do  good.     Do, 
therefore,  set  about  it.     Who  knows?  Sauls  may  yet  become  Pauls." 

"  London,  October  24,  1767.  Supposing  you  made  this  addition  to  the 
motto  of  your  coat  of  arms, — '■Nemo  me  hnpune  lacessit ?'  He  who 
toucheth  God's  people,  toucheth  the  apple  of  His  eye.  That  is  a  very 
tender  part.  I  am  glad  your  diocesan  is  expected  soon.  I  have  no 
expectation  of  his  beating  a  retreat.  'To  arms  !  to  arms  !'  must  be  the 
watchword  now.  The  company  of  the  Son  of  Man  is  never  so  sweet  as 
when  He  walks  with  us  in  the  fiery  furnace.  Nothing  can  stand  before 
an  honest,  truly  Israelitish  heart.  Those  who  endeavour  to  entangle 
Christ's  followers  in  their  talk,  will,  in  the  end,  be  entangled  themselves." 
"London,  November  14,  1767.  All  know  my  mind.  Go  forward,  I 
think,  is  the  royal  word  of  command.  We  may  then  indeed  have  a  Red 
Sea  to  pass  through  ;  but  the  threatening  waves  shall  become  a  wall  on 
the  right  hand  and  on  the  left.  I  am  ashamed  to  find  so  many  silenced 
by  mere  brutafulmina.'" 

"London,  December  i,  1767.  You  meet  like  apostles  n»w  ;  but,  when 
they  met  between  the  time  of  our  Lord's  death  and  restirrcction,  what 
ti'ouble  did  they  endure,  for  fear  of  the  Jews?  But  be  not  discouraged. 
Continue  instant  in  prayer.  A  risen,  an  ascended  Jesus,  will  yet  appear 
in  the  midst  of  you,  renew  your  commission,  and  endue  you  with  power 
from  on  high.  O  think  of  this,  ye  httle  college  of  cast-outs  !  Do  not 
deny  Him  in  any  wise.  ' 

On  the  day  the  last  extract  was  Avritten,  the  Earl  of 
Buchan  died  at  Bath.  For  some  time,  his  lordship  had 
been  in  declining  health.  In  Bath,  as  long  as  his  health 
permitted,  he  was  a  most  regular  attendant  at  the  chapel 
of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,  and  was  in  the  constant 
habit  of  hearing  Whitefield,  Wesley,  Romaine,  Shirley, 
Venn,  Townsend,  Fletcher,  and  other  Methodist  clergymen, 
who  supplied  the  pulpit  there.  His  death  was  most  triumphant. 
A  few  days  before  its  occurrence,  Lady  Huntingdon  went  to 
see  him,  at  his  particular  request.  As  soon  as  he  could 
speak,  he  said  :  "  I  have  no  foundation  of  hope  whatever, 
but  in  the  sacrifice  of  the  Son  of  God.  I  have  nowhere  else 
to  look, — nothing  else  to  depend  upon  for  eternal  life  ;  but 
my  confidence  in  Him  is  as  firm  as  a  rock."     Among  his 


Death  of  the  Earl  of  Biichan.  537 


lact  sayings,   were  the  words,    "Happy!     happy!    happy!"    ^76; 
Thus,—  AgTsz 

"  on  his  dying  lips, 

The  sound  of  glory  quiver'd." 

"His   lordship's   departure,"  wrote   Lady   Huntingdon,  "was 
not  only  happy,  but  triumphant  and  glorious." 

The  event,  to  these  grand  old  Methodists,  was  too  im- 
portant to  pass  unimproved.  Whitefield  was  summoned 
from  London  ;  and,  for  five  days,  in  the  chapel  of  the 
Countess  of  Huntingdon,  a  series  of  services  were  held, 
which,  probably,  have  no  parallel.  "  The  corpse  of  the  late 
Earl  of  Buchan,"  says  Lloyd's  Evening  Post,  of  December 
16,  "lay  in  state,  at  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon's  chapel, 
from  Sunday  to  Thursday  night.  Two  sermons  on  the 
occasion  were  preached  each  day  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  White- 
field  and  others." 

The  story,  however,  will  be  best  told  in  the  words  of 
Whitefield  himself  To  the  Reverend  Walter  Shirley, 
Whitefield  wrote  : — 

"Bath,  Tuesday,  December  8,  1767.  The  Earl  of  Buchan  sweetly  slept 
in  Jesus  last  week.  His  corpse  lies  deposited  in  the  chapel  of  good  Lady 
Huntingdon,  and  is  not  to  be  removed  till  next  Friday  morning.  There 
have  been  public  prayers  and  preaching  twice  every  day.  The  noble 
relatives  constantly  attend,  and  all  is  more  than  solemn.  Great  numbers, 
of  all  ranks,  crowd  to  see  and  hear.  The  Earl  died  like  the  patriarch 
Jacob ;  he  laid  his  hands  on,  and  blessed  his  children  ;  assured  them  of 
his  personal  interest  in  Jesus  ;  called  most  gloriously  on  the  Holy  Ghost ; 

cried,  'Happy!  happy!'  as  long  as  he  could  speak;  and  then you 

know  what  followed." 

In  another  letter,  Whitefield  wrote  : — 

"Bath,  Wednesday,  December  9,  1767.  All  has  been  awful,  and  more 
than  awful.  Last  Saturday  evening,  before  the  corpse  was  taken  from 
Buchan  House,  a  word  of  exhortation  was  given,  and  a  hymn  sung,  in  the 
room  where  the*  corpse  lay.  The  young  Earl  stood  with  his  hands  on  the 
head  of  the  coffin  ;  the  Countess  Dowager  on  his  right  hand  ;  Lady  Ann 
and  Lady  Isabella  on  his  left  ;  and  their  brother  Thomas'  next  to  their 
mother,  with  Miss  Orton,  Miss  Wheeler,  and  Miss  Goddle  on  one  side. 
All  the  domestics,  with  a  few  friends,  were  on  the  other.  The  word  of 
exhortation-  was  received  with  great  solemnity,  and  most  wept  under  the 

'  Afterwards  ennobled  as  Baron  Erskine  and  Lord  High  Chancellor  of 
Great  Britain. 
-  Doubtless  by  Whitefield  himself. 


538  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1767    parting  prayer.     At  ten,  the  corpse  was  remov^ed  to  good  Lady  Huntijig- 
—      don's  chapel,  where  it  was  deposited  (within  a  place  railed  in  for  that 
^^  ^"  purpose),  covered  with  black  baize  and  the  usual  funeral  concomitants, 
except  escutcheons. 

"  On  Sunday  morning  all  attended,  in  mourning,  at  early  sacrament. 
They  were  seated  by  themselves,  at  the  feet  of  the  corpse  ;  and,  with 
their  head  servants,  received  first,  and  a  particular  address  was  made  to 
theni.     Immediately  after  receiving,  these  verses  were  sung  for  them  : — 

'  Our  lives,  our  blood,  we  here  present, 
If  for  Thy  truths  they  may  be  spent ; 
Fulfil  Thy  sovereign  counsel,  Lord, — 
Thy  will  be  done,  Thy  name  ador'd  ! 

Give  them  Thy  strength,  O  God  of  povv'r  ! 

Then  let  men  rave  or  devils  roar, 

Thy  faithful  witnesses  they'll  be  ; 

'Tis  fixed — they  can  do  all  through  Thee ' 

Then  they  received  this  blessing  :  '  The  Lord  bless  you  and  keep  you  ! 
The  Lord  lift  up  the  light  of  His  countenance  upon  you  !  The  Lord 
cause  His  face  to  shine  upon  you,  and  give  you  peace  !'  and  so  returned 
to  their  places.  Sacrament  being  ended,  the  noble  mourners  returned  to 
good  Lady  Huntingdon's  house,  which  was  lent  them  for  the  day. 

"At  eleven,  public  service  began.  The  bereaved  relations  sat  in  order 
within,  and  the  domestics  around  the  outside  of  the  rail.  The  chapel  was 
more  than  crowded  Near  three  hundred  tickets,  signed  by  the  present 
Earl,  were  given  out  to  the  nobility  and  gentry,  to  be  admitted.  All  was 
hushed  and  solemn.  Proper  hymns  were  sung,  and  I  preached  on  these 
words,  '  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven,  saying  unto  me,  Write,  blessed  are 
the  dead  that  die  in  the  Lord.'  Attention  sat  on  every  face,  and  deep 
and  almost  universal  impressions  were  made. 

"  The  like  scene,  and  if  possible  more  solemn,  was  exhibited  in  the 
evening ;  and  I  was  enabled  to  preach  a  second  time.  A  like  power 
attended  the  word,  as  in  the  morning. 

"  Ever  since,  there  has  been  public  service  and  preaching  twice  a  day. 
This  is  to  be  continued  till  Friday  morning.  Then  all  is  to  be  removed 
to  Bristol,  in  order  to  be  shipped  for  Scotland.  The  inscription  on  the 
coffin  runs  thus  : — 

"  His  life  was  honourable, 

His  death  blessed  ; 

He  sought  earnestly  peace  with  God  ;— 

He  found  it. 

With  unspeakable  joy, 

Alone  in  the  merits  of  Christ  Jesus, 

Witnessed  by  the  Holy  Spirit  to  his  soul. 

He  yet  speaketh  : 

'Go  thou,  and  do  likewise.'" 

These  were   strange  scenes,  but  who  can   find  fault  with 


The   Yoicng  Earl  of  Buchan.  539 

them  ?      And   who'  can    estimate   their  permanent  influence     ^7^7 
upon  the  eleventh  Earl   of   Buchan,  and  up^n  his   illustrious  Age  .,'3 
brother,    then   only  seventeen    years   of  age,  but  afterwards 
Lord  High  Chancellor  of  Great  Britain  ? 

Whitefield  continued  preaching  at  Bath,  Bristol,  and 
Kingswood,  till  December  21,  when  he  set  out  for  London. 
Meanwhile,  the  young  Earl  of  Buchan  had  also  come  to 
town,  from  his  father's  funeral  in  Scotland,  and,  at  once, 
associated  himself  with  Lord  and  Lady  Dartmouth,  Mrs. 
Carteret,  Mrs.  Cavendish,  and  a  numerous  circle  of  dis- 
tinguished persons,  the  friends  of  Whitefield  and  the 
Methodists.  Whitefield  refers  to  this,  in  the  following  letter 
to  the  Rev.  John  Gillies  : — 

"London,  December  28,  1767.  The  present  noble  Earl  of  Buchan,  I 
believe,  has  got  the  blessing.  He  seems  to  determine  to  know  nothing 
but  Jesus  Christ,  and  Him  crucified.  He  has  behaved  in  the  most  deli- 
cate manner  to  the  Countess,  and  other  noble  survivors.  He  stands  here 
in  town  against  all  opposition,  like  an  impregnable  rock ;  and  I  humbly 
hope  will  prove  the  Daniel  of  the  age.  He  has  already  been  thrown  into 
a  den  of  lions  ;  but  he  has  One  with  him,  who  stops  th^  lions'  mouths. 
You  will  encouragfe  all  God's  people  to  pray  for  him.  .^What  if  you  wrote 
him  a  line  ?  I  am  sure  it  will  be  taken  kindly ;  for  I  know  he  honours 
aad  loves  you  much. 

"  I  am  now  fifty-three  years  old.  Did  you  ever  hear  of  such  a  fifty-three 
years'  old  barren  fig-tree?  So  much  digging,  so  much  dunging  ;  and  yet 
so  little  fruit.  God  be  merciful  to  me  a  sinner  !  A  sinner  !  A  sinner  ! 
A  sinner  !  He  is  merciful !  His  mercy  endureth  for  ever  !  He  yet 
vouchsafes  to  bless  my  feeble  labours." 

The  young  Earl  of  Buchan  did  not  disappoint  Whitefield's 
hopes  concerning  him.  Besides  maintaining  the  dignity  of 
the  Scottish  peerage,  and  becoming  an  ardent  lover  and 
promoter  of  literature  and  the  fine  arts,  he  made  a  public 
avowal  of  his  religious  principles  ;  and,  though  this  drew 
down  upon  him  the  laugh  and  lash  of  wits  and  witlings,  he 
defied  their  sneers,  and  dared  "  to  be  singularly  good;"  and, 
acting  under  the  advice  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon, 
appointed  Venn,  Fletcher,  and  Berridge  to  be  his  chaplains.-*^ 

Benjamin  Franklin,  the  poor  printer,  was  now  a  man  of 
great  distinction.      He  had  visited   Holland,  Germany,  and 

'  "  Life  and  Times  of  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  18. 


540  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

France  ;  and,  for  the  last  two  years,  had  been  in  England. 
The  degree  of  ^L.D.  had  been  conferred  upon  him  by 
the  three  Universities  of  St.  Andrew's,  Edinburgh,  and 
Oxford.  In  France  Louis  XV.  had  shown  him  marked 
attention.  But,  in  the  midst  of  all  his  honours,  he  still 
respected  his  old  friend  Whitefield.  The  following  letter, 
which  the  great  preacher  addressed  to  Franklin,  is  highly 
characteristic  of  the  writer  : — 

"Tottenham  Court,  Jannajy  21,  1768. 
"  My  dear  Doctor, — When  will  it  suit  you  to  have  another  interview.'* 
The"  (Bethesda)  "College  affair  is  dormant.  For  above  a  week,  I  have 
been  dethroned,  by  a  violent  cold  and  hoarseness.  Who  but  would  work 
aiid  speak  for  God  while  it  is  day  !  '  The  night  cometh  when  no  man 
can  work.'  Through  rich  grace,  I  can  sing,  'O  death,  where  is  thy  sting? 
but  only  through  Jesus  of  Nazareth.  Your  daughter,  I  find,  is  beginning 
the  world.  I  wish  you  joy  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart.  You  and  I  shall 
soon  go  out  of  it.  Ere  long  we  shall  see  it  burst.  Angels  shall  summon 
us  to  attend  on  the  funeral  of  time  ;  and  we  shall  see  eternity  rising  out 
of  its  ashes.  That  you  and  I  may  be  in  the  happy  number  of  those  who, 
in  the  midst  of  the  tremendous  blaze,  shall  cry  Amen  !  Hallelujah!  is 
the  hearty  prayer  of,  my  dear  Doctor, 

"  Yours,  etc., 

"George  Whitefield."' 

Not  long  after  this,  Franklin  wrote  to  Whitefield  respecting 
the  disturbances  at  Boston,  which  resulted  in  the  American 
rebellion.  Though  his  affection  for  Whitefield  was  undoubt- 
edly sincere,  he  found  it  difficult  to  conceal  his  scepticism 
even  when  writing  to  his  friend.  The  following  is  an  extract 
from  his  letter  : — 

"  I  am  under  continued  apprehensions  that  we  may  have  bad  news  from 
America.  The  sending  soldiers  to  Boston  always  appeared  to  me  a  dan- 
gerous step ;  they  could  do  no  good,  they  might  occasion  mischief.  When 
I  consider  the  warm  resentment  of  a  people  who  think  themselves  injured 
and  oppressed,  and  the  common  insolence  of  the  soldiery  who  are  taught 
to  consider  that  people  as  in  rebellion,  I  cannot  but  fear  the  consequences 
of  bringing  them  together.  It  seems  like  setting  up  a  smith's  forge  in  a 
magazine  of  gunpowder.  I  see  with  you  that  our  affairs  are  not  well 
managed  by  our  rulers  here  below  ;  I  wish  I  could  believe  with  you,  that 
they  are  well  attended  to  by  those  above  ;  I  rather  suspect,  from  certain 
circumstances,  that  though  the  general  government  of  the  universe  is  well 
administered,  our  particular  little  affairs  are  perhaps  below  notice,  and 
left  to  take  the  chance  of  human  prudence  or  imprudence,  as  either  may 

'  Wakeley's  "Anecdotes  of  Whitefield,"  p.  122 


Trcvccca   College.  541 


happen  to  be  uppermost.     It  is,  however,  an  uncomfortable  thought,  and 
I  leave  it." 

No  wonder  that  Whitefield  endorsed  his  friend's  letter 
with  the  words,  "  Uncomfortable  indeed  !  and,  blessed  be 
God,  ujiscri/'tural ;  for  we  are  fully  assured  that  '  the  Lord 
reigneth,'  and  are  directed  to  cast  all  our  care  on  Him, 
because  He  careth  for  us."  ^ 

Lady  Huntingdon  was  multiplying  her  chapels ;  but  none 
of  them  were  episcopally  consecrated.  Whitefield,  the  Wes- 
leys,  Romaine,  Madan,  Fletcher,  and  other  Methodist  clergy- 
men preached  in  them  as  far  as  they  had  opportunity  ;  but, 
it  was  evident,  that,  without  lay  evangelists,  the  work'  would 
be  impeded.  Captain  Scott,  Captain  Joss,  Thomas  Adams, 
and  others  rendered  efficient  help  to  Whitefield  in  his  London 
chapels  ;  but  they  were  not  sufficient  to  meet  the  growing 
wants  of  himself  and  the  Countess.  Hence,  her  ladyship  began 
to  make  preparation  for  tlve  training  of  converted  and  zealous 
men  to  supply  the  existing  pulpits,  and  to  extend  the  work. 
At  Trevecca,  not  far  from  the  residence  of  Howell  Harris, 
stood  am  ancient  structure,  part  of  an  old  castle,  erected  in 
the  reign  of  Henry  II.  The  date  over  the  entrance  is 
1 1 76.  This  venerable  ruin  belonged  to  Harris,  who  rented 
it  to  the  Countess,  for  the  purpose  of  its  being  turned  into 
a  sort  of  ministerial  college.  The  repairs  were  now  in  hand, 
and  Harris  acted  as  supervisor.  In  a  letter  addressed  to 
him,  she  wrote  : — 

"  London,  February  22,  1768.  I  think  the  work  cannot  be  finished,  for 
the  furniture,  before  June  ;  and,  therefore,  conclude  the  opening  of  the 
school  must  be  delayed  until  the  end  of  August.  I  shall  be  glad  to  have 
an  exact  account  of  the  expenses  as  they  go  on. 

"  What  must  I  say  of  this  poor  city.''  Religion  \s  fashion,  not  faith.  Dis- 
puting and  church  party  is  the  subject  of  all  I  see.  Mr.  Wesley  and  Mr. 
Whitefield  hold  up  their  heads  above  it.  Sandeman  principles  make  some 
noise.  May  my  soul  and  spirit,  life,  mind,  and  talents,  be  ever  devoted 
to  Christ  alone  !"" 

The  proposal  of  her  ladyship  was  to  admit  none  into  her 
school    except   such   as    were    truly   converted    to   God,  and 

'  Belcher's  "  Biography  of  Whitefield,''  p.  415. 

^  "  Brief  Account  of  Howell  Harris,  Esq.,  1791,"  p.  95  ;  and  Morgan's 
"  Life  and  Times  of  H.  Harris,"  p.  243. 


542  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

resolved  to  dedicate  themselves  to  His  service.  They  were 
to  be  at  liberty  to  stay  three  years,  during  which  time  they 
were  to  have  their  education  gratis,  with  every  necessary 
of  life,  and  a  suit  of  clothes  once  a  year.  Afterwards,  those 
who  desired  it  might  enter  into  the  ministry,  either  in  the 
Established  Church,  or  among  Protestants  of  any  other 
denomination.  The  plan  for  the  examination  of  candidates 
was  drawn  up,  and  approved  of  by  Romaine,  Venn,  Wesley, 
and  others  ;  and  Fletcher  was  fixed  upon  to  be  the  presi- 
dent.^ 

Little  did  the  Countess  think  that  the  time  was  near 
when  such  a  provision  would  become  more  important  than 
either  she  or  any  of  her  advisers  had  imagined.  A  storm 
had  long  been  gathering,  in  both  the  Oxford  and  Cambridge 
Universities ;  and  now  it  burst.  A  correspondent  of  Lloyds 
Evening  Post"^  wrote  as  follows  : — 

"  St.  Edmund's  Hall  is  the  place  where  a  lady  sends  all  those  who  have 
a  mind  to  creep  into  Orders.  The  other  day,  several  of  the  undergraduates 
of  that  Hall  disobliged  their  tutor  ;  and  this  one  spark  set  their  whole 
Methodistical  foundation  on  fire.  The  tutor  went  immediately  to  their 
visitor,  and  laid  open  all  their  proceedings,  upon  which  he  appointed  a 
meeting  of  the  heads  of  houses,  where  seven  of  them,  one  of  whom  is  a 
gentleman  commoner,  were  accused  of  their  several  offences.  One,  I 
think,  was  for  procuring  a  false  testimonium  ;  ^  another  for  preaching  in 
the  fields  before  he  was  in  orders  ;  a  letter  was  read  publicly,  which  the 
tutor  had  received  from  a  gentleman,  testifying  that  this  man  had  made 
him  a  very  good  periwig  only  two  years  before  ;  two  or  three  for  frequent- 
ing illicit  conventicles  ;  but  another  was  accused  only  of  ignorance, 
impudence,  and  disobedience,  and  is  acquitted.  All  the  others  were 
expelled,  not  only  for  the  offences  I  have  mentioned,  but,  likewise,  for 
preaching  doctrines  contrary  to  the  Church  of  England." 

The  "lady"  referred  to  in  this  letter  was  the  Countess  of 
Huntingdon  ;  but  there  is  not  the  slightest  proof  of  the 
accusation  brought  against  her.^  It  might  contain  a  modi- 
cum of  truth  ;  but  the  base  part  of  the  allegation  was  false 
and  slanderous.  The  names  of  the  undergraduates  were 
Benjamin   Kay,  James    Matthews,   Thomas  Jones,    Thomas 

*  "  Life  and  Times  of  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  ii.,  pp.  78 — 81. 
March  25,  1768. 

This  was  absolutely  false.     {Lloyd's  ETCiiing  Post,  March  30,  1768.) 
■•  A  letter,  in  Lloyd's  Evening  Post,  March  30,  1768,  says  it  was  "utterly 
false." 


Exptilsio7i  of  Oxford  Students.  543 

Grove,  Erasmus  Middleton,  and  Joseph  Shipman.  This  is  ^7<58 
not  the  place  to  relate  the  history  of  the  six  expelled  Age  53 
students  ;  but,  it  may  be  added,  that,  Mr.  Kay  was  of 
respectable  family,  and  an  excellent  scholar.  Mr.  Matthews, 
who  was  charged  with  having  been  instructed  by  Fletcher, 
of  Madeley,  with  being  the  associate  of  known  Methodists, 
and  with  attending  illicit  conventicles,  was  afterwards  received 
into  Lady  Huntingdon's  Academy  at  Trevecca.  Thomas 
Jones  was  the  periwig-maker,  but,  for  some  time,  had  resided 
with  John  Newton,  curate  of  Olney,  under  whose  instruction 
he  had  acquired  a  knowledge  of  the  Greek  and  Hebrew 
Scriptures.  Besides  the  crime  of  being  brought  up  to  the 
trade  of  a  hair-dresser,  he  was  accused  of  praying,  singing 
hymns,  and  expounding  the  Scriptures  in  private  houses. 
After  his  expulsion,  he  was  ordained,  became  curate  of  Clifton, 
near  Birmingham,  and  married  the  sister  of  the  poet  Cowper's 
friend,  the  Lady  Austin.  Mr.  Grove  confessed  to  the  Arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury  that  he  had  been  led  into  irregularities ; 
the  Chancellor  consented  to  his  re-admission  ;  but  the  Vice- 
Chancellor  refused  ;  and  the  future  history  of  the  submissive 
undergraduate  is  unknown.  Mr.  Middleton  was  ordained  in 
Ireland  by  the  Bishop  of  Down  ;  became  curate  of  Romaine 
and  Cadogan  ;  wrote  his  BiograpJiia  Evangelica ;  and  finally 
was  presented  to  the  rectory  of  Turvey,  in  the  county  of 
Bedford.  Mr.  Shipman,  after  his  expulsion,  was  admitted 
to  the  Academy  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon  at  Trevecca. 
His  ministry  was  soon  ended  ;  but,  at  Plymouth,  Bristol, 
Rodborough,  and  Haverford-west,  his  preaching  was  singu- 
larly useful.      He  died  October  31,  1771. 

The  tutor,  who  preferred  the  charges  against  the  Metho- 
dist students,  was  Mr.  Higson,  who  was  not  always  compos 
mentis,  and  had  been  treated  as  insane.  The  Vice-Chancellor 
was  the  Rev.  Dr.  Durell,  who  was  the  determined  enemy  of 
the  accused.  Their  friend,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Dixon,  was  the 
principal  of  their  college.  Their  judges  were  Drs.  Durell, 
Randolph,  Fothergill,  Nowell,  and  Atterbury.  The  expulsion 
took  place  on  March  1 1,  1768.^ 

The  event,  as  might  be  expected,  created  a  national  sen- 

'  "  Life  and  Times  of  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  i..  p.  425. 


544  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 


1768  sation.  A  large  number  of  persons  warmly  approved  of  the 
Age  53  sentence  of  the  judicial  junta  ;  among  whom  was  the  famous 
Dr.  Johnson.  "  Sir,"  said  Johnson  to  his  friend  Boswell, 
"the  expulsion  was  extremely  just  and  proper.  What  have 
they  to  do  ?.t  a  University,  who  are  not  willing  to  be  taught, 
but  will  presume  to  teach  .''  Where  is  religion  to  be  learnt 
but  at  a  University .''  Sir,  they  were  examined,  and  found 
to  be  mighty  ignorant  fellows."  Boswell  :  "  But  was  it  nOt 
hard,  sir,  to  expel  them,  for  I  am  told  they  were  good 
beings  .-'  "  Johnson  :  "  I  believe  they  might  be  good  beings, 
but  they  were  not  fit  to  be  in  the  University  of  Oxford.  A 
cow  is  a  very  good  animal  in  the  field,  but  we  turn  Ixcr  out 
of  a  garden."  ^  Johnson's  similitude  was  more  forcible  than 
appropriate  ;  but,  even  admitting  that,  in  a  literary  point  of 
,  view,  the  expelled  were  not  fit  for  the  University,  it  may  be 
asked,  who  were  responsible  for  their  admission  }  Really, 
their  only  crimes  were,  that  some  of  them  had  been  ignobly 
bred,  and  all  of  them  had  sung,  and  prayed,  and  read  the 
Scriptures  in  private  houses.  In  this  respect,  they  were  not 
alone.  Dr.  Stillingfleet,  Fellow  of  Merton  College,  and 
afterwards  Prebendary  of  Worcester  ;  Mr.  Foster,  of  Queen's 
College  ;  Mr.  Pugh,  of  Hertford  College  ;  Mr.  Gorclon,  of 
Magdalen  ;  Mr.  Clark,  of  St.  John's  ;  and  Mr.  Halward,  of 
Worcester  College,  had  done  just  the  same  ;  but  these  were 
gentlemen  whom  it  would  have  been  somewhat  perilous  to 
treat  with  the  same  collegiate  tyranny  that  was  exercised 
towards  the  humble  undergraduates  who  were  ignominiously 
expelled. 

The  latter,  however,  were  not  without  friends.  Rowland 
Hill  and  his  Methodist  associates,  Pentycross,  Simpson,  Robin- 
son, and  others,  at  Cambridge,  were  in  intimate  communion 
with  them  ;  and  Rowland  Hill's  brother,  afterwards  Sir 
Richard  Hill,  became  their  principal  defender.  He  published 
his  "  Pietas  Oxoniensis."  (8vo.  85  pp.)  ;  which  was  answered 
by  Dr.  Nowell,  principal  of  St.  Mary's  Hall.  Other  pam- 
phlets, pt'o  et  coil,  were  issued,  too  numerous  to  be  men- 
tioned here  ;  but  Whitefield's  must  have  attention.  It  was 
the  last  he   published,  and   was  entitled,  "  A  Letter   to   the 


"Boswell's  Life  of  Johnson." 


'Letter  to  Dr.  DiirelL  545 

lieverend  Dr.  Durell,  Vice-Chancellor  of  the  University  of  »7^^^ 
Oxford  ;  occasioned  by  a  late  Expulsion  of  Six  Students  Age  :  •; 
from  Edmund  Hall.  By  George  Whitefield,  M.A.,  late  of 
Pembroke  College,  Oxford  ;  and  Chaplain  to  the  Countess 
of  Huntingdon."  (8vo.,  50  pp.)  The  "Letter"  v/as  dated, 
"London,  April  12,  1768,"  and  was  one  of  Whitefield's  most 
spirited  productions.^  In  reply  to  "  one  article  of  impeach- 
ment, namely,  that  some  of"  the  six  expelled  students  "were 
of  trades  before  they  entered  the  University,"  he  reminded  the 
Vice-Chancellor  that  there  was  no  "  evil  or  crime  worthy  of 
expulsion  "  in  this,  for  "  God  took  David  from  the  sheep- 
fold  ;  "  "  David's  Lord  had  for  his  reputed  father  a  carpenter, 
and,  in  all  probability,  worked  at  the  trade  of  a  carpenter 
Himself;"  He  "chose  poor  fishermen  to  be  His  apostles;" 
and  St.  Paul  "  laboured  with  his  own  hands,  and  worked  at 
the  trade  of  a  tent-maker." 

In  reference  to  the  charge  of  using  extempore  prayer, 
Whitefield  argued,  that,  though  the  "  English  liturgy  is  one 
of  the  most  excellent  forms  of  public  prayer  in  the  world," 
yet  no  form  "  can  possibly  suit  every  particular  case." 
Besides,  said  he,  "  what  great  sinners  must  they  have  been, 
who  prayed,  in  an  extempore  way,  before  any  forms  of 
prayer  existed  .-'  The  prayers  we  read  of  in  Scripture, — • 
the  prayers  which  opened  and  shut  heaven,  the  effectual, 
fervent,  energetic  prayers  of  those  righteous  and  holy  men 
of  old,  which  availed  so  much  with  God,  were  all  of  an 
extempore  nature.  And  I  am  apt  to  believe,  if,  not  only 
our  students  and  ministers,  but  private  Christians,  were 
born  from  above,  and  taught  of  God,  as  those  wrestlers  with 
God  were,  they  would  want  forms  of  prayer  no  more  than 
they  did."^  "The  crime  of  using  extempore  prayer  is  not. 
so  much  as  mentioned  in  any  of  our  law  books  ;  and,  there- 
fore, a  crime  for  which,  it  is  to  be  hoped,  no  student  will 
hereafter  be  summoned  to  appear  at  the  bar  of  any  of  the 
reverend  doctors  of  divinity,  or  heads  of  houses  in  the. 
University  of  Oxford."    "  It  is  also  to  be  hoped  that  as  some 


'  In  the  Journal  of  his  second  visit  to  America,  Whitefield  remarked, 
"  Wlien  the  spirit  of  prayer  began  to  be  lost,  then  forms  of  prayer  were 
invented."  There  is  more  truth  in  this  than  some  will  be  willing  10 
allow. 

VOL.  II.  35 


546  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 


^7^8    have  been  expelled  for  extempore  praying,  we  shall  hear  of 
Age  53  some  being  expelled  for  extempore  swearing." 

One  extract  must  suffice  respecting  the  charge  of  "singing 
hymns  "  : — 

"Were  the  sons  of  the  prophets  more  frequently  to  entertain  themselves 
thus,  it  would  be  as  suitable  to  the  ministerial  character  as  tripping  up 
their  heels,  skipping  and  dancing  at  the  music  of  a  ball-room,  or  playing 
a  first  fiddle  at  a  concert.  The  voice  of  spiritual  melody  would  be  as 
much  to  the  honour  of  the  University  as  the  more  frequent  noise  of  box 
and  dice,  at  the  unlawful  games  of  hazard  and  back-gammon." 

On  the  subject  of  "giving  private  exhortations,"  White- 
field  aptly  observed  : — 

•*  Our  all-wise  Master  sent  His  disciples  on  short  excursions,  before  He 
gave  them  the  more  extensive  commission  to  go  into  all  the  world  ;  and 
were  our  students  in  general,  under  proper  limitations,  to  be  thus  exer- 
cised, they  would  not  turn  out  to  be  such  mere  novices,  as  too  many  raw 
creatures  do  when  they  make  their  first  appearance  in  the  pulpit.  I 
remember,  above  thirty  years  ago,  some  young  students  had  been  visiting 
the  sick  and  imprisoned,  and  had  been  giving  a  word  of  exhortation  in  a 
private  house  ;  and,  upon  meeting  the  minister  of  the  parish  on  their  return 
to  college,  they  frankly  told  him  what  they  had  been  doing  ;  when  he 
turned  to  them,  and  said,  '  God  bless  you  !  I  wish  we  had  more  such 
young  curates  ;'--a  more  Christian  sentence  this,  than  that  of  a  late  expul- 
sion for  the  very  same  supposed  crimes  and  misdemeanours." 

Whitefield  proceeded  to  remind  Dr.  Durell  of  the  effort 
which  was  being  made  to  establish  the  episcopacy  in  the 
American  colonies,  and  of  the  opposition  of  the  colonists  to 
the  scheme,  and  then  added  : — 

"That  persons  of  all  ranks,  from  Quebec  down  to  the  two  Floridas,  are 
at  this  time  more  than  prejudiced  against  it,  is  notorious  ;  but  how  will 
the  thought  of  the  introduction  of  lord  bishops  make  them  shudder,  if  their 
lordships  should  think  proper  to  countenance  the  expulsion  of  religious 
students,  whilst  those  who  have  no  religion  at  all  meet  with  approbation 
and  applause." 

Turning  to  the  general  subject  of  Methodism,  Whitefield 
continued  : — 

"  It  is  notorious  that  the  grand  cause  of  these  young  men's  expulsion 
was,  that  they  were  either  real  or  reputed  Methodists.  Scarce  any  now- 
a-days  can  pray  extempore,  sing  hymns,  go  to  church  or  meeting,  and 
abound  in  other  acts  of  devotion,  but  they  must  be  immediately  dubbed 
Methodists." 


Letter  to  Dr.  Durell.  547 


And  then,  in  reference  to  the  first  Oxford  Methodists,  he    176B 
added  : — 


AgeSJ 


"  If  worldly  church  prefennents  had  been  their  aim,  some  of  them,  at 
least,  might  have  had  ladders  enough  to  chmb  up  by  ;  but  having  received 
a  kind  of  apostolical  commission  at  their  ordination,  they  would  fain  keep 
up  the  dignity  of  an  apostolic  character ;  and,  therefore,  without  ever  so 
much  as  designing  to  enter  into  any  political  cabals,  or  civil  or  church 
factions,  without  turning  to  the  right  hand  or  the  left,  or  troubling  the 
world  with  a  single  sermon  or  pamphlet  on  the  bare  externals  of  religion, 
they  have  endeavoured  to  have  but  one  thing  in  view,  namely,  to  think  of 
nothing,  to  know  nothing,  and  to  preach  of  nothing  but  Jesus  Christ,  and 
Him  crucified  ;  to  spend  and  be  spent  for  the  good  of  souls,  and  to  glory 
in  nothing  saving  in  the  cross  of  Christ,  by  whom  the  world  is  crucified 
unto  them  and  they  unto  the  world." 

Such  was  Whitefield's  last  description  of  the  first  Methodist 
preachers.  May  this  be  the  character  of  all  their  successors 
to  the  end  of  time  ! 

Of  course,  Whitefield's  "Letter"  to  Dr.  Durell  evoked  replies; 
but  only  one  of  these  can  be  noticed  here.  It  was  entitled, 
**  Remarks  upon  the  Rev.  Mr.  Whitefield's  Letter  to  the 
Vice-Chancellor  of  the  University  of  Oxford  ;  in  a  Letter  to 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Whitefield.  By  a  late  Member  of  the  Univer- 
sity of  Oxford.  Oxford,  1768."  (8vo.,  62  pp.)  Two  or 
three  extracts  from  this  angry  and  abusive  production  must 
be  given.  In  reference  to  Whitefield  himself,  the  author 
says  : — 

"  I  address  you  without  any  hope  of  reforming  you,  for,  it  would  be 
absurd  in  me  to  prove  a  person  insane,  and,  at  the  same  time,  attempt  to 
convince  him  of  that  insanity.  That  would  be  supposing  him  in  his 
senses  in  order  to  satisfy  him  that  he  is  out  of  them.  My  design  is  to 
deal  with  you  as  magistrates  do  with  an  offender,  whom  they  despair  of 
bringing  to  any  good.  They  animadvert  upon  him  for  the  good  of  others, 
and,  by  open  punishment,  aim  at  suppressing  the  influence  which  his 
advice  or  example  may  have  had  upon  his  acquaintance. 

"  Your  sermons  are  off-hand  harangues, — mere  enthusiastic  rant, — a  wild 
rhapsody  of  nonsense, — the  foam  of  an  over-heated  imagination, — like  old 
wives'  fables,  or  profane  and  vain  babblings, — proceeding  from  a  spirit  of 
pride  and  ignorance.  Such  teachers  as  yourself,  are  blind  leaders  of  the 
blind, — jack-o'-lanthorn  meteors,  or  igius  fatui,  drawing  the  mazed  follower 
through  briars  and  bogs,  till  he  is  plunged  into  inextricable  ruin.  But, 
however  absurd  and  ridiculous  your  sermons — the  spuings  of  the  heart 
upon  the  people,  in  unconcocted  sentences — they  are  tolerable  in  com- 
parison of  your  extempore  prayers  to  the  Deity." 


548  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1768         This  was  hardly  polite  to  come  from  *'  a  late  member  of 
Age  53  the   University  of   Oxford  ; "  but  let  it  pass,   and   listen   to 
what    the    accomplished    author    says    of  the   six    expelled 
students  : — 

"  These  low  mechanics  were  moved  with  the  spirit  of  pride  and  igno- 
rance, and  had  no  other  calls  but  of  vanity,  idleness,  and  hunger  ;  and, 
I  make  no  doubt,  had  their  attempt  to  creep  through  some  privy  holes,  or 
to  climb  C'Ver  the  fences  into  the  ministry  been  crowned  with  success,  they 
would  have  scorned  the  dust  from  whence  they  sprung,  and,  spurred  on 
Avith  the  turbulent  spirit  of  ambition,  would  never  have  ceased  clambering 
after  the  higher  places,  and  would  even  have  been  dissatisfied,  though  they 
reached  the  highest  round  of  the  ecclesiastical  ladder." 

One  sentence  more  from  this  elegant  publication  : — 

"  If  a  large  stock  oi  pride,  with  the  profoundest  ignorance,  and  a  brow 
harder  than  adamant,  be  sufficient  to  set  up  a  Methodistical  spouter,  what 
occasion  is  there  to  send  him  to  the  University?" 

In  order  to  get  rid  of  a  subject  so  unpleasant,  it  may  be 
added  here,  that,  besides  this,  there  were  several  other  pam- 
phlets published  against  Whitefield  and  the  Methodists 
during  the  year  1768.  For  instance,  there  was  "The 
Troublers  of  Israel,  in  which  the  Principles  of  those  who 
turn  the  World  upside  down  are  displayed.  With  a  Preface 
to  the  Rev.  Dr.  .  To  which  is  prefixed  a  short  intro- 
ductory Description  of  Modern  Enthusiasts."  (4to.)  A  kind 
of  opera,  exceedingly  incoherent,  and  profanely  foolish.  2. 
"Sermons  to  Asses"  (i2mo.,  212  pp.),  dedicated  to  White- 
field,  Wesley,  Romaine,  and  Madan, — chiefly  a  political 
publication,  with  a  fling  at  the  Methodists.  3.  "  Enthusiasm 
Detected  and  Defeated.  By  Samuel  Roe,  A.M.,  Vicar  of 
Stotfold,  in  Bedfordshire."  (8vo.,  319  pp.)  Principally  an 
attack  on  Wesley,  but  not  altogether  exempting  Whitefield. 
"  I  h-jmbly  propose  to  the  legislative  powers,"  said  the  Rev. 
Samuel  Roe,  "  to  make  an  example  of  Tabernacle  preachers, 
by  enacting  a  law  to  ciU  out  their  tongues,  who  have  been  the 
incorrigible  authors  of  so  many  mischiefs  and  distractions 
throughout  the  English  dominions.  And,  by  the  said 
authority,  to  cut  out  the  tongues  of  all  field-teachers,  and 
preachers  in  houses,  barns,  or  elsewhere,  without  apostolical 
ordination  and  legal  authority,  being  approved  and  licensed 
to  enter  upon  that  most  sacred  trust,"      4.  "The  Hypocrite: 


Hostile  Pamphleh.'  549 


a  Comedy.    As  it  is  performed  at  the  Theatre  Royal  in  Drury    ^768 
Lane"  (8vo.), — in  which  a  Tabernacle  enthusiast  occupied  a  Age  53 
prominent  position. 

Then,  in  1769,  before  Whitefield  sailed  for  America,  there 
were  published  :  i.  "  Methodism,  a  Popish  Idol  ;  or  the 
Danger  and  Harmony  of  Enthusiasm  and  Separation.  By 
Booth  Braithvvaite."  (8vo.)  "  A  raving  pamphlet,"  said  the 
Monthly  Review,  "  against  sectaries,  with  abundant  zeal, 
little  knowledge,  and  less  charity."  2.  "A  Letter  to  a 
Young  Gentleman  at  Oxford,  intended  for  Holy  Orders" 
(8vo.), — in  ardent  language  warning  the  "  young  gentleman  " 
against  Confessional ists,  Monthly  Reviewers,  Blasphemers, 
Reprobates,  and  Methodists.  3.  "  The  Pretences  of  Enthu- 
siasts Considered  and  Confuted  ;  a  Sermon  preached  before 
the  University  of  Oxford,  at  St.  Mary's,  June  26,  1768. 
By  William  Hawkins,  M.A.,  Prebendary  of  Wells.  Pub- 
lished by  desire."  (8vo.,  27  pp.)  Mr.  Hawkins  confesses 
that  he  has  "  little  hope  of  converting  spiritual  dishonesty, 
or  convincing  religious  infatuation  ; "  but  he  insists  that  "  all 
pretences  of  illiterate  laymen,  and  ignorant  mechanics,  to 
expound  tJie  way  of  God  more  perfectly,  in  consequence  ©f 
supernatural  inspiration  and  spiritual  illumination,  are  plainly 
to  be  resolved  into  the  artifice  of  imposture,  or  the  insanity 
of  enthusiasm." 

On  the  other  hand,  there  was  published  a  curious  and 
well-executed  engraving,  of  folio  size,  entitled,  "  The  Tree  of 
Life  :  likewise  a  View  of  the  New  Jerusalem,  and  this 
present  Evil  World  ;  with  the  Industry  of  Gospel  Ministers 
in  endeavouring  to  pluck  sinners  from  the  wrath  to  come." 
The  copy  before  me  is  the  only  one  I  have  ever  seen,  or 
heard  of ;  and,  therefore,  a  brief  description  of  it  may  be 
welcome.  The  "  Tree  of  Life  "  is  large  and  fantastic.  Its 
roots  are  entitled,  "  Glorious,"  "  Gracious,"  "  Holy,"  "  Just," 
"  Wise,"  "  Almighty,"  and  "  Omnipresent"  On  its  stem  and 
two  lowest  branches  is  a  representation  of  the  crucified 
Saviour.  Its  twelve  fruits  are  "  Everlasting  Love,"  "  Elec- 
tion," "  Pardon,"  "  Righteousness,"  "  Refuge,"  "  Security," 
"  Peace,"  "  Sanctification,"  "  Promises,"  "  Good-will,"  "  Per- 
severance," and  "  Eternal  Redemption."  Its  foliage  is  in- 
scribed with  the  words,  "Circumcision,"  "Baptism,"  "Fasting," 


550  The  Life  of  Wliitefield. 

1768  «  Temptation,"  "  Victory,"  "  Poverty,"  "Obedience,"  "  Shame," 
Age  53  "Reproach,"  "Imprisonment,"  "Stripes,"  "Buffeting,"  "Death," 
and  "  Resurrection."  "  The  New  Jerusalem  "  is  resplendent 
with  the  divine  glory,  and  is  surrounded  with  lovely  scenery. 
"  The  present  Evil  World,"  at  the  bottom  of  the  picture, 
contains  a  large  number  of  male  and  female  figures,  some  of 
them  in  "  the  Broad  Way,"  others  indulging  in  "  the  Pride 
of  Life,"  and  others  in  "  Chambering  and  Wantonness."  In 
the  right  hand  corner  is  the  "  Bottomless  Pit,"  with  sundry 
demons,  and  ablaze  with  fire ;  while,  at  its  mouth,  sits 
"  Babylon,  Mother  of  Harlots,"  with  a  large  goblet  in  her 
hand  ;  and  out  of  the  pit  an  avaricious-looking  wretch  is  en- 
deavouring to  escape,  for  the  purpose  of  clutching  his 
money  bags,  which  are  inscribed  with  the  word  "  Extortion," 
but  a  grinning  fiend  has  seized  him  by  the  long  flowing  hair 
of  his  head,  and  prevents  him  going  farther.  In  the  midst 
of  one  crowd,  Wesley  is  preaching,  and  represented  as 
crying,  "  Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  In  another 
crowd,  close  to  the  "  Bottomless  Pit,"  stands  Whitefield,  the 
likeness  excellent,  and  bearing  a  strong  resemblance  to  the 
portrait  in  the  present  volume.  The  multitude  around  him 
evince  great  excitement.  One  man,  on  his  right  hand, . 
cries,  "  What  shall  I  do  to  be  saved  ?  "  Another,  on  his 
left,  whose  coat-tail  a  demon  grasps,  exclaims,  "  Save,  Lord, 
or  I  perish."  And  Whitefield,  in  the  midst,  dressed  in  full 
canonicals,  and  with  hands  uplifted,  shouts,  "  Behold  the 
Lamb."  The  whole  thing  is  ludicrous  ;  but  it  was  friendly, 
and,  no  doubt,  was  published  in  favour  of  Whitefield  and  his 
fellow-labourer.  Whether  it  was  calculated  to  answer  the 
artist's  purpose  is  another  question.  Sometimes  man  has 
need  to  pray,  "  Save  me  from  my  friends  ! " 

To  return  to  Whitefield's  history.  Little  is  known  of 
his  proceedings  during  the  first  four  months  of  1768.  The 
interval  seems  to  have  been  spent  in  London,  and,  doubtless, 
was  well  employed  in  preaching  and  other  religious  duties. 
On  Wednesday,  March  23, he  had  to  perform  a  painful  duty, 
to  which  he  had  been  long  accustomed.  James  Gibson, 
att  orney-at-lavv%  had  been  found  guilty  of  the  crime  of 
forgery,  and  had  been  sentenced  to  suffer  death.  On  the 
m  orning  of  the  culprit's  execution,  Whitefield  attended  him 


Visii  to   Tunbridge   Wells.  5  5  r 

in  Newgate  prison,  prayed  with  him,  and  administered  to  '768 
him  the  holy  sacrament.  Gibson,  a  good-looking  man  of  Age  ci 
about  forty-five  years  of  age,  professed  to  rely  on  the  merits 
of  his  Saviour  ;  and,  in  a  mourning  coach,  dressed  in  black, 
and  wearing  a  ruffled  shirt,  was  driven  to  Tyburn,  where  his 
behaviour  was  devout  and  manly,  and  his  sentence  was 
executed.^ 

At  Whitsuntide,  Whitefield  visited  Tunbridge  Wells, 
Lewes,  and  Brighton,  At  the  first  of  these  places,  Lady 
Huntingdon  had  procured  a  permanent  residence,  on  Mount 
Ephraim  ;  and  Whitefield  preached  twice  in  the  open  air. 
"  Very  many,"  says  her  ladyship,  "  were  cut  to  the  heart. 
Sinners  trembled  exceedingly  before  the  Lord,  and  a  uni- 
versal impression  seemed  to  abide  upon  the  multitude. 
Truly  God  was  in  the  midst  of  us  to  wound  and  to  heal."^ 

The  following  letter,"  addressed  to  Whitefield  by  Rowland 
Hill,  refers  to  this  visit  to  Tunbridge  Wells,  but  is  chiefly 
valuable  as  containing  a  sketch  of  the  proceedings  of  the 
Methodist  students  at  Cambridge,  and  as  exhibiting  some 
of  the   peculiarities  of  young   Rowland's   character  : — 

"Cambridge,  May  12,  1768. 

"  Rev.  and  very  dear  Sir, — I  am  glad  to  hear  we  are  to  expect  a 
smaller  edition  of  your  valuable  '  Letter."  I  doubt  not  but  it  will  be  of 
further  utility.  It  has  been  read  much  in  this  place.  That  and  the 
Shaver^  X^'^xQ  been  sent  for  to  all  the  coffee-houses  in  this  University; 
so  that,  no  doubt,  all  our  heads  have  seen  all  that  has  been  written. 
But  if  you  think  it  any  advantage  to  send  each  of  our  heads  a  separate 
copy,  I  will  contrive  my  best  to  get  it  done. 

"  God  be  praised  for  what  is  doing  by  the  endeavours  of  dear  Lady 
Huntingdon  at  Tunbridge  Wells  !  How  wonderfully  is  she  carried  from 
one  place  of  dissipation  to  another  !  How  glorious  is  her  continued 
progress  ! 

"  Blessed  be  God  !  we  are  not  without  being  steeped  more  than  ever 
in  shame  in  tLis  place  ;  or,  as  the  old  proverb  goes,  we  have  ealefn  shame 
and  drank  after  it,  and  I  trust  it  digests  well.  Though  we  always  endea- 
vour to  keep  clear  of  a  mob,  in  letting  no  more  know  than  our  different 
houses  will  hold,  yet,  in  spite  of  all  that  can  be  done,  more  or  less  of  the 


'  Lloyd's  EvcniJig  Post,  March  23,  1768. 

^  "  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  126. 
^  This  edition  of  the  "  Letter  "  to  Dr.  Durell  was  in  i2mo.,  47  pp. 
*  Macgowan's  pamphlet  on  the  same  subject. 


552  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

'768  gown  constantly  attend.  The  Lord,  through  much  grace,  generally  keep- 
^  ing  me  clear  of  the  fear  of  man,  gives  me  some  little  strength  to  tell  you 

*'"^  53  ^jj  a^Qyj.  jt .  an(j^  as  I  find  burs  generally  stick  faster  to  people's  clothes 
than  roses,  I  am  sometimes  apt  to  deal  in  that  rough  ware.  They  have 
hitherto  always  stood,  like  poor  brow-beaten  things,  with  much  attention 
till  we  have  done,  when  they  generally  get  together  to  compare  notes, 
■which  they  afterwards  retail  among  others  of  the  University,  drest  up  in  a 
droll  fashion,  well  embellished,  with  the  addition  of  many  ludicrous  lies. 

"  This  makes  all,  as  I  pass  the  streets,  stop  to  wonder  at  me,  as  a 
strange  oddity  ;  but,  as  I  am  more  than  ever  convinced  that  the  only 
way  God  ever  will  carry  on  His  work,  is  by  the  manifestation  of  His 
own  almighty  power,  without  any  of  our  assisting  influence  or  trimming, 
I  find  the  only  way  to  meet  with  a  blessing  is  to  be  honest  and  open 
in  telling  them  the  simple  truth,  and  leaving  God  to  bless  it.  This, 
I  trust,  has,  in  some  measure,  been  the  case  at  Cambridge.  Four  of 
the  many  gownsmen,  that  have  been  at  times  my  hearers  of  late,  have 
never  missed  an  opportunity  of  attending,  and  have  been  at  much  pains 
to  enquire  the  time  and  place  of  our  meeting.  After  hearing,  they  wish 
me  a  good  eve  ;  and,  when  absent,  speak  respectfully  of  the  word.  Many 
others,  too,  having  been  convinced  in  their  judgments,  approve  of  its 
being  right ;  while  others,  filled  with  the  hottest  madness,  dress  me  up  as 
a  fool,  and  cudgel  me  as  a  knave. 

"  The  other  night,  the  mob  of  the  gown,  which  raised  a  second  of  the 
town,  ran  so  high  at  the  house  where  we  had  a  meeting,  that  the  con- 
stable, who  is  a  friend,  was  forced  to  attend,  that  no  riot  might  ensue  ;  but, 
as  I  thought  to  be  attended  with  constables  was  yet  too  high  an  honour 
for  such  a  poor  beginner,  I  hope  it  was  nothing  more  than  what  Christian 
prudence  would  advise,  to  be  more  private  the  next  time,  and  be  con- 
tented with  a  house  full,  attended  only  with  a  few  gownsmen  by  way  of 
bringing  up  the  rear. 

"As  for  our  Doctors,  'tis  remarkable  how  very  patiently  they  bear  with 
my  conduct,  as  they  now  know  that  as  I  have  but  a  little  while  to  stay,  an 
expulsion  from  Cambridge  would  hardly  answer.  They  seem  now  to  have 
come  to  the  following  compromise — that  I  am  to  continue  to  be  possessor 
oi  ray  professorship,  and  to  be  still  bishop  over  all  their  parishes,  provided 
I  will  be  contented  with  houses  or  barns,  and  leave  them  alone  with  quiet 
possession  of  their  streets,  fields,  and  churches,  and,  by  and  by,  they 
will  be  glad  to  sign  my  testhnonium,  in  order  to  get  rid  of  me.  Thus,  in 
the  end,  I  hope,  through  grace,  I  shall  be  enabled  to  make  good  what  I 
promised  to  one,  who  asked  me,  when  we  enthusiasts  intended  to  stop.  My 
answer  was,  'Not  at  all,  till  such  time  as  we  have  carried  all  before  us.' 

"  I  am  in  the  greatest  hope  that  the  Lord  will  soon  give  dear 

a  heart  to  help  me.  He  is  a  steady,  warm,  lively  Christian,  and  grows 
prodigiously,  and  bids  by  far  the  fairest  for  the  predicted  phcenix  of 
any  that  are  in  this  place. 

"  Do  continue  to  be  earnest  in  prayer  to  God  for  us.  I  want  much 
humbling.     Spiritual  pride,  at  present,  is  my  grand  temptation. 

"  Having  not  any  spare  time,  I  am  forced  to  write  thus  in  haste,  and 


Rowland  HiWs  Letter.  553 


conclude  with  subscribing  myself  your  poorest  son  and  servant  for  Christ's     1768 

sake,  . 

"Rowland  Hill."'  -^^e  53 

The  foregoing  letter  is  valuable  for  its  facts,  if  for  nothing 
else.  Rowland  Hill  was  evincing  courage  hardly  inferior 
to  that  of  the  first  Oxford  Methodists.  Without  courting 
persecution,  he  was  not  afraid  of  it.  To  be  laughed  at  was 
not  pleasant,  but  it  was  not  heeded.  Rowland  was  no 
longer  threatened  with  expulsion  ;  but  he  was  made  the 
object  of  collegiate  ridicule.  Eight  months  after  this,  he 
proceeded  to  his  B.A.  degree,  and  his  name  appeared  in  the 
list  of  honours. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  one  of  the  best  ways  to  pro- 
pagate any  new  creed  or  system  is  to  implant  it  in  the 
national  Universities.  Whether  designedly  or  otherwise, 
Methodism  had  thus  'been  rooted  at  both  Oxford  and 
Cambridge.  The  Heads  of  Houses  at  Oxford  did  their 
utmost  to  destroy  it.  Those  at  Cambridge  were  not  so 
ruthless.  Why  1  Was  it  because  the  expelled  at  Oxford 
were  of  low  degree  .-•  and  because  the  Cambridge  leader, 
Rowland  Hill,  was  the  son  of  an  English  baronet.''  Perhaps 
it  was. 

Whitefield  was  generally  jubilant.  His  path  was  often 
rough  and  difficult,  but  he  pursued  it  singing.  The  follow- 
ing was  addressed  to  Captain  Joss  :  — 

"  London,  May  1 7,  1 768. 

"  My  dear  Man, — Go  forward  !  go  forward  !  is  the  watchword  of  the 
present 'day.  Never  mind  the  envious  cry  of  elder  brethren.  Had  they 
been  hearkened  to,  the  Prodigal  must  never  have  come  home,  nor  Goliath's 
head  have  been  cut  off.  All  temple-builders,  especially  when  called  to 
work  in  the  field,  must  endure,  not  only  the  contradiction  of  sinners,  but, 
the  contradiction  of  saints.  Happy  are  they  who  are  so  deeply  engaged 
in  building  as  not  to  have  time  to  hearken  to  either.  I  long  to  come  and 
lend  a  helping,  though  feeble  hand.  But  Welsh  horses  move  slowly.  If 
the  Welsh  apostle  comes,  I  purpose,  in  the  Whitsun  week,  to  make  a 
short  excursion  into  Sussex  and  Kent,  and  then  for  Bristol. 

"  Blessed  be  God  !  the  shout  of  a  King  is  heard  in  our  camps.  Let  us 
march  forward,  with  palms  of  victory  in  our  hands,  crying,  'Hallelujah  ! 
The  Lord  God  omnipotent  reigncth  !  '" 

A  month   after  the  date   of  this  letter  Whitefield   was  in 
'  "  Life  of  Rowland  Hill."     By  Sidney,  p.  44. 


554  The  Life  of  Whitefield.  > 

'76^     Edinburgh  ;   but   how   he    went,    and   why  he  went,  no  one 

Age  53  seems    to  know.      His   popularity,  however,  in  the  northern 

metropohs,  was  as  great  as  ever.      Hence  he  writes  : — 

"Edinburgh,  June  15,  1768. 
(To  Mr.  Keen)  '"You  would  be  delighted  to  see  our  Orphan  House 
Park  assemblies  ;  as  large  and  attentive  as  ever.  Twenty-seven-year-old 
friends  and  spiritual  children  remember  the  days  of  old.  They  are  seek- 
ing after  their  first  love,  and  there  seems  to  be  a  stirring  among  the  dry 
~Tjones.  I  cannot  tell  you  when  I  shall  move.  Probably  within  a  fort- 
night." 

"  Edinburgh,  July  2,  1768. 
(To  Mr.  Andrew  Kinsman)  "  My  dear  Timothy,  I  am  much  ob- 
liged to  you  for  your  staying  in  London,  till  I  return  from  Scotland.  My 
journey  hither  was  certainly  of  God.  Could  I  preach  ten  times  a  day, 
thousands  and  thousands  would  attend.  I  have  been  confined  for  a  few 
days,  but,  on  Monday  or  Tuesday  next,  hope  to  mount  my  throne  again. 
O  to  die  there  !  Too  great,  too  great  an  honour  to  be  expected  !  I  thank 
my  wife  for  her  kind  letter  just  received.  I  am  here  only  in  danger  of 
being  hugged  to  death.  Friends  of  all  ranks  seem  heartier  and  more 
friendly  than  ever.  All  is  of  Grace  !  Grace  !  I  go  on  in  my  old  way, 
without  turning  to  the  right  hand  or  to  the  left.  Providence  says  every 
day,  '  This  is  the  way  ;  walk  in  it.'  Tender  love  to  all,  particularly  to  my 
dear  wife.     Next  post  she  inay  expect  to  hear  from  me."        .- 

"Edinburgh,  July  Q),  1768. 
(To  Mr.  Keen)  "  God  be  praised  that  all  is  so  well  in  London.  Every- 
thing goes  on  better  and  better  here  ;  but  I  am  so  worn  down  by  preach- 
ing abroad,  and  by  talking  at  home  almost  all  the  day  long,  that  I  have 
determined  to  set  off  for  London  next  Tuesday.  As  you  do  not  mention 
my  wife,  I  suppose  she  is  out  of  town." 

Exactly  a  month  after  this,  Whitefield's  wife  was  dead. 
On  his  return  to  London,  she  was  attacked  with  fever,  and 
died  on  August  9.  Five  days  afterwards,  he  preached  her 
funeral  sermon;^  and,  noticing  her  fortitude,  remarked, — 
•'  Do  you  remember  my  preaching  in  those  fields  by  the  old 
stump  of  a  tree  1  The  multitude  was  great,  and  many  were 
disposed  to  be  riotous.  At  first,  I  addressed  them  firmly  ; 
but  when  a  desperate  gang  drew  near,  with  the  most  fero- 
cious and  horrid  imprecations  and  menaces,  my  courage 
began  to  fail.  My  wife  was  then  standing  behind  me,  as  I 
stood  on  the  table.  I  think  I  hear  her  now.  She  pulled 
my  gown,  and,  looking  up,  said,  '  George,  play  the  man  for 

'  Gillies'  "  Life  of  Whitefield." 


Death  of  Whitefield's   Wife.  555 

your  God.'     My  confidence  returned.      I  spoke  to  the  mul-     ^768 
titude  with  boldness  and  affection.     They  became  still,  and   Age  53 
many  were  deeply  affected."  ^     A  monument  to  the  memory 
of  Whitefield's  wife  was  put  up  in  Tottenham  Court   Road 
chapel,  with  the  following  inscription  :  ^ — 

"  To  the  memory  of  Mrs.  Whitefield,  who,  after  thirty  years'  strong  and 
irequent  manifestations  of  her  Redeemer's  love,  mixed  with  strong  and 
urequent  strugglings  against  the  buffetings  of  Satan,  and  many  sicknesses 
and  indweUings  of  sin,  was  joyfully  released,  August  9,  1769."^ 

Whitefield  submitted  to  his  bereavement  with  Christian 
resignation.  Two  days  after  he  preached  his  wife's  funeral 
sermon,  he  wrote,  in  a  letter  to  Captain  Joss  : — "  Let  us  work 
whilst  it  is  day.  The  late  unexpected  breach  is  a  fresh 
■proof  that  the  night  soon  cometh,  when  no  man  can  work. 
Pray,  where  may  I  find  that  grand  promise  made  to  Abra- 
ham after  Sarah's  death.!*  May  it  be  fulfilled  in  you,  whilst 
your  Sarah  is  yet  alive  !  Sweet  bereavements,  when  God 
Himself  fills  up  the  chasm  !  Through  mercy  I  find  it  so. 
Adieu." 

On  Wednesday,  August  24,  Whitefield  opened  the  College 
of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon  at  Trevecca,  by  preaching 
from  the  words  :  "  In  all  places  where  I  record  My  name,  I 
will  come  unto  thee,  and  bless  thee."  The  next  day,  he 
gave  an  exhortation  to  the  students,  from  :  "  He  shall  be 
great  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord."  And,  on  Sunday,  August 
28,  preached  in  the  court  before  the  College,  to  a  congre- 
gation of  thousands,  from  :  "  Other  foundation  can  no  man 
lay,  than  that  which  is  laid,  which  is  Jesus  Christ.""* 

He  then  hurried  back  to  London,  where  he  arrived  on 
September  i.  His  health  was  broken,  and  he  was  again 
an  invalid.  In  a  letter,  dated  September  6,  he  wrote  to  a 
sick  and  suffering  friend  : — 

"  Why  should  not  one  invalid  write  to  another  1  What  if  we  should 
meet  in  our  way  to  heaven  unembodied, — freed  from  everything  that  at 
present  weighs  down  our  precious  and  immortal  souls  ?     For  these  two 


'   iii\}uistian  Miscellaity,  1856,  p.  218. 

-  S^ome  years  ago,  when  the  chapel  was  seriously  injured  by  fire,  this 
monument  was  destroyed. 

^  "Annual  Register,"  1769,  p.  liO. 
*  Gillies'  "  Life  of  Whitefield." 


556  The  Life  of  Whitefield, 

1768     days  past  I  have  been  almost  unable  to  write  :  to-day,  I  am,  what  they 

.  call  better." 

Age  53 

Immediately  after  this,  he  ruptured  a  blood-vessel  ;  and, 
on  September  12,  remarked: — 

"  I  have  been  in  hopes  of  my  departure.  Through  hard  riding,  and 
frequent  preaching,  I  have  burst  a  vein.  The  flux  is,  in  a  great  measure, 
stopped  ;  but  rest  and  quietness  are  strictly  enjoined."' 

Rashly  enough,  Whitefield  re-commenced  preaching  before 
the  month  was  ended.  One  of  his  friends,  Mr.  Middleton, 
died  a  triumphant  death,  and  Whitefield  must  preach  a 
funeral  sermon.  His  text  was,  "  I  have  chosen  thee  in  the 
furnace  of  affliction."  The  word  "chosen"  gave  him  an 
opportunity  to  dwell  upon  the  doctrine  of  election.  "  I- 
know  no  other  doctrine,"  said  he,  "  that  can  truly  humble 
man  ;  for  either  God  must  choose  us,  or  we  must  choose 
God."  As  usual,  his  sermon  was  interspersed  with  anecdotes, 
one  of  which  may  be  given  here.  "  A  noble  lady,"  said 
Whitefield,  "  told  me  herself,  that  when  she  was  crying  on 
account  of  one  of  her  children's  death,  her  little  daughter 
came  to  her  and  said,  '  Mamma,  is  God  Almighty  dead,  you 
cry  so?'  The  lady  replied,  'No.'  'Mamma,  will  you  lend 
me  your  glove.''  said  the  child.  The  mother  let  her  take 
it;  and,  in  due  time,  asked  for  it  again.  'Mamma!'  re- 
marked the  child,  '  shall  I  cry  because  you  have  taken  back 
your  glove .''  And  shall  you  cry  because  God  has  taken 
back  my  sister.?'"^  A  reference  is  made  to  the  death  and 
burial  of  Mr.  Middleton  in  the  following  extract  from  a 
letter : — 

"  London,  September  26,  1768.  For  some  days,  the  flux  of  blood  has 
stopped  entirely.  Praise  the  Lord,  O  my  soul !  Mr.  Middleton  is  now 
made  perfectly  whole.  He  was  buried  from  the  Tabernacle  last  Wednesday 
evening,  and  a  subscription  is  opened  for  his  four  orphans." 

"Where  is  Mr.  Middleton  now.?"  cried  Whitefield  in  the 
sermon  just  mentioned.  "  Where  is  my  dear  fellow-labourer, 
that  honest,  that  steady  man  of  God  .?  If  in  the  midst  of 
torture,  he  could  answer  his  daughter  and  say,  '  Heaven  upon 

'  Gillies'  "  Life  of  Whitefield." 

*  "  Whitefield's  Eighteen  Sermons,"  transcribed  by  Gurney,  p.  199. 


Whitefidd's  Portrait.  557 

earth!   heaven    upon    earth  !'  surely  now  that   he  sees  God, 
and  sees  Christ,  he  must  cry,  '  Heaven  in  heaven  !'" 

A  few  weeks  after  this,  Whitefield  set  out  for  Bath  and 
Bristol  ;  and  began  to  have  a  longing  to  go  to  his  orphans 
at  Bethesda.      He  writes  : — 

"Bristol,  November  12,  1768.  Bethesda  lies  upon  my  heart  night  and 
day.  Something  must  be  determined  speedily.  As,  I  trust,  my  eye  is 
single,  God  will  assuredly  direct  my  goings.  Hitherto,  He  has  helped. 
He  will  do  so  to  the  end.     Hallelujah  !     Hallelujah  !" 

By  the  end  of  November,  he  was  back  to  London,  and 
wrote  : — 

"November  30,  1768.  Many  thought  I  should  not  hold  out  from  Bath 
to  London  ;  but  I  cannot  as  yet  go  to  Him  whom  my  soul  loveth.  Last 
Sunday,  I  creeped  up  to  my  gospel-throne  ;  this  evening,  the  same  honour 
is  to  be  conferred  upon  me.  Mr.  Wright  is  going  with  his  brothers  to 
Georgia  to  finish  the  wings  of  the  intended  College,  and  repair  the  present 
buildings." 

Whitefield's  weakness  continued  ;  but  he  preached  as 
often  as  he  was  able.  "  I  love  the  open  bracing  air  ; "  said 
he,  on  December  14;"  preaching  within  doors,  and  espe- 
cially to  crowded  auditories,  is  apt  to  make  us  nervous." 

In  another  letter,  dated  "  December  15,"  he  remarked  : — • 

'•'You  cannot  tell  how  low  my  late  excursion  to  Bath  and  Bristol 
brought  me.  I  would  leave  future  events  to  God,  and,  like  you  merchants, 
would  improve  the  present  7iow.  Time  is  short ;  eternity  is  endless.  I 
have  considered  the  affair  of  the  picture.  What  think  you  ?  A  limner, 
who  lately  drew  me,  and  hung  the  picture  in  the  Exhibition,  asks  forty 
guineas  for  a  copy.'  I  shall  not  mind  him,  but  send  a  bust  taken  several 
years  ago.  It  shall  be  presented  as  a  token  of  my  hearty,  hearty  love  to 
the  Orphan  House  at  Edinburgh,  and  its  never-to-be-forgotten  friends." 

The  first  three  months  of  the  year  1769  were  spent  in 
London.    Whitefield  was  extremely  feeble.    Wesley  wrote : — • 

"  1769.  Monday,  January  9.  I  spent  a  comfortable  and  profitable  hour 
with  Mr.  Whitefield,  in  calling  to  mind  the  former  times,  and  the  manner 
wherein  God  prepared  us  for  a  work  which  it  had  not  then  entered  into 
our  hearts  to  conceive." 

And  ae"ain  : — 


'  There  can  be  little  doubt  that  this  was  the  portrait  by  Hone,  of  which 
the  engraving  in  the  present  volume  is  a  copy.  The  Royal  Academy  was 
founded  in  T768,  and  Hone  was  one  of  its  first  members. 


558  The  Life  of  Whiteficld. 


1769  "Monday,  February  27.  I  had  one  more  agreeable  conversation  with 
my  old  friend  and  fellow-labourer,  George  Whitefield.    His  soul  appeared 

^^  -^^  to  be  vigorous  still,  but  his  body  was  sinking  apace  ;  and,  unless  God 
interposes  with  His  mighty  hand,  he  must  soon  finish  his  labours.'" 

Comparatively  speaking,  these  three  months  were  a  time 
of  inaction  ;  and  yet,  to  Whitefield  and  others,  they  were  a 
time  of  great  enjoyment.  Lady  Huntingdon  was  now  in 
London,  and,  at  her  residence  in  Portland  Row,  Cavendish 
Square,  there  were  delightful  re-unions  of  Methodist  clergy- 
men. Whitefield,  the  two  Wesleys,  Romaine,  Venn,  and 
others,  were  often  assembled  there,  for  preaching,  sacramental 
administration,  and  Christian  fellowship.  On  the  loth  of 
January,  Whitefield  administered  the  sacrament,  and  Wesley 
preached  on,  "  By  grace  are  ye  saved,  through  faith."  A 
week  afterwards,  Romaine  administered  the  Lord's  Supper, 
and  Whitefield  preached.  On  February  28,  Whitefield  was 
present,  but  wholly  unable  to  take  any  active  part  in  the 
services  of  the  day.  The  Rev.  Messrs.  Green  and  Elliott 
administered  the  sacrament  and  Romaine  preached.  Some- 
times Venn  administered,  and  at  others  preached.  When 
he  was  able,  Whitefield  would  preach  in  her  ladyship's 
drawing-room  on  several  days  successively.  At  the  last 
meeting,  previous  to  the  Countess  leaving  London,  Charles 
Wesley  exhorted  all  present  to  "  stand  fast  in  one  mind 
and  in  one  judgment  ;"  Romaine  administered  the  Lord's 
Supper ;  Venn  and  Whitefield  prayed  ;  and  all  sang  the 
glorious  doxology,  "  Praise  God,  from  whom  all  blessings 
flow."  2 

By  the  month  of  March,  Whitefield's  health  was  con- 
siderably improved.  In  letters,  addressed  to  his  old  friend, 
Thomas  Adams,  he  wrote  : — 

"London,  March  11,  1769.  My  very  dear  Tommy.  Through  infinite 
mercy,  I  am  enabled  to  preach  thrice  a  week,  besides  engaging  in  other 
occasional  exercises.  The  shout  of  the  King  of  kings  is  amongst  us. 
After  Easter,  I  hope  to  make  an  elopement  to  Gloucestershire,  and  some 
western  parts.  I  feel  the  loss  of  my  right  hand  ^  daily  ;  but  right  hands 
and  right  eyes  must  be  parted  with  for  Him,  who  ordereth  all  things 
well." 

'  Wesley's  Journal. 

•  "  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  ii.,  128. 

*  His  wife. 


The  Orphan  House.  559 

"London,    March   31,    1769.     Through   infinite   mercy,   I  have   been      1769 
enabled  to  preach  four  days  successively.     We  have  been  favoured  with       — 
a  blessed  Passover  season:  all  to  make  us  shout  louder, '  Grace  !  Grace  !  "   ''  ^^ 

Whitefield  still  longed  to  get  away  to  his  beloved  Bethesda. 
On  March  17,  he  wrote  to  Mr.  Dixon,  his  manager  there: — 
"  I  am  every  day,  every  hour,  almost  every  moment,  thinking 
of,  and  preparing  for  America.  A  pilgrim  life  to  me  is  the 
sweetest  on  this  side  eternity."  No  wonder  that  Whitefield 
wished  to  be  at  his  Orphan  House.  He  had  sent  workmen 
to  erect  the  new  buildings  already  mentioned,  and,  only  eight 
days  after  the  date  of  this  letter  to  Mr.  Dixon,  the  founda- 
tion stones  were  laid  with  as  much  ceremonial  pomp  as  the 
colony  of  Georgia  could  contribute.  Hence  the  following 
letter,  dated  "  Savannah,  in  Georgia,  March  29,  1769,"  and 
published  in  Lloyd's  Evening  Post,  of  June  2  : — • 

"  The  Rev.  Mr.  George  Whitefield  having  sent  over  proper  workmen  to 
erect  the  necessary  additional  buildings  for  the  intended  Academy  at  the 
Orphan  House,  on  Saturday  last,  being  the  anniversary  of  laving  the 
foundation  of  that  house  in  the  year  1739,  his  Excellency,  the  Governor, 
attended  by  most  of  the  members  of  the  Honourable  Council  and  a  great 
number  of  other  gentlemen,  after  the  service  of  church  was  performed, 
and  a  sermon  preached  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Samuel  Frink,  Rector  of  Christ 
Church  parish,  laid  the  foundation  of  both  the  intended  wings  ;  and  the 
whole  company,  being  entertained  at  dinner  in  a  plentiful  and  decent 
manner,  returned  to  their  habitations  seemingly  much  pleased  with  the 
occasion  of  their  meeting,  and  their  treatment  there.  From  this  beginning, 
we  have  the  most  sanguine  hopes,  that,  in  a  short  time,  we  shall  enjoy 
the  advantage  of  educating  our  youth  within  ourselves  ;  a  benefit  we  have, 
in  a  great  nuasure,  been  deprived  of,  for  want  of  such  an  establishment." 

Early  in  April,  Whitefield  set  ouf  to  Bath,  on  a  visit  to 
the  Countess  of  Huntingdon.  Here  and  in  the  neighbour- 
hood, he  spent  a  month,  preaching  at  a  large  number  of 
places,  to  most  of  which  he  was  accompanied  by  her  lady- 
ship, and  by  Lady  Anne  Erskine.^  Bath  and  Bristol  were 
the  chief  scenes  of  action  ;  but  he  had  "  a  good  field-preach- 
ing at  Kingswood  ;  "  had  "  a  blessed  day  in  Bradford  church;" 
and  also  another  in  "  the  fields  at  Frome,  where  thousands 
attended."  He  had  "  golden  seasons "  at  Chippenham, 
Castle^Combe,   Dursley,  Rodborough,  Painswick,  Gloucester, 


'  "  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  27. 


556  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

^769    and   Cheltenham.      On   his  way  back   to   London,  he  wrote, 
Age  54  to  Captain  Joss  : — 

"  Rociborough,  Thursday,  May  11,1769.  Ebenezer  !  Ebenezer  !  Blessed 
seasons  at  Chippenham,  Castle-Combe,  and  Dursley,  in  our  way  from 
Frome.  Have  been  enabled  to  preach  five  times  this  week.  It  is  good 
to  go  into  the  highways  and  hedges.  Field-preaching,  field-preaching  for 
ever  !  " 

A  week  after  this,  he  was  in  London,  and  wrote  to  Thomas 
Adams,  at  Rodborough,  in  the  most  jubilant  strain  :— 

"London,  Thursday,  May  18,  1769.  My  very  dear  old  friend.  On 
Monday  we  I'eached  Letchlade,  on  Tuesday  Maidenhead,  and  yesterday 
London.  Never  was  Rodborough  so  endeared  to  me,  as  at  this  last  visit. 
Old  friends,  old  gospel  wine,  and  the  great  Governor  ordering  to  fill  to 
the  brim ! 

*  O  to  grace  what  mighty  debtors  ! ' 

"  If  we  should  die  singing  that  hymn,  what  then  ?  Why,  then,  welcome, 
welcome  eternity  !  Christ's  grace  will  be  sufficient  for  us.  Hallelujah ! 
Hallelujah  ! " 

^he  next  three  months  were  chiefly  spent  in  London. 
Whitefield  complained  of  a  "  hoarseness,  gotten  in  the  high- 
ways and  hedges  ; "  but  he  was  as  full  of  holy  buoyancy  as 
ever.  He  had  now  determined  to  sail  for  America,  and 
began  to  make  the  necessary  preparations  for  his  voyage. 
He  bought  "  Osnaburg  linen,"  for  his  negroes  ;  he  begged 
maps  and  books  for  his  Bethesda  Institution  ;  and,  in  thank- 
ing his  friend  Mr.  Keen  for  a  benefaction  to  his  Orphanage, 
wrote:  "Our  Lord  will  write  Himself. your  debtor  for  it. 
His  interest  is  pretty  good — '  a  hundredfold.'  A  hundred- 
fold !      What  can  the  most  avaricious  trader  desire  more  } " 

One  of  his  last  public  services  was  the  opening  of  the 
Countess  of  Huntingdon's  chapel  at  Tunbridge  Wells.  This 
took  place  on  Sunday,  July  23.  The  Countess,  Lady  Anne 
Erskine,  Lady  Buchan,  and  Miss  Orton  went  with  him.^ 
Early  in  the  morning,  a  large  number  of  persons  assembled 
at  the  front  of  Lady  Huntingdon's  residence,  and,  in  the 
open   air,  sang  hymns   and   prayed,  till   the  time  announced 

for  the  commencement  of  public  service  in  the  chapel. 
"  Never,"  said  her  ladyship,  "  can  I  forget  the  sensations  of 
pleasure  I  felt,  on   being  awoke  by  the  voice  of  praise   and 


'  "  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  27. 


Chapel  Opened  at   Tunbridge   Wells.  561 

thanksgiving."  The  chapel,  of  course,  was  thronged.  De  *7''' 
Courcy  read  the  prayers  of  the  EstabHshed  Church  ;  and.  Age  .\ 
theni  a  large  crowd  not  being  able  to  get  inside  the  chapel, 
.Whitefield  came  out,  followed  by  those  who  had  joined  in 
the  reading  of  the  liturgy,  and  preached  to  the  assembled 
thousands,  from  "  How  dreadful  is  this  place  !  This  is  none 
other  but  the  house  of  God,  and  this  is  the  gate  of  heaven."  ^ 
The  sermon  was  said  to  be  "  a  perfect  piece  of  oratory." 
"  Look  yonder  !  "  cried  the  preacher,  as  he  stretched  out 
his  hands  "  Look  yonder  !  What  is  that  I  see  .<*  It  is 
my  agonizing  Lord  !  Hark  !  hark  !  hark  !  Do  not  you 
hear }  O  earth,  earth,  earth,  hear  the  word  of  tlie  Lord  ! " 
Simple  words,  but  producing  effects  which  cannot  be  de- 
scribed. In  connection  with  these  and  all  Whitefield's 
utterances,  the  reader  must  bear  in  mind  that  Whitefield's 
face  was  language,  his  intonation  music,  and  his  action 
passion,  Garrick  used  to  say  of  him,  that,  he  could  make 
men  weep  or  tremble  by  his  varied  pronunciation  of  the 
word  "  Mesopotamia."  This  was  an  exaggeration  ;  but  it 
expressed  the  opinion  of  the  greatest  of  theatrical  orators 
concerning  the  power  of  Whitefield's  eloquence. 

The  day  at  Tunbridge  WellSj  a  hundred  and  seven  years 
ago,  was  probab'y  one  of  the  most  remarkable  in  the  history 
of  that  resort  of  fashionable  gaiety.  After  Whitefield's 
sermon,  the  sacrament  of  tlie  Lord's  supper  was  administered, 
at  which  four  clergymen  attended,  besides  Whitefield  him- 
self. During  the  day,  three  of  these  clergymen,  at  three 
different  times,  preached  to  the  assembled  multitudes,  from 
a  small  mount  raised  for  that  purpose  at  the  front  of  the 
chapel.*  One  of  tliese  was  Richard  de  Courcy,^  the  fervid 
young  Irishman,  already  mentioned,  and  whose  talent  and 
eloquence  made  him  immensely  popular.  The  chapel  itself, 
said  Lloyd's  Evening  Post,^  "  has  been  inspected  by  some 
ingenious  artists,  and  is  looked  upon  to  be  the  most  complete 


'  Whitefield  preached  again  in  the  evening,  and  also  on  the  day  fol- 
lowing, when  his  text  was  i  Thess.  ii.  11,  12.  (Gillies'  "Memoirs  of 
Whitefield.") 

-  Lloyd's  Evening  Posf,  July  31,  1769. 

*  "  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  129. 

*  August  9,  1769. 

VOL.  n.  36 


^62  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 


'7^9    piece  of  Gothic  architecture  that  has  been   constructed  for 
Age  54  many  years  !  " 

Whitefield's  days  in  England  were  now  nearly  ended. 
In  a  letter  to  Captain  Joss,  dated  "  Tottenham  Court, 
August  9,  1769,"  he  wrote  : — 

"  My  hands  and  heart  are  full.  Last  night,  I  went  on  board  the 
Friendship.  The  captain  is  to  dine  with  me  to-morrow.  I  expect  to  sail 
the  first  week  in  September.  You  must  then  be  in  town.'  Mr.  Brooks- 
banks  will  supply  your  place.  I  hope  all  things  will  be  settled  on  a  right 
plan.  I  have  the  greatest  confidence  in  you.  I  only  wish  some  means 
may  be  found  to  save  the  late  great  expense  of  coach  hire.  It  has  mounted 
very  high." 

In  another  letter,  dated  ten  days  later,  and  addressed  to 
Mr.  Adams,  Whitefield  wrote  : — 

"  My  very  dear  Tommy,  talk  not  of  taking  a  personal  leave.  You 
know  my  make.  Paul  could  stand  a  whipping.,  but  not  a  weeping  fare- 
well. Many  thanks  for  your  intended  present.  God  bless  you  and 
yours  !  God  bless  all  our  never-to-be-forgotten  Gloucestershire  friends  ! 
I  can  no  more.  Adieu  !  Cease  not  to  pray  for,  my  very  dear  steady  old 
friend, 

"  Less  than  the  least  of  all, 

"  George  Whitefield. 

Six  days  after  this,  on  Friday  night,  August  25,  White- 
field  held  one  of  his  last  sacramental  services  in  England. 
This  was  in  the  Tabernacle,  near  Moorfields.  Nearly  two 
thousand  communicants  were  present !  ^ 

On  the  Sunday  following,  he  preached  his  last  sermon  in 
Tottenham  Court  Road  chapel.  The  text  was.  Genesis 
xxviii.  12 — 15.  A  few  extracts  must  be  given.  Besides 
the  interest  they  possess  as  being  among  Whitefield's  last 
words  in  England,  they  will  help  to  illustrate  his  style  of 
preaching,  when  his  work  was  nearly  ended. 

"  When  we  are  travelling  in  the  woods  of  America,  we  are  obliged  to  light 
a  fire  ;  and  that  keeps  off  the  beasts  from  us.  I  have  often  got  up  in  the 
night,  and  said  to  them  that  were  with  me  (and  God  forbid  I  should  ever 
travel  with  any  one,  even  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  without  speaking  something 
of  Jesus  !) — '  This  fire,'  said  I,  '  is  like  the  fire  of  God's  love,  which  keeps 
off  the  devil  and  our  own  lusts  from  hurting  our  souls.' 

"It  comforts  me  much,  I  assure  you,  to  think  that,  whenever  God  shall 

'  Captain  Joss  was  now  in  Bristol.   (Whitefield's  Works,  vol.  iii.,  p.  392.) 
-  Lloyd's  Evening  Post  .J  August  28,  1769. 


Extracts  from  Sermons,  563 


call  for  me,  angels  will  carry  me  into  the  bosom  of  Abraham ;  but  it  com- 
forts me  more  to  think,  that,  as  soon  as  they  lay  hold  of  me,  my  first 
question  to  them  will  be,  'Where  is  my  Master?  Where  is  my  Jesus  f 
And  that,  after  all  my  tossings  and  tumblings  here,  I  shall  be  brought  to 
see  His  face  at  last. 

"  It  is  now  high  time  for  me  to  preach  my  own  funeral  sermon.  I  am 
going,  for  the  thirteenth  time,  to  cross  the  Atlantic.  When  I  came  from 
America  last,  my  health  was  so  bad  that  I  took  leave  of  all  friends 
on  the  continent,  from  one  end  to  the  other,  without  the  least  design  of 
returning  to  them  again.  But,  to  my  great  surprise,  God  has  been  pleased 
to  restore  to  me  some  measure  of  strength  ;  and,  though  I  intended  to 
give  up  the  Orphan  House  into  other  hands,  God  has  so  ordered  it,  that 
his  Grace  the  late  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  refused  me  a  charter,  unless 
I  would  confine  it  to  episcopacy.  I  could  not,  in  honour,  comply  with 
this,  as  Dissenters,  and  other  serious  people  of  different  denominations, 
had  contributed  towards  its  support.  I  would  sooner  cut  off  my  head 
than  betray  my  trust  I  always  meant  the  Orphan  House  to  be  kept  upon 
a  broad  bottom,  for  people  of  all  denominations.  I  hope,  by  the  25th  of 
March  next,  all  intended  alterations  and  additions  will  be  completed,  and 
a  blessed  provision  be  made  for  many  hundreds  ;  and  a  comfortable 
support  for  poor  orphans  and  poor  students.  This  is  my  only  design  in 
going.  I  intend  to  travel  all  along  the  continent.  I  am  going  in  no  public 
capacity.  I  am  going  trusting  in  God  to  bear  my  charges.  1  call  heaven 
and  earth  to  witness  that  I  have  never  had  the  love  of  the  world  one 
quarter  of  an  hour  in  my  heart.  I  might  have  been  rich  ;  but  now,  though 
this  chapel  is  built,  and  though  I  have  a  comfortable  room  to  live  in,  I 
assure  you  I  built  the  room  at  my  own  expense.  It  cost  nobody  but 
myself  anything,  and  I  shall  leave  it  with  an  easy  mind.  I  have  thought 
of  these  words  with  pleasure,  'I  will  bring  thee  again  to  this  land.'  I 
know  not  whether  that  will  be  my  experience  ;  but,  blessed  be  God  !  I 
have  a  better  land  in  view.  I  do  not  look  upon  myself  at  home  till  I  land 
in  my  Father's  house.  My  greatest  trial  is  to  part  with  those  who  are  as 
dear  to  me  as  my  own  soul.  O  keep  close  to  God,  my  dear  London 
friends.  I  do  not  bid  you  keep  close  to  chapel.  You  have  always  done 
that.  I  shall  endeavour  to  keep  up  the  word  of  God  among  you  during 
my  absence.  I  might  have  had  a  thousand  a  year  out  of  this  place,  if  I 
had  chosen  it.  When  I  am  gone  to  heaven,  you  will  see  what  I  have  got 
on  earth.  I  do  not  like  to  speak  now,  because  it  might  be  thought 
boasting." ' 

Whitefield's  last  sermon  ^  in  London  was  preached  in  the 


'  ''Two  Farewell  Sermons,  by  Rev.  G.  Whitetield,  1770;"  and 
"Eighteen  Sermons,  by  Rev.  George  Whitefield,  1771." 

■^  In  the  crowds  who  listened  to  Vv'hitefield's  last  sermons  in  London, 
was  a  youth,  seventeen  years  of  age, — George  Burdcr,  afterwards  a  de- 
voted and  useful  minister  of  Christ,  the  originator  of  the  Religious  Tract 
Society,  secretary  of  the  London  Missionary  Society,  editor  of  the  Limti- 
qelical  Magazine,  and  author  of  the  well-known    "  Village    Sermons." 


564  The  Life  of  White  fie  Id. 


^769    Tabernacle,    Moorfields,    at    seven    o'clock    on   Wednesday- 
Age  54  morning,  August  30.^     The  text  he  selected  was,  John   x. 
27,  28,     The  sermon   (if  so  it  may  be  called)  was  earnest 
talk,  incoherent,  and,  some  would   say,  egotistic  ;  but  it  was 
interspersed  with  characteristic  sentences. 

"  Sheep,"  said  Whitefield,  "  love  to  be  together.  They  don't  love  to  be 
alone.  You  seldom  see  a  sheep  by  itself;  and  Christ's  people  may  well 
be  compared  to  them  in  this.  Oh,  think  some,  if  we  had  great  people  on 
our  side,  the  King,  Lords,  and  Commons  !  What  then  ?  Alas  \  alas  ! 
Do  you  think  the  Church  of  God  would  go  on  a  bit  the  better?  No  !  no  ! 
Religion  never  prospers  when  it  has  too  much  sunshiie.  Dr.  Marryat 
was  not  ashamed  to  preach  in  market  langnage ;  and  !  once  heard  him 
say  at  Pinner's  Hall, '  God  has  a  great  dog  to  fetch  liis  sheep  back  when 
they  wander.'  Yes,  when  God's  people  wander.  He  sends  the  devil  after 
them,  and  suffers  him  to  bark  at  them  ;  but  instead  of  barking  them 
further  off.  he  only  barks  them  back  again  to  the  fold  of  Christ." 

In  another  part  of  his  discourse,  Whitefield,  unnecessarily 
if  not  egotistically,  stated  that,  before  he  was  twenty-two 
years  of  age,  he  had  the  offer  of  two  parishes,  by  Benson,  > 
Bishop  of  Gloucester  ;  that,  when  he  first  came  to  London, 
most  of  the  metropolitan  churches  were  open  to  him  ;  and 
that  twelve  or  fourteen  constables  had  to  guard  the  doors  of 
the  churches  where  he  preached.  He  then  referred  to  his 
intention  to  turn  the  Orphan  House  into  a  College  ;  and 
highly  eulogised  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dixon,  histoid  servants" 
there,  and  also  the  Messrs.  Wright  and  Mr.  Crane,  whom  he 
had  sent  out  to  execute  the  improvements  and  additions  to 
the  building.      He  concluded  as  follows  : — - 

"  This  is  the  thirteenth  time  of  my  crossing  the  mighty  waters.  It  is  a 
little  difficult  at  this  time  of  life  ;  but  I  delight  in  the  cause,  and  God  fills 
me  with  a  peace  that  is  unutterable.  I  expect  many  trials  while  on  board. 
Satan  always  meets  me  there  ;  but  God,  I  believe,  will  keep  me.    1  thank 

Burder's  conversion  has  been  attributed  to  the  ministry  of  Whitefield  and 
Fletcher  of  Madeley.  ("Jubilee  Memorial  of  the  Religious  Tract  Society," 
p.  24.)  In  his  Journal,  he  wrote  : — "  1769.  August.  About  this  time,  I 
heard  Mr.  Whitefield  preach  several  sermons,  particularly  his  two  last  in 
London  ;  that  at  Tottenham  Court  chapel  on  Sabbath  morning,  and  that 
at  the  Tabernacle  on  Wednesday  morning  at  seven  o'clock.  I  remember 
a  thought  which  passed  my  mind,  I  think,  as  I  was  going  to  hear  his  last 
sermon,  *  Which  would  I  rather  be,  Garrick  or  Whitefield  ? '  I  thought 
each,  in  point  of  orator)',  admirable  in  his  way.  I  doubt  not  conscience 
told  me  which  was  best.  I  wrote  Mr.  Whitefield's  sermons  in  shorthand, 
though  standing  in  a  crowd."  ("Life  of  Rev.  George  Burder,"  by  his  Son.) 
'  Gillies'  "  Memoirs  of  Whitefield." 


Extracts  from  Sermons.  565 

God,  I  have  the  honour  of  leaving  everj'thing  quite  well  and  easy  at  both 
ends  of  the  town.  If  I  am  drowned,  I  will  say,  if  I  cart,  while  I  am 
drowning,  'Lord,  take  care  of  my  English  friends!'  Some  of  you,  I 
doubt  not,  will  be  gone  to  Christ  before  my  return  ;  but,  though  parted,  it 
will  be  to  meet  again  forever.  God  grant  that  none  who  weep  now  at  my 
parting,  may  weep  at  our  meeting  at  the  day  of  judgment !  Come,  sinner, 
come,  see  what  it  is  to  have  eternal  life  !  Haste  !  haste  !  haste  away  to 
the  great,  the  glorious  Shepherd  !  I  care  not  what  shepherds  you  are 
under,  so  that  you  are  kept  near  the  great  Shepherd  and  Bishop  of  souls. 
The  Lord  bless  you  and  keep  you  !  The  Lord  make  His  face  shine  upon 
you,  and  be  gracious  unto  you  !  The  Lord  lift  up  His  countenance  upon 
you,  and  give  you  peace  !  " 

Such  was  Whitefield's  final  benediction  upon  his  Taber- 
nacle congregation,  on  Wednesday  ir«<?;7//;/^,  August  30.  In 
point  of  fact,  this  was  a  second  farewell  sermon,  in  the  same 
building  ;  for,  on  the  Wednesday  night  previous,  he  had  ad- 
dressed those  of  the  congregation  who  were  unable  to  attend 
a  week-day  morning  service.  His  sermon,  on  that  occasion, 
was,  in  all  respects,  superior  to  his  final  one.  The  text  was, 
"  And  thy  God  thy  glory  "  (Isaiah  Ix.  19).  He  then  made 
his  last  London  collection. 

"  The  Tabernacle  has  been  repaired,"  said  he;  "  and  I  wish  to  leave  it 
unencumbered.  I  told  my  friends,  I  would  make  a  collection.  Remem- 
ber, it  is  not  for  me,  but  for  yourselves — for  the  place  where  you  are  to 
meet,  when  I  am  tossing  on  the  water,  and  in  a  foreign  clime.  The 
arrears  are  nearly  ^70.  I  hope  you  will  not  run  away.  If  you  can  say, 
God  is  my  glory,  you  will  not  push  one  upon  another,  as  though  you  would 
lose  yourselves  in  a  crowd,  and  say.  Nobody  sees  me.  Does  not  God 
Almighty  see  you.?  You  must  excuse  me.  I  cannot  say  much  more.  I 
beg  you  will  excuse  me  from  a  particular  parting  with  you.  Take  my 
public  farewell.  I  will  pray  for  you  when  in  the  cabin  ;  I  will  pray  for 
you  when  tempests  are  about  me  ;  and  this  shall  be  my  prayer,  '  O  God, 
be  Thou  their  God  !  and  grant  their  God  may  be  their  glory !  " 

A  few  other  extracts,  from  Wliitefield's  last  sermons  in 
London,  may  be  welcome.  They  are  taken  from  the  8vo. 
volume,  published  by  Gurney  immediately  after  Whitefield's 
dcath.^ 


'  It  has  been  already  stated,  that,  the  publication  of  this  volume  led 
to  great  unpleasantness.  Joseph  Gurney  was  a  bookseller,  in  Holborn, 
opposite  Haiton  Garden,  From  an  Svo.  pamphlet  of  eight  pages,  pub- 
lished at  the  time,  and  entitled,  "J.  Gurney's  Appeal  to  the  Public,"  it 
appears,  that,  on  November  13,  1770,  an  agreement  was  made  between 
Gurney  and  Mr.  Keen,  whereby  Keen  bound  himself  to  "  recommend  and 


566  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1769  "  The  Devil's  Children.— '■  O^  says  one,  '  I  never  felt  the  devil'  I  am 
—  sure  thou  mayest  feel  him  now.  Thou  art  dadda's  own  child.  Thou  art 
^^  ^^  speaking  the  very  language  of  the  devil ;  and  he  is  teaching  thea  to  deny 
thy  own  father.  Graceless  child  of  the  devil,  if  thou  hast  never  feh  the 
devil's  fiery  darts,  it  is  because  the  devil  is  sure  of  thee.  He  has  got  thee 
into  a  damnable  slumber.  May  the  God  of  love  awaken  thee  before 
real  damnation  comes  !  "    (p.  262.) 

"  Persecution.~0\iv  suffering  times  will  be  our  best  times.  I  know  I 
had  more  comfort  in  Moorfields  and  on  Kennington  Common,  especially 
when  rotten  eggs,  cats,  and  dogs  were  thrown  upon  me, — I  had  more 
comfort  in  these  burning  bushes  than  I  have  had  when  I  have  been  in  ease. 
I  remember  when  I  was  preaching  at  Exeter,  and  a  stone  made  my  fore- 
head bleed,  the  word  came  with  double  power  ;  and  a  labourer,  wounded 
at  the  same  time  by  another  stone,  came  to  me  and  said,  'The  man  gave 
me  a  wound,  but  Jesus  healed  me  ;  I  never  had  my  bonds  broken  till  my 
head  was'  "  (p.  268). 

"  Penitents. — I  have  reason  to  believe,  from  the  notes  put  up  at  both 
ends  of  the  town,  that  many  of  you  have  arrows  of  conviction  stuck  fast 
in  your  souls.  I  have  taken  in  near  two  hundred,  at  Tottenham  Court 
Road,  within  a  fortnight.  God  is  thus  at  work.  Let  the  devil  roar  ;  we 
will  go  on  in  the  name  of  the  Lord"  (p.  280). 

"  iiclf-condem nation. — I  wish  I  could  make  you  all  angry.  I  am  a  sad 
mischief-maker  ;  but  I  don't  want  to  make  you  angry  with  one  another. 
Some  people,  who  profess  to  have  grace  in  their  hearts,  seem  resolved  to 
set  all  God's  people  at  variance.  They  are  like  Samson's  foxes  with  fire- 
brands in  their  tails,  setting  fire  to  all  about  them.  Are  any  of  you  come 
fifom  the  Foundery,  or  any  other  place,  to-night  ?     I  care  not  where  you 

authenticate  "  Gurney's  publication,  and  Gurney  agreed  to  give  to  Keen  a 
shilling  upon  every  copy  sold.  Gurney  drew  up  an  advertisement,  which 
Keen  engaged  to  have  read  in  the  pulpits  of  the  Tabernacle  and  Totten- 
ham Court  Road  chapel  ;  but  his  engagement  was  not  fulfilled.  When 
the  printing  of  the  volume  was  nearly  completed,  Gurney  sent  the  first 
nine  sermons  to  Keen,  and,  a  few  days  afterwards,  met  Mr.  Hardy,  who 
told  him  the  "  sermons  were  like  the  ravings  of  a  madman,  and  were 
utterly  unfit  for  publication."  Messrs.  Keen,  Hardy,  and  West  offered  to 
pay  Gurney  all  the  money  he  had  spent,  on  condition  that  the  sermons 
should  not  be  issued  to  the  public  ;  but  Gurney  refused  the  offer.  Mr. 
Kinsman  read  a  notice  from  the  Tabernacle  pulpit,  that,  such  a  volume 
was  about  to  be  published,  but  stated  that  the  ''  sermons  were  not  Mr. 
Whitefield's,  either  in  sentiment  or  expression  ; "  though,  as  Gurney 
alleges,  Kinsman  had  previously  acknowledged  "the  sermons  were  as 
delivered  by  Whitefield,  but  that  Whitefield's  discourses,  of  late  years, 
were  very  unfit  for  the  press  without  undergoing  considerable  alterations." 
Gurney  had  another  angry  interview  with  Keen  and  Hardy.  The  latter,  on 
September  14,  1 771,  published  the  advertisement,  printed,  as  a  foot-note,  in 
Whitefield's  collected  Works,  vol.  iii.,  page  406.  Gurney,  however,  per- 
sisted in  publishing  his  book,  but  announced  that  if  any  purchasers  were 
of  opinion  the  "  sermons  were  not  genuine,"  he  would  return  to  them 
their  purchase  money.  He  sold  upwards  of  six  hundred  copies,  but  "not 
a  single  buyer  expressed  the  least  dissatisfaction." 


Extracts  from  Sermons.  567 

come  from,     I  pray  God  you  may  all  quarrel  ;  that  is,  I  want  you  to  fall 
out  with  your  own  hearts"  (p.  289). 

"  Baptismal  Controversy. — It  is  a  strange  thing  how  bigots  can  set  the 
world  on  fire  by  throwing  water  at  one  another  ;  and  that  people  cannot  be 
baptized,  without  shewing  that  the  chief  thing  they  have  been  baptized  into, 
are  the  waters  of  strife.  This  is  making  sport  for  the  devil.  For  my  part, 
I  do  not  enter  into  the  debate  about  infant  or  adult  baptism,  nor  yet  about 
its  mode.  I  believe  you  might  as  well  attempt  to  draw  two  parallel  lines, 
and  bring  them  to  meet  at  some  certain  place,  as  to  bring  these  learned 
combatants  together ;  for,  of  all  disputants,  religious  disputants  are  the 
most  obstinate  and  fiery"  (p.  297). 

^'•Catholicity. — The  world  pretty  well  knows  the  temper  of  my  mind, 
both  in  respect  to  politics  and  church-government.  I  am  a  professed 
avower  of  moderation.  I  don't  care  whether  you  go  to  church  or  meeting. 
I  profess  to  be  a  member  of  the  Church  of  England  ;  but,  if  they  will  not 
let  me  preach  in  a  church,  I  will  preach  anywhere.  All  the  world  is  my 
parish  ;  and  I  will  preach  wherever  God  gives  me  an  opportunity.  You 
will  never  find  me  disputing  about  the  outward  appendages  of  religion. 
Don't  tell  me  you  are  a  Baptist,  an  Independent,  a  Presbyterian,  a  Dis- 
senter :  tell  me  you  are  a  Christian.  That  is  all  I  want  This  is  the 
religion  of  heaven,  and  must  be  ours  upon  earth"  (p.  310). 

"  Whitefield's  Salary. — I  intend  to  give  you  a  parting  word  on  Sunday 
evening,  and  to  take  my  last  farewell  in  the  ensuing  week,  for  I  must 
have  a  day  or  two  to  dispatch  my  private  business.  As  this  place  has 
been  repaired,  and  I  am  wishful  to  leave  everything  clear  before  I  go,  a 
collection  must  be  made  for  defraying  the  expense  incurred.  The  world 
thinks  I  am  very  rich.  A  man,  the  other  day,  sent  me  word,  that,  if  I 
did  not  lay  ^30  in  a  certain  place,  I  should  be  killed.  You  yourselves, 
perhaps,  think  I  get  a  great  deal  for  preaching  here  ;  and,  therefore,  now 
that  I  am  going  away,  I  will  tell  you  my  stated  allowance  for  preaching 
at  the  Tabernacle.  I  have  no  more  from  this  place  than;^ioo  a  year; 
and,  yet,  when  I  asked  last  night  how  the  accounts  stood,  I  was  told  there 
were  ^50  arrears.  '  Well,'  I  said,  '  ungrateful  as  it  is  to  me,  I  will  make 
a  collection,  that  all  may  be  left  free.'  There  are  not  six  people  in  this 
Tabernacle  from  whom  I  have  had  the  value  of  a  guinea  from  last  January 
to  the  present  month  of  August  ;  nor  have  I  had  a  guinea  from  all  the 
ordinances  of  the  place  towards  bearing  the  expenses  of  my  voyage" 
(p.  372). 

These  Whitefieldiana  might  easily  be  multiplied,  but  suffi- 
cient have  been  given  to  shew  the  familiar,  and  (as  some 
will  think)  the  objectionable  style  used  by  Whitefield 
at  the  close  of  his  public  ministry.  His  sermons  now,  as 
compared  with  those  he  published  at  the  commencement  of 
his  career,  were  notably  inferior.  As  compared  with  the 
sermons  preached  and  printed  by  Wesley,  they  were  a  per- 
fect contrast.      They  were  neither  scriptural  expositions  nor 


568  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

'769  doctrinal  disquisitions  ;  but  free  and  easy  talk,  intermixed 
Ai^e  54  with  anecdotes,  personal  reminiscences,  and  quaint  quota- 
tions. Matthew  Henry's  Exposition  was  Whitefield's  favourite 
Commentary  ;  and  to  this  circumstance  Wesley  attributed 
the  quaintness  of  Whitefield's  style.  In  the  preface  to  his 
"  Explanatory  Notes  upon  the  Old  Testament,"  published 
in  1765,  Wesley,  with  an  obvious  reference  to  Whitefield, 
says  : — 

"  I  omit"  (in  these  Notes)  "  abundance  of  Mr.  Henry's  quaint  sayings 
and  lively  antitheses  ;  as,  'God  feeds  His  birds.  Shall  He  not  feed  His 
babes .?'  I  used  once  to  wonder,  whence  some,  whom  I  greatly  esteem, 
had  so  many  pretty  turns  in  preaching.  But  when  I  read  Mr.  Henry,  my 
wonder  ceased.  I  saw  they  were  only  copying  after  him  :  although  probably 
without  designing  it.  They  generally  consulted  his  exposition  of  their 
text,  and  frequently  just  before  preaching.  And,  hence,  little  witticisms 
and  a  kind  of  archness  insensibly  stole  upon  them,  and  took  the  place  of 
that  strong,  manly  eloquence,  which  they  would  otherwise  have  learned 
from  the  inspired  writers." 

Two  of  Whitefield's  last  sermons  in  England  were  preached 
at  Gravesend,  on  Sunday,  September  3,  1769.  Hence  the 
following,  taken  from  St.  James's  Chronicle,  for  September  7: 
"  On  Saturday  last,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Whitefield  went  from  town 
to  Gravesend,  where  he  preached,  on  Sunday  morning,  in 
the  Methodist  Tabernacle,  and,  in  the  evening,  in  the  Market 
Place."      Whitefield  himself  writes  : — 

"  Sunday,  September  3.  Preached  this  morning  at  the  Methodist 
Tabernacle,  from  John  xii.  32.  The  congregation  was  not  very  large,  but 
God  gave  me  great  freedom  of  speech.  In  the  afternoon,  I  preached  in 
the  Market  Place,  from  Genesis  iii.  13,  to  a  much  larger,  but  not  more 
devout  auditory.  In  the  outskirts,  some  were  a  little  noisy,  but  most 
were  very  attentive,  and  I  was  enabled  to  lift  up  my  voice  like  a  trumpet. 
The  evening  was  spent,  as  the  night  before,  with  my  Christian  friends 
from  London." 

"  Monday,  September  4.  Had  my  dear  Christian  friends  on  board  to 
breakfast  with  me  this  morning.  Conversation  was  sweet,  but  parting 
bitter.  However,  I  was  helped  to  bear  up  ;  and,  after  their  departure 
the  Divine  Presence  made  up  the  loss  of  all."  ' 

'  GiUies'  "  Memoirs  of  Whitefield." 


SEVENTH  VISIT  TO  AMERICA 
September,   1769,  to  September,   1770. 

WHITEFIELD  embarked  for  America  on  September 
4th ;  but  it  was  not  until  the  end  of  the  month  that 
he  looked  his  last  look  on  glorious  old  England.  His  de- 
tentions were  annoying  ;  but  they  gave  him  the  opportunity 
of  writing  last  letters  to  his  friends/  Extracts  from  these 
will  be  welcome. 

To  his  old   assistant,  Thomas  Adams,  of  Rodborough,  he 
wrote  : — 

"On  board  the  FrieiidsJiip,  (Captain  Ball,)  September  5,  1769.  Six  in 
the  morning.  My  very  dear  Tommy,  I  could  not  write  you  whilst 
ashore,  but  drop  you  a  few  hnes  now  I  am  come  on  board.  Just  now  we 
have  taken  up  the  anchor  ;  and  I  trust  my  anchor  is  within  the  veil.  I 
have  not  been  in  better  spirits  for  some  years  ;  and  I  am  persuaded  this 
voyage  will  be  for  the  Redeemer's  glory,  and  the  welfare  of  precious  souls. 
Our  parting  solemnities  have  been  exceedingly  awful.  O  England ! 
England  !    God  preserve  thee  from  every  threatening  storm  !" 

To  a  lady  and  her  daughter,  at  Gravesend,  who  had  shewn 
him  kindness,  he  thus  expressed  his  thanks  : — 

"  September  6,  1769.  God  bless  and  reward  you  and  your  daughter  ! 
Gravesend  Bethels,  I  trust,  will  not  easily  be  forgotten.  I  am  sure  you 
do  not  forget  to  pray  for  a  very  worthless  worm.  Jesus,  the  never-failing, 
ever-loving,  altogether-lovely  Jesus,  comforts  me." 

To  other  friends  Whitefield  wrote  : — ■ 

"  September  7,  1769.  I  am  comforted  on  every  side.  Fine  accommo- 
dations. A  civil  captain  and  passengers.  All  willing  to  attend  on  divine 
worship.  Praise  the  Lord,  O  my  soul !  I  am  brave  as  to  my  bodily 
health.     Grace  !  Grace  ! " 

'  With  one  or  two  exceptions,  the  ivJwle  of  these  letters  were  subscribed, 
^^  Less  than  the  least  of  all,  George  Whitefield." 


570  The  Life  of  Whitefield, 

"  September  8,  1769.  O  these  partings  !  Without  Divine  support,  they 
would  be  intolerable.  But  with  that,  we  can  do  even  this  and  everything 
besides,  which  we  are  called  to  do  or  suffer.  Everything  turns  out 
beyond  expectation,  as  to  bodily  health,  ship  accommodation,  and  civility 
of  passengers.  I  only  want  somebody  with  more  brains  about  me.  O  the 
privilege  and  honour  of  leaving  a  little  all,  for  the  great  unfailing  All,  the 
ever-blessed  God  ! " 

To     his    faithtul    friend,    Mr.    Robert    Keen,    Whitefield 
addressed  the  following  : — 

"Septembers,  1769.  Ebenezer  !  Ebenezer  !  Hitherto  the  Lord  helps. 
W^  have  had  contrary  winds  to  the  Downs,  but  not  violent.  The  young 
soldiers  are  not  yet  sick,  though  the  ship  has  some  motion.  I  seem  to  be 
iiow,  as  I  was  thirty  years  ago.  Praise  the  Lord,  O  my  soul !  The  care 
of  my  annual  pensioners,  with  all  money  matters,  I  must  beg  you  to  take 
wholly  into  your  hands." 

His  letter  to  Wesley  shall  be  given  at  full  length  : — 

"  The  Downs,  on  board  the  '  Friendship,'  September  12,  1769, 
**  Rev.  and  very  dear  Sir, — What  hath  God  wrought/^r  us,  in  us, 
by  us  !  I  sailed  out  of  these  Downs  almost  thirty-three  years  ago.  O  the 
height,  the  depth,  the  length,  the  breadth  of  Thy  love,  O  God  !  Surely  it 
passeth  knowledge.  Help,  help  us,  O  heavenly  Father,  to  adore  what  we 
cannot  fully  comprehend  !  I  am  glad  to  hear  that  you  had  such  a  Pente- 
cost season  at  the  College.'  One  would  hope  that  these  are  earnests  of 
good  things  to  come,  and  that  our  Lord  will  not  remove  His  candlestick 
from  among  us.  Duty  is  ours.  Future  things  belong  to  Him,  who  always 
did,  and  always  will,  order  all  things  well. 

'Leave  to  His  sovereign  sway. 
To  choose  and  to  command  ; 
So  shall  we  wondering  own  His  way, 
How  wise,  how  strong  His  hand.' 

"  Mutual  Christian  love  will  not  permit  you,  and  those  in  connection 
with  you,  to  forget  a  willing  pilgrim,  going  now  across  the  Atlantic  for  the 
thirteenth  time.  At  present,  I  am  kept  from  staggering;  being  fully  per- 
suaded that  this  voyage  will  be  for  the  Redeemer's  glory,  and  the  welfare 
of  precious  and  immortal  souls.     O  to  be  kept  from  flagging  in  the  latter 


'  Wesley  had  recently  joined  in  the  services  held  in  connection  Avith  the 
Countess  of  Huntingdon's  Academy  at  Trevecca.  These  services  ex- 
tended from  the  iSth  to  the  24th  of  August.  The  scene  was  memorable. 
Besides  the  Countess  and  a  number  of  her  aristocratic  friends,  there  were 
present  eight  clergymen  of  the  Church  of  England,  a  host  of  Welsh 
exhorters,  the  students,  and  an  immense  concourse  of  communicants  and 
spectators.  On  leaving  Trevecca,  Wesley  set  out  for  Cornwall,  so  that 
he  had  no  opportunity  of  a  final  hand-shake  with  his  old  friend,  embark- 
ing for  America. 


Leaving  England.  571 


stages  of  our  road  !  ipse,  Deo  volente,  sequar,  etsi  non  passibus  aeqtiis. 
Cordial  love  and  respect  await  your  brothei",  and  all  that  are  so  kind  as  to 
enquire  after,  and  be  concerned  for, 

"  Reverend  and  very  dear  sir, 

"  Less  than  the  least  of  all, 

"  George  Whitefield."  ' 

It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that,  at  the  very  time  Whitefield 
was  making  his  last  voyage  to  America,  Richard  Boardman 
and  Joseph  Pilmoor,  Wesley's  first  two  missionaries  to  the 
same  field  of  labour,  were  being  borne,  through  the  same 
storms  and  tempests,  to  their  destination.  Whitefield's  work 
in  America  was  nearly  ended  ;  but  he  had  prepared  the  way 
for  Wesley's  preachers,  and  for  the  founding  of  a  church,  now 
the  largest  on  that  immense  continent. 

Three  days  before  Whitefield  wrote  to  Wesley,  he  and  his 
fellow-voyagers  encountered  a  tremendous  storm.  One  ship, 
in  their  immediate  neighbourhood,  was  wrecked ;  and,  when 
opposite  to  Deal,  the  Friendship  became  zviud-bound,  and 
was  detained  three  weeks.  This  gave  Whitefield  an  oppor- 
tunity to  stand  once  more  on  the  shores  of  his  native  land. 
It  so  happened,  that,  just  as  the  ship  arrived  at  Deal,  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Gibbons,  the  eminent  tutor  of  the  Dissenting 
Academy  at  Mile  End,  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Bradbury,  of 
Ramsgate,  came  to  Deal  for  the  purpose  of  ordaining  a  young 
Dissenting  minister.  Having  ascertained  that  the  Fricvid- 
sJdp  was  lying  in  the  Downs,  Gibbons  and  Bradbury  went 
on  board,  and  so  urgently  desired  Whitefield  to  come  on 
shore,  that,  contrary  to  his  intention,  he  left  the  ship,  and 
attended  the  ordination  services.  Mr.  Bradbury  prevailed 
upon  him  to  go  to  Ramsgate,  where  he  preached  on  Friday 
and  Saturday,  September  15  and  16.  These  were  White- 
field's  last  scnnoiis  in  England.^  They  are  referred  to  in 
the  following  extracts  from  Whitefield's  letters.  Writing  to 
Mr.  Robert  Keen,  he  said  : — 

"  Deal,  September  14,  1769.  F(.j  wise  reasons,  we  are  detained  in  the 
Downs.  Who  knows  but  it  may  je  to  awaken  some  souls  at  Deal.^  A 
peculiar  providence  brought  me  here.  Warm-hearted  Dr.  Gibbons  came 
on  board  to  pay  me  a  visit,  was  sick,  lay  in  my  state-room,  and  learnt 

'  A}-ininiaH  Magazine,  17S3,  p.  274. 
*  ''  Memoirs  of  Cornelius  Winter,"  p.  88. 


572  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

experimentally  to  pray  for  those  who  occupy  their  business  in  great  waters. 

Mr.  Bradbury,  of  Ramsgate,  and  young  Mr.  G ner,  who  was  ordained 

yesterday,  followed  after.  At  their  request,  I  came  ashore  yesterday 
morning.  The  ordination  was  very  solemn.  I  have  not  been  more 
affected  under  any  public  ministrations  a  great  while.  At  the  request  of 
many,  I  preached  in  the  evening  to  a  crowded  auditory ;  and  spent  the 
remainder  of  the  night  in  godly  conversation.  If  the  wind  continues 
contrary,  perhaps  I  may  make  an  elopement  to  Margate.  I  wish  I  could 
see  my  sermon  that  is  printed.  If  I  die,  let  not  the  Hymn  Book  be 
cashiered.  I  am  glad  to  hear  of  the  Aniens  at  Tottenham  Court.  The 
ship  that  was  lost  has  been  taken  up  and  brought  in.  The  passengers 
escaped  in  the  boat.  What  are  we  that  we  should  be  preserved?  Grace  ! 
Grace  ! " 

In  another  letter  to  Mr.  Keen,  Whitefield  wrote  : — 

"  Deal,  September  15,  1769.  Mr.  Bradbury  put  me  under  an  arrest, 
and  is  carrying  me  away  to  Ramsgate.  I  hope  to  arrest  some  poor 
runaway  bankrupts  for  the  Captain  of  our  Salvation.  For  Christ's  sake, 
let  all  means  be  used  to  keep  up  and  increase  the  Tottenham  Court  and 
Tabernacle  Societies." 

In  a  third  letter  to  the  same  gentleman,  is  the  follow- 
ing :— 

"  Deal,  September  17,  1769.  I  have  just  returned  from  Ramsgate,  and 
am  going  on  board.  Never  did  any  creature  shew  greater  civility,  hearti- 
ness, politeness,  and  generosity  than  Mr.  Bradbury.  His  friends  were 
hearty  too.  I  preached  on  Friday  and  Saturday.  It  was  hard  parting 
this  morning.  I  expect  a  long  passage,  but  all  is  well.  I  could  not  go 
to  Margate." 

Whitefield's  congregations  at  Ramsgate  were  not  large, 
but  attentive,  and  the  behaviour  of  the  people  delighted 
him.^  Early  on  Sunday  morning,  he  hastened  back  to 
Deal,  went  on  board,  and  preached  in  the  afternoon  ;  but  it 
was  not  until  the  Tuesday  following  that  the  ship  again  set 
sail,  and  even  then  the  attempt  to  proceed  turned  out  a 
failure.      Whitefield  wrote  : — 

"  Monday,  September  25.  Weighed  anchor  last  Tuesday  morning, 
with  a  small  favourable  gale  and  fine  weather.  So  many  ships,  which 
had  lain  in  the  Downs,  moving  at  the  same  time,  and  gently  gliding  by  us, 
together  with  the  prospect  of  the  adjacent  shore,  made  a  most  agreeable 
scene.  But  it  proved  a  very  transient  one.  By  the  time  we  got  to 
Fairlee,  the  wind  backened,  clouds  gathered,  very  violent  gales  succeeded, 
and,  for  several  days,  we  were  so  tossed,  that,  after  coming  over  against 

'  Gillies'  "Memoirs  of  Whitefield." 


Last  Arrival  in  America.  573 

Brighton,    the   captain   turned   back   (as   did   many  other    ships),   and     177^ 
anchored  off  New  Romney  and  Dungenness.     Lord,  in  Thine  own  time,     . 
Thou  wilt  give  the  winds  a  commission  to  carry  us  forward  towards  our 
desired  port." ' 

It  was  not  until  nine  weeks  after  this  that  Whitefield 
landed  in  America.  His  travelling  companions  were  Corne- 
lius Winter  and  Mr.  Smith.  His  time  was  chiefly  spent  in 
writing  letters,  composing  sermons,  and  reading  the  History 
of  England.  Whenever  the  weather  would  permit,  he' 
preached,  with  his  accustomed  energy,  to  the  crew  and 
passengers,  all  of  whom  treated  him  with  profound  respect. 
Sometimes  he  suffered  great  languor,  and  depression  ;^  but, 
upon  the  whole,  he  was,  at  the  end  of  his  voyage,  in  better 
health  than  he  had  been  for  years  past.^  Arriving  at 
Charleston  on  Thursday,  November  30,  he  commenced 
preaching  on  the  following  afternoon,  and,  for  ten  days, 
continued  to  delight  and  profit  large  congregations.  Mr. 
Wright,  his  manager  at  Bethesda,  met  him  ;  and,  on  Sunday, 
December  10,  he  and  his  party  set  sail  for  Georgia.  Hence 
the  following,  addressed  to  Mr.  Keen  : — 

"Charleston,  December  9,  1769.  So  much  company  crowds  in,  that, 
together  with  my  preaching  every  other  day,  etc.,  I  have  scarce  the  least 
leisure.  To-morrow,  I  set  off  by  water  to  Georgia,  the  roads  being  almost 
impassable  by  land.  Mr.  Wright  is  come  to  go  with  me,  and  acquaints 
me  that  all  is  in  great  forwardness  at  Bethesda." 

The  voyage  to  Savannah  was  made  in  an  open  boat. 
Cornelius  Winter  writes  : — "  We  had  a  pleasant  passage 
through  the  Sounds,  and  frequently  went  on  shore,  and 
regaled  ourselves  in  the  woods.  The  simplicity  of  the 
negroes,  who  rowed  us,  was  very  diverting.  We  stopped  at 
a  plantation  called  Port  Royal,  where  we  were  most  kindly 
refreshed  and  entertained  ;  and  safely  arrived  at  Savannah 
on  December  14.  Mr.  Whitefield  was  cheerful  and  easy, 
and  seemed  to  have  lost  a  weight  of  care." 

At  the  beginning  of  the  year  1770,  Whitefield  was  at  his 
beloved  Bethesda,  and  wrote  : — 

"Bethesda,  January   11,   1770.      Everything   here  exceeds   my  most 


»  Gillies'  "  Memoirs  of  Whitefield." 
"^  "  Memoirs  of  Cornelius  Winter,"  p. 
'  Whitefield's  Works,  vol.  iii.,  p.  408. 


574  "^^^  ^^fi  of  Whitejield. 


sanguine  expectations.     I  am  almost  tempted  to  say,  '  It  is  good  to  be 
here.'     But  all  must  give  way  to  gospel-ranging.     Divine  employ  ! 

*  For  this  let  men  revile  my  name, 
I'd  shun  no  cross,  I'd  fear  no  shame.' 

"  I  hope  London  friends  meet  with  enough  of  this.  It  is  bad,  more 
than  bad,  when  the  offence  of  the  cross  ceaseth.  This  cannot  be,  till  we 
cease  to  be  crucified  to  the  world,  and  the  world  ceases  to  be  crucified 
unto  us  :  and,  when  that  is  the  case,  things  are  very  bad." 

Four  days  after  this,  Whitefield  wrote  his  last  letter  to 
Charles  Wesley,  a  letter  breathing  with  the  love  of  a  warm- 
hearted friendship  of  more  than  thirty  years'  continuance.  It 
shall  be  given  in  its  entirety : — 

"Bethesda,  January  15,  1770. 

"  My  very  dear  old  Friend, — I  wrote  to  your  honoured  brother 
from  on  board  ship.  Since  then  what  wonders  have  I  seen  !  what  innu- 
merable mercies  have  I  received  ! — a  long,  trying,  but,  I  humbly  hope, 
profitable  passage. 

"My  poor,  feeble  labours  were  owned  in  Charleston ;  and  every- 
thing is  more  than  promising  in  Georgia.  The  increase  of  this  once  so 
much  despised  colony  is  indescribable.  Good,  I  trust,  is  doing  at 
Savannah,  and  Bethesda  is  like  to  blossom  as  the  rose  ;  the  situation  most 
delightful,  very  salubrious,  and  everything  excellently  adapted  for  the 
intended  purpose.  All  admire  the  goodness,  strength,  and  beauty  of  the 
late  improvements.  In  a  few  months,  the  intended  plan,  I  hope,  will  be 
completed,  and  a  solid,  lasting  foundation  laid  for  the  support  and  educa- 
tion of  many  as  yet  unborn.  Nothing  is  wanted  but  a  judicious  and 
moderately  learned  single-hearted  master.  Surely  the  glorious  Emmanuel 
will  point  out  one  in  His  own  due  time.  Do  pray.  I  am  sure,  prayers 
put  up  above  thirty  years  ago  are  now  being  answered  ;  and,  1  am  per- 
suaded, we  shall  yet  see  greater  things  than  these.  Who  would  have 
thought  that  such  a  worthless  creature  as  this  letter-writer  should  live 
to  be  fifty-five  years  old  ?  I  can  only  sit  down  and  cry,  '  What  hath 
God  wrought  ! '  My  bodily  health  is  much  improved,  and  my  soul  is 
on  the  wing  for  another  gospel  range. 

"  You  and  all  your  connexions  will  not  cease  to  pray  for  me.  I  would 
fain  begin  to  do  something  for  my  God.  My  heart's  desire  and  incessant 
prayer  to  the  God  of  my  life  is,  that  the  word  of  the  Lord  may  prosper  in 
your  hands,  and  run  and  be  glorified  more  and  more.  O  to  work  while 
it  is  day  !  O  to  be  found  on  the  full  stretch  for  Him  who  was  stretched, 
and  who  groaned,  and  bled,  and  died  for  us  !  Unutterable  love  !  I  am 
lost  in  wonder  and  amazement,  and,  therefore,  although  with  regret,  I 
must  hasten  to  subscribe  myself,  my  very  dear  sir,  less  than  the  least  of 
all, 

"  George  Whitefield. 

"  P.S.     Cordial  love  awaits  your  whole  self,  and  enquiring  friends,  and 


A   Memorable  Day.  575 

all  that  love  the  ever-living,  altogether-lovely  Jesus  in  sincerity.     I  hope     1770 

to  write  to  your  honoured  brother  soon.     Brethren,  prav  for  us."  '  — 

Age  55 

Sunday,  January  28,  was  a  remarkable  day  in  the  history 
of  Bethesda.  James  Wright,  Esq.  (created  a  baronet  in 
1772),  Governor  of  Georgia,  the  Council  of  Georgia,  the 
House  of  Assembly  with  their  president,  James  Habersham, 
Esq.,  and  a  large  number  of  colonists,  assembled  at  White- 
field's  Orphan  House,  for  the  purpose  indicated  in  the  follow- 
ing extract  from  the  Journals  of  the  House  of  Assembly  : — 

"  Commons  House  of  Assembly,  Jamiary  29,  1770. 

**  Mr.  Speaker  reported,  that  he,  with  the  House,  having  waited  on  the 
Reverend  Mr.  Whitefield,  in  consequence  of  his  invitation,  at  the  Orphan 
House  Academy,  heard  him  preach  a  very  suitable  and  pious  sermon  on 
the  occasion  ;  and,  with  great  pleasure,  observed  the  promising  appear- 
ance of  improvement  towards  the  good  purposes  intended,  and  the 
decency  and  propriety  of  behaviour  of  the  several  residents  there  ;  and 
were  sensibly  affected,  when  they  saw  the  happy  success  which  has  attended 
Mr.  Whitefield's  indefatigable  zeal  for  promoting  the  welfare  of  the  province 
in  general,  and  the  Orphan  House  in  particular. 

"  Ordered,  that  this  report  be  printed  in  the  Gazette. 

"John  Simpson,  Clerk." 

The  article  printed  in  the  Georgia  Gazette,  and  which 
Gillies  gives  in  his  "  Life  of  Whitefield,"  states,  among  other 
things,  that  "the  two  additional  wings  for  apartments  for 
students  were  a  hundred  and  fifty  feet  each  in  length,  and 
were  in  a  state  of  forwardness."  Instead,  however,  of  insert- 
ing here  the  official  announcement  of  the  Georgian  Legisla- 
ture, a  letter,  written  the  day  after  the  rulers  of  the  Province 
assembled  at  Bethesda,  is  introduced,  as  containing  the  same 
facts,  but  in  greater  detail.  It  was  addressed  to  a  friend  in 
London  : — • 

"  Savannah,  January  29,  1770,  Monday  tnorning. 
"You  would  have  been  pleased  to  have  been  at  the  Orphan  House 
Academy  yesterday,  where  his  Excellency  our  Governor,  the  Hon.  the 
Council,  and  the  Commons  House  of  Assembly,  were  agreeably  enter- 
tained in  consecjuence  of  an  invitation  given  them  by  the  Founder,  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Whitefield.  Everything  was  conducted  with  much  decency 
and  order.  His  Excellency  was  received  at  the  bottom  door  by  the 
officers,  orphans,  and  other  domestics ;  and  was  then  escorted  upstairs 

'  "  Life  of  Charles  Wesley,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  244. 


576  The  Life  of  Whikjield. 

by  Mr.  Whitefield,  through  a  gallery  near  sixty  feet  long,  into  a  large 
room  thirty  feet  in  length,  with  six  windows,  canvassed  and  made  ready 
for  blue  paper  hangings.  In  a  room  of  the  same  extent  over  against  it 
(intended  for  the  library,  and  in  which  a  considerable  number  of  books 
is  already  deposited),  was  prepared,  on  a  long  table  and  adjacent  side- 
board, cold  tongue,  ham,  tea,  etc,  for  the  gentlemen  to  refresh  themselves 
with,  after  their  ten  miles'  ride,  from  Savannah.  Between  eleven  and 
twelve,  the  bell  rung  for  public  worship.  A  procession  was  formed  in  the 
long  gallery,  and  moved  forward  to  the  chapel  in  the  following  order  : 
The  orphans,  in  round,  black,  flat  caps,  and  black  gowns  ;  the  chaplain 
in  his  gown  ;  the  workmen  and  assistants  ;  the  steward  and  superintend- 
ent, with  their  white  wands  ;  the  clerk  of  the  chapel ;  the  Founder  in  his 
university  square  cap,  with  the  Rev.  Mr.  Ellington,  now  missionary  at 
Augusta,  and  designed  to  be  chaplain,  and  teacher  of  English  and  elocu- 
tion at  the  Orphan  House  Academy;  then  his  Excellency,  followed  by 
his  Council  and  the  Chief  Justice  ;  then  the  Speaker,  succeeded  by  the 
other  Commons,  and  a  number  of  gentlemen  and  strangers,  among  whom 
were  the  Governor's  two  sons.  As  the  procession  moved  along,  the  clerk 
of  the  chapel  began  a  doxology,  the  singing  of  which  was  harmonious  and 
striking.  At  the  chapel  door,  the  orphans,  officers,  and  domestics  broke 
into  ranks  on  the  right  hand  and  the  left  ;  and,  as  his  Excellency  with 
his  train  went  up  the  chapel  stairs,  the  orphans  sang,— 

*  Live  by  heaven  and  earth  ador'd, 
Three  in  One,  and  One  in  Three, 
Holy,  holy,  holy  Lord, 
All  glory  be  to  Thee  ! ' 

"  The  Governor  being  seated  fronting  the  chapel  door,  in  a  great  chair, 
with  tapestry  hangings  behind,  and  a  covered  desk  before  him,  divine 
service  began.  Mr.  Ellington  read  prayers  ;  and  then  Mr.  Whitefield 
enlarged,  for  about  three-quarters  of  an  hour,  on  'The  hands  of  Zerubbabel 
have  laid  the  foundation  of  this  house ;  his  hands  shall  also  finish  it ;  and 
thou  shalt  know  that  the  Lord  of  hosts  hath  sent  me  unto  you.  For  who 
hath  despised  the  day  of  small  things.?'  (Zech.  iv.  9,  10.)  His  whole 
paraphrase  was  pertinent  and  affecting  ;  but  when  he  came  to  give  us  an 
account  of  the  small  beginnings  of  our  now  flourishing  Province,  of  which 
he  was  an  eye-witness;  and  also  of  the  trials  and  hardships,  obloquy  and 
contempt,  he  had  undergone  in  maintaining,  for  so  long  a  term,  such  a 
numerous  orphan  family,  in  such  a  desert ;  as  well  as  the  remarkable 
supports  and  providences  that  had  attended  him  in  laying  the  foundation, 
and  raising  the  superstructure  of  the  Orphan  House  Academy  to  its  pre- 
sent promising  height ;  especially  when  he  came  to  address  his  Excellency, 
the  Council,  Speaker,  etc.,  etc., — the  whole  auditory  seemed  to  be  deeply 
affected  ;  and  his  own  heart  seemed  too  big  to  speak,  and  unable  to  give 
itself  proper  vent.  Sermon  being  ended,  all  returned  in  the  same  manner 
as  they  came,  the  clerk,  orphans,  etc.,  singing  as  they  walked,— 

'  This  God  is  the  God  we  adore. 

Our  faithful,  unchangeable  friend, 


A  Memoj'able  Day.  577 


.     Whose  love  is  as  large  as  His  power, 
And  neither  knows  measure  nor  end. 

*Tis  Jesus,  the  first  and  the  last, 

Whose  Spirit  shall  guide  us  safe  home ; 

We'll  praise  Him  for  all  that  is  past, 
And  trust  Him  for  all  that's  to  come.' 

"  In  about  half  an  hour  the  bell  rung  for  dinner.  All  went  down,  in 
order,  to  a  large  dining  room,  intended  hereafter  for  academical  exercises. 
It  is  forty  feet  long,  with  eight  sash  windows,  and  the  Founder's  picture, 
at  full  length,  at  the  upper  end.  Two  tables,  the  one  long  and  the  other 
oval,  were  well  covered  with  a  proper  variety  of  plain  and  well-dressed 
dishes.  After  dinner,  two  toasts  were  given  by  his  Excellency,  viz.,  'The 
King,'  and  '  Success  to  the  Orphan  House  College.'  The  whole  company 
broke  up,  and  went  away,  in  their  several  carriages,  about  five  in  the 
afternoon.  One  thing  gave  me  particular  pleasure  :  when  the  Governor 
drank  '  The  King,'  Mr.  Whitefield  added,  '  And  let  all  the  people  say, 
Amen  ; '  upon  which  a  loud  amen  was  repeated  from  one  end  of  the  room 
to  the  other. 

"  Upon  the  whole,  all  seemed  most  surprisingly  pleased  with  their 
spiritual  and  bodily  entertainment,  as  well  as  with  the  elegance,  firmness, 
and  dispatch  of  the  late  repairs,  and  additional  buildings  and  improve- 
ments. The  situation  is  most  salubrious  and  inviting  ;  the  air  free  and 
open  ;  and  a  salt-water  creek,  which  will  bring  up  a  large  schooner  east 
and  west,  ebbs  and  flows  at  a  small  distance  from  the  house.  I  suppose 
there  might  be  above  twenty  carriages,  besides  horsemen  ;  and  there 
would  have  been  as  many  more,  had  not  the  invitation  been  confined,  by 
way  of  compliment,  to  the  Governor,  Council,  and  Commons  House  of 
Assembly.  A  strange  sight  this,  in  the  once  despised,  deserted  Province 
of  Georgia,  where,  as  Mr.  Whitefield  told  us  in  his  discourse,  about  thirty 
years  ago,  scarce  any  person  of  property  lived  ;  and  lands,  which  now 
sell  for  ^3  an  acre,  might  have  been  purchased  almost  for  threepence. 

"  But  I  must  have  done.  Excuse  me  for  being  so  prolix.  Yesterday's 
scene  so  lies  before  me,  that,  to  tell  you  the  truth,  I  wanted  to  vent  my 
feelings.  If  Mr.  Whitefield  intends,  as  I  am  informed  he  does,  to  give  a 
more  general  invitation  to  the  gentlemen  in  and  about  Savannah,  I  will 
endeavour  to  be  amongst  them.  Accept  this  hasty  scribble  (as  I  hear 
the  ship  sails  to-morrow),  as  a  mark  of  my  being,  dear  sir^  your  obliged 
friend  and  servant." 

The  "  more  general  invitation,"  mentioned  at  the  close  of 
this  long  letter,  was  issued.  Hence  the  following  extract 
from  the  Georgia  Gazette : — 

"  Bethesda,  January  29,   1770.     A  more  particular  application  being 

impracticable,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Whitefield  takes  this  method  of  begging  the 

favour  of  the  company  of  as  many  gentlemen  and  captains  of  ships  in 

and  about   Savannah,  as  it  may  suit  to  accept  this  invitation,  to  dine 

VOL.    II.  37 


578  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 


1770     with  him  at  the  Orphan  House  Academy  next  Sunday.     Public  service 
"""       to  begin  exactly  at  eleven  o'clock. 
^^  ^5  "  George  Whitefield." 

Of  this  second  assembly  at  Betlicsda,  no  record  now 
exists.  Bethesda  was  ten  miles  from  Savannah,  a  consider- 
able distance  for  the  rulers  and  legislators  of  Georgia 
to  travel.  They  all  went  by  Whitefield's  own  invitation. 
They  gratefully  acknowledged  the  great  service  which  he 
had  rendered,  not  only  to  the  Orphan  House  in  particular, 
but  to  Georgia  in  general.  They  had  "  a  handsome  and 
plentiful  dinner."  This  could  hardly  be  avoided,  considering 
the  distance  the  company  had  travelled  ;  but  the  entertain- 
ment would  have  been  more  appropriate  on  a  weekday  than 
on  a  Sunday.^  The  new  buildings  were  in  a  state  of 
forwardness,  and  were  tasteful,  and  well  executed.  White- 
field's  sermon  was  "  suitable  and  pious."  And  the  behaviour 
of  the  Orphan  House  inmates  was  decent  and  proper. 
Perhaps,  the  official  reports  of  the  Assembly  and  of  the 
Ga.zctfe  of  Georgia  were,  in  some  respects,  more  eulogistic 
than  they  should  have  been.  At  all  events,  Whitefield's 
Sunday  entcrt^cinment,  his  orphans,  and  Mr.  Wright,  the 
architect  and  builder  of  his  additional  accommodations,  were 
unfavourably  regarded  by  certain  of  his  friends  in  England. 
Berridge,  often  his  honest  and  hearty  assistant  at  Tottenham 
Court  Road,  in  a  letter  to  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon, 
dated  May,  1771,  observed: — 

"  Cornelius  Winter,  who  went  to  Georgia  with  Mr.  Whitefield,  says 
there  are  but  few  orphans  in  the  House,  and  no  symptoms  of  grace  in 
any.  Mr.  Wright  has  the  management  of  the  whole  house,  and  seems 
neither  to  have  zeal  nor  grace  enough  for  the  work  Mr.  Whitefield  made 
a  sumptuous  feast  on  a  Sunday,  for  all  the  better-dressed  people,  intending 
to  renew  this  every  year  by  way  of  commemoration  ;  but  I  hope  you  will 
put  a  stop  to  this  _^//////;/'_^  business.  I  wish  the  Orphan  House  may  not 
soon  become  a  mere  blue-coat  hospital  and  grammar  school.  If  Mr. 
Fletcher  would  go  to  Georgia  for  a  year,  things  might  be  on  a  bettei 

'  Still,  if  the  drinking  of  toasts  had  been  omitted,  there  was  nothino 
more  objectionable  in  Whitefield's  gathering,  than  is  sometimes  witnessed 
among  JRnglish  Methodists  at  the  present  day  ;  when  a  whole  cavalcade 
wend  their  way,  on  the  holy  Sabbath,  to  some  country  town,  to  be  present 
at  the  opening  of  some  new  meeting-house,  and  to  be  charmed  and  pro- 
fited by  some  popular  preacher. 


Wliitefid(Vs  Mcmorahle  Sermon.  579 

footing.      I  never  could  relish  Mr.  Wright ;    he  seems  a  mere  cabinet- 
maker, without  godliness." 

Berridge  was  dissatisfied  ;  but  it  is  only  fair  to  add,  that, 
when  he  thus  wrote  to  Lady  Huntingdon,  he  was  looking  at 
things  through  the  spectacles  of  young  Cornelius  Winter, 
and  that  Winter  was  disappointed  and  soured  because 
Whitefield  had  not  done  all  he  wished  in  endeavouring  to 
obtain  for  him  episcopal  ordination. 

Whitefield's  sermon  on  this  memorable  Sunday  was  one 
of  his  best ;  but  want  of  space  prevents  the  insertion  of 
lengthened  extracts.  He  expressed  the  opinion  that  the 
colonies  in  America  were  likely  to  become  "  one  of  the  most 
opulent  and  powerful  empires  in  the  world."  He  told  his 
congregation  that,  when  he  first  came  to  Georgia,  "  the  whole 
country  almost  was  left  desolate,  and  the  metropolis,  Sa- 
vannah, was  but  like  a  cottage  in  a  vineyard,  or  as  a  lodge 
in  a  garden  of  cucumbers."  He  reminded  them  that  it  had 
been  reported  to  the  House  of  Commons,  that  "  the  very 
existence  of  the  colony  was,  in  a  great  measure,  if  not  totally, 
owing  to  the  building  and  supporting  of  the  Orphan  House." 
One  peculiar  feature  of  his  sermon  was  his  addressing 
personally  and  severally  the  different  sections  of  his  congre- 
gation. "  I  dare  not  conclude,"  said  he,  "  without  offering 
to  your  Excellency  our  pepper-corn  of  acknowledgment  for 
the  countenance  you  have  always  shewn  Bethesda,  and  for 
the  honour  you  did  us  last  year  in  laying  the  first  brick  of 
yonder  wings  :  in  thus  doing,  you  have  honoured  Bethesda's 
God."  Then  turning  to  his  old  friend  Habersham,  now 
President  of  the  Upper  House  of  Assembly,  Whitefield 
said  :  "  Next  to  his  Excellency,  my  dear  Mr.  President,  I 
must  beg  your  acceptance  both  of  thanks  and  congratulation. 
P'^or  you  were  not  only  my  dear  familiar  friend,  and  first 
fellow-traveller  in  this  infant  province,  but  you  were  directed 
by  Providence  to  this  spot  ;  you  laid  the  second  brick  of 
this  house  ;  and  watched,  prayed,  and  wrought  for  the 
family's  good.  You  were  a  witness  of  innumerable  trials, 
and  were  the  partner  of  my  joys  and  griefs.  .  You  will  have 
now  the  pleasure   of    seeing  the   Orphan    House    a    fruitful 

'  "  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  255. 


580  The  Life  of  Whifefield. 


^Ti'^  bough,  its  branches  running  over  the  wall.  For  this,  no 
i. /e  55  doubt,  God  has  smiled  upon  and  blessed  you,  in  a  manner 
we  could  not  expect,  much  less  design.  May  He  continue 
to  bless  you  with  all  spiritual  blessings  in  heavenly  places  in 
Christ  Jesus  !  Look  to  the  rock  from  whence  you  have 
been  'hewn  ;  and  may  your  children  never  be  ashamed  that 
their  father  married  a  real  Christian,  who  was  born  again 
under  this  roof ! '  Whitefield  then  proceeded  to  address  the 
"  Gentlemen  of  his  Majesty's  Council,"  and  the  "  Speaker 
and  Members  of  the  General  Assembly,"  and,  finally,  his 
"  Reverend  Brethren,"  and  "  the  inhabitants  of  the  colony" 
in  general. 

After  his  sermon,  a  speech  was  delivered  by  one  of  White- 
field's  orphans  ;^  then  came  the  "  handsome  and  plentiful 
dinner;"  and  so  ended  the  proceedings  of  the  memorable 
Sunday  at  Bethesda,  January  28,  1770. 

Five  days  after  this,  Whitefield  and  his  manager,  Thomas 
Dixon,  appeared  "  before  the  Honourable  Noble  Jones,  Esq., 
Senior  Assistant  Justice  for  the  Province  of  Georgia,"  for  the 
purpose  of  being  sworn  that  the  Orphan-house  accounts, 
from  February  9,  1765,  to  the  present  date,  and  which 
amounted  on  the  debit  side  to  ;^2,548  ijs.  o\d.,  and  on  the 
credit  side  to  i^  1,3  13  19.?.  6\d.,  "contained,  to  the  best  of 
their  knowledge,  a  just  and  true  statement  of  all  the  monies 
received  and  expended  during  this  -period.  The  accounts 
thus  presented  were  handed  to  James  Edward  Powell  and 
Grey  Elliot,  members  of  his  Majesty's  Council  for  Georgia, 
who,  after  carefully  examining  them,  swore,  before  Noble 
Jones,  that  they  were  perfectly  correct ;   and  added  : — 

"  We  find  that  the  whole  of  the  sums  expended  on  account  of  the 
Orphan  House  amount  to  ^15,404  2s.  ^\d.  sterHng,  and  the  whole  receipts 
to  ^12,104  igj-.  \\d.;  and  that  the  benefactions  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  George 
Whitefield  to  the  Orphan  House  have,  at  different  times,  amounted  to 
;£3>299  y.  3|(/.  sterling  ;  and  that  no  charge  whatever  has  been  made  by 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Whitefield,  either  for  travelling  charges  or  otherwise,  nor 
any  other  charge  for  the  salary  of  any  person  whatever,  employed  or 
concerned  in  the  management  of  the  said  Orphan  House  ;  and  that  clear 
and  distinct  vouchers  for  the  whole  amount  of  the  sums  expended  have 
been  laid  before  us,  except  for  four  articles,  amounting  together  to 
£ip  \s.  Id.,  being  monies  expended  and  paid  by  the  said  Mr.  Whitefield 

'  Whitefield's  Works,  vol.  iii.  p.  501. 


The  Orphan  Hoti^e  Accounts.  581 

on  several  occasions,  the  particulars  of  which  are  laid  before  us,  but  no 
receipt  had  been  by  him  taken  for  the  same . 

"James  Edward  Powell. 
"Grey  Elliot. 
"  Sworn  this  second  day  of  February,  1770,  before  me  ;   in  justification 
whereof,  I  have  caused  the  seal  of  the  general  Court  to  be  affixed. 

"  N.  Jones." 

This  is  a  notable  document.  The  Orphan  House  had 
been  built  thirty  years,  and  had  been  continuously  main- 
tained. The  sum  of  ^15,404  had  been  expended,  and, 
excepting  ^^40,  vouchers  for  the  whole  of  this  amount  were 
now  produced.  Not  a  penny  had  been  paid  out  of  the 
general  fund  to  either  Whitefield  or  any  of  his  managers  ; 
and  Wliitefield  himself,  out  of  his  own  private  means,  had 
contributed  .^3299  ^s.  l\d.  !  As  a  curiosity,  the  following 
general  balance  sheet  of  receipts  and  expenditure,  from 
December,  1738,  to  February,  1770,  taken  from  the  Orphan 
House's  authenticated  book,  may  interest  the  reader  : — 

Receipts. 

Benefactions  and  Col- 
lections in  England  4471 

Ditto,  in  Scotland   .. 

Ditto,  in  Georgia     ... 

Ditto,  in  Charleston 

Ditto,  in  Beaufort    ... 

Ditto,  in  Boston,  New 
York,  Philadelphia, 
etc.  

Ditto,  in  Lisbon 

Cash  received  for  pay- 
ment  of  boarders 
cocoons,  rice,  lum 
ber,     indigo,     pro 
visions,  etc.  ...  3983  19     3 

The  Rev.  Mr.  White- 
field's  benefactions, 
being  the  sums  ex- 
pended more  than 
received 3299    3    3 


L 

s. 

d. 

Expenditure. 
To  April  16,  1746 — 

L 

s. 

d. 

4471 

0 

6i 

Sundries)  per  audit 

55n 

17' 

9i 

978 

2 

54 

To  Feb.  25,  1752,  do. 

2026 

13 

7.4 

275 

5 

74 

To  Feb.  19.  1755,  do. 

1966 

18 

2 

567 

I 

9l 

To  Feb.  9,   1765,  do. 

3349 

IS 

10 

16 

\o 

7 

To  Feb.  2,  1770,  do. 

2548 

17 

o\ 

1809 

6 

104 

3 

12 

0 

^15,404    2    5J  /i 5,404    2     5|- 

During  the  thirty  years  that  had  elapsed  since  the  Orphan 
House  was  built,  140  boys  and  43  girls  had  been  "clothed, 
educated,    maintained,    and    suitably    provided     for;"    and, 


58-2  The  Life  of  White  fie  Id. 


1770     besides  these,  "many  other  poor  children  had  been  occasionally 
„Q  ^r   received,  educated,  and  maintained." 

The  Orphan  House  family  now  consisted  of  zvJiites : 
Managers  and  carpenters,  9;  boys,  15;  girl,  i;  total,  25. 
And  of  negroes:  Men  24,  of  whom  16  were  fit  for  any 
labour  ;  7  old,  but  capable  of  some  service  ;  and  i  so  old 
as  to  be  useless;  women,  11,  of  whom  8  were  capable 
of  the  usual  labour  ;  2  old,  but  able  to  assist  in  the  business 
of  the  house  ;  and  i  almost  incapable  of  any  service  ;  chil- 
dren, 15,  all  employed  as  far  as  their  strength  permitted  ; 
total,  50. 

The  lands  granted  to  Whitefield,  in  trnst  for  his  Orphan 
House,  were  a  tract  of  500  acres,  called  Bethesda,  on  which 
the  Orphan  House  was  erected;  another  of  419  arcres,  called 
Nazareth  ;  a  third  of  419  acres,  called  Ephratah,  on  which 
were  the  principal  planting  improvements  ;  and  a  fourth  of 
500  acres,  adjoining  Ephratah,  and  called  Huntingdon. 
Besides  these,  three  other  tracts,  amounting  to  2,000  acres, 
and  contiguous  to  the  former,  had  been  granted  to  him,  tn 
trnst,  for  the  endowment  of  his  College. 

As  one  object  of  Whitefield's  present  visit  to  America  was 
to  start  his  College,  or,  to  speak  more  properly,  his  Academy, 
he  drew  up  a  set  of  Rules,  to  be  observed  by  the  inmates  of 
his  establishment,  of  which  the  following  is  a  summary  : — 

1.  Morning  Prayer  was  to  begin  constantly,  ever)'  day  in  the  year,  at 
half-past  five  o'clock.  Evening  Prayer  every  night.  On  every  Sunday, 
besides  a  short  prayer  with  a  psalm  or  hymn  early  in  the  morning,  full 
Prayers  and  a  Sermon  at  ten  ;  the  same  at  three  in  the  afternoon  ;  a  short 
prayer  and  a  hymn  at  half-past  six  in  the  evening  ;  the  first  Lesson  to 
be  read  at  dinner  ;  the  same  at  supper  ;  and  a  short  hymn  at  each  meal. 

2.  Great  care  to  be  taken,  that  all  read,  write,  speak,  and  behave 
properly. 

3.  All  the  statutes  to  be  read  to  every  student  at  admission,  and  thrice 
a  year,  at  Easter,  Whitsuntide,  and  Christmas,  publicly. 

4.  No  cards,  dice,  or  gaming  of  any  kind  to  be  allowed,  on  pain  of 
expulsion  ;  and  no  music  but  divine  psalmody. 

5.  All  to  be  taught  Bland's  Mamcal  Exercise,  but  not  bound  to  attend 
on  musters  or  other  exercises,  unless  on  account  of  an  alarm. 

6.  No  one  to  be  suffered  to  run  into  arrears  for  above  half  a  year ;  and 
a  certain  amount  of  caution  money  to  be  paid. 

7.  All  students  to  furnish  their  own  rooms,  and  to  sleep  on  mattresses. 

8.  No  one  suffered  to  go  to  Savannah  without  leave. 

9.  Breakfast  at  seven ;  dinner  at  twelve  ;  supper  at  six,  through  all  the 


Rules  of  the  Orphan  House  Academy.  583 

year ;  and  the  utmost  neatness  to  be  observed  and  maintained  in  every 
room. 

10.  All  orphans  and  students  to  learn  and  repeat  the  Thirty-nine 
Articles. 

11.  The  Homilies' to  be  read  publicly,  every  year,  by  the  students  in 
rotation. 

12.  All  to  be  thoroughly  instructed  in  the  history  of  Georgia,  and  the 
constitution  of  England,  before  being  taught  the  history  of  Greece  and 
Rome. 

13.  The  young  negro  boys  to  be  baptized  and  taught  to  read  ;  the 
young  negro  girls  to  be  taugiit  to  work  with  the  needle. 

14.  The  following  divinity  books  to  be  read  : — The  Commentaries  of 
Henry,  Doddridge,  Guise,  Burkit,  and  Clarke  ;  Wilson's  Dictionary,  Pro- 
fessor Francke's  Manuductio,  Doddridge's  Rise  and  Progress,  Boston's 
Fourfold  State,  and  his  book  on  the  Covenant,  Jenks  on  the  Righteousness 
of  Christ,  and  also  his  Meditations,  Hervey's  Theron  and  Aspasio,  Hall's 
Contemplations,  and  other  works,  Edwards's  Preacher,  Trapp  on  the  Old 
and  New  Testament,  Poole's  Annotations,  Warner's  Tracts,  Leighton's 
Comment  on  the  first  Epistle  of  Peter,  Pearson  on  the  Creed,  Edwards's 
Veritas  Redux,  and  Owen  and  Bunyan's  Works. 

It  is  a  singular  fact,  that,  except  reading,  writing,  history, 
and  divinity,  Whitefield  entirely  omits  the  education  to  be 
given.  To  prevent  a  recurrence  to  the  subject,  the  future 
history  of  Whitefield's  Orphanage  and  Academy  may  here 
be  added  to  the  foregoing  details. 

By  his  will,  Whitefield  bequeathed  the  Orphan  House 
and  other  buildings,  together  with  all  the  lands  already 
mentioned,  and  also  all  his  negroes,  to  the  Countess  of 
Huntingdon,  for  the  same  purposes  as  he  himself  held  them. 
The  Governor  and  Council  of  Georgia  had  expected  the 
property  to  be  placed  under  their  direction,  and  considerable 
disappointment  was  felt.  Most,  however,  of  the  religious 
people  in  the  colony  were  satisfied  ;  and  a  letter  from  her 
ladyship  to  the  Governor  and  Council  reconciled  even  many 
of  them  to  the  disposition  in  her  favour."  The  Countess 
determined   to   send   from   England  a  president  and   master 

'  Whitefield  intended  to  publish  a  new  edition  of  the  Homilies,  and 
wrote  a  preface  and  compiled  a  number  of  prayers  and  hymns  to  be 
bound  up  with  them.  He  strongly  urged  the  reading  of  the  Homilies 
from  the  pulpits  of  the  Established  Church,  in  accordance  with  the 
direction  given  in  the  Thirty-fitth  Article,  and  very  justly  argued  that,  if 
this  were  done,  "  the  desk  and  pulpit  would  not  so  frequently  contradict 
each  other.     (See  Whitefield's  Works,  vol.  iv.,  pp.  441 — 454.) 

-  "  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  256. 


584  The  Life  of  Whitefield, 


for  the  Orphan  House,  and,  at  the  same  time,  to  dispatch  a 
number  of  her  Trevecca  students  as  missionaries  to  the 
Indians  and  to  the  people  in  the  back  settlements.  The 
students,  summoned  from  all  parts  of  the  kingdom,  assembled 
at  Trevecca,  on  the  9th  of  October,  1772.  The  Hon.  and 
Rev.  Walter  Shirley,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Glascott,  the  Rev.  John 
Crosse,  after vvards  vicar  of  Bradford,  and  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Piercy,  rector  of  St.  Paul's,  Charleston,  met  them.  Public 
services  were  held  daily  for  a  fortnight.  At  the  end  of  the 
month,  Piercy  and  the  missionaries  embarked  for  Georgia. 
Piercy  was  to  be  the  president  of  the  Orphan  House,  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Crosse  was  to  be  the  master,  and  the  Countess's 
own  housekeeper  was  sent  to  regulate  the  household  matters 
according  to  her  ladyship's  direction.^  The  missionaries 
w«re  welcomed  by  the  people,  and,  for  a  brief  period,  affairs 
at  the  Orphan  House  seemed  to  prosper. 

In  the  month  of  June,  1773,  this  historic  edifice  was 
burnt.  Francis  Asbury,  one  of  Wesley's  missionaries  in 
America  wrote  : — 

"  New  York,  July  2,  1773.  Arrived  the  sorrowful  news  of  the  destruc- 
tion of  Mr.  Whitefield's  Orphan  House.  As  there  was  no  fire  in  the 
house,  it  was  supposed  to  have  been  set  on  fire  by  lightning.  The  fire 
broke  out  about  seven  or  eight  o'clock  at  night,  and  consumed  the  whole 
building,  except  the  two  wings." - 

Lady  Huntingdon  lamented  the  loss,  but  wrote  :  "  I  could 
never  wish  it  for  one  moment  to  be  otherwise,  believing  the 
Lord  removed  it  out  of  our  way,  and  that  it  was  not  some- 
how on  that  right  foundation  of  simplicity  and  faith  our 
work  must  stand  upon."  ^  Honest  Berr.idge,  of  Everton,  enter- 
tained the  same  opinion.  "  It  excites  in  me  no  surprise," 
said  he,  "  that  the  Orphan  House  is  burnt.  It  was  originally 
intended  for  orphans,  and  as  such  was  a  laudable  design  ; 
but  it  ceased  to  be  an  Orphan  House,  in  order  to  become  a 
lumber-house  for  human  learning  ;  and  God  has  cast  a  brand 
of  His  displeasure  upon  it.  But  how  gracious  the  Lord  has 
been  to  Mr.  Whitefield,  in  preserving  it  during  his  lifetime.'* 

'  "Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  pp.  259^267. 
''■  "  Asbury's  Journal,"  vol.  i.,  p.  78. 

^  "  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntirfgdon,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  263. 
*■  "  Memoirs  of  Cornelius  Winter,"  p.  144. 


The  Orphan  House  Rums.  585 


This  is  not  the  place  to  recite  the  annoyances  and  troubles  i?: 
which  Whitefield's  bequest  entailed  on  the  Countess  of  Hun-  ^gc 
tingdon.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that,  in  1782,  during-  the  war 
v.ith  England,  the  Americans  confiscated  the  Orphan  House 
estates  ;"^  and  that,  in  1800,  when  the  place  was  visited  by 
a  Methodist  preacher,  the  two  unburnt  wings  were  fast  de- 
caying. In  one  of  them,  lived  a  small  family  of  whites  ;  in 
part  of  the  other,  a  family  of  negro  slaves,  the  remainder 
being  converted  into  a  stable.  The  brick  walls  which  for- 
merly enclosed  the  whole  of  the  Orphan  House  premises 
were  levelled  with  the  ground,  and,  in  many  places,  the 
foundations  were  ploughed  up.  There  was  no  school  of  any 
kind  ;  and  the  whole  was  rented  for  thirty  dollars  per 
annum.2 

"The  ruins,"  writes  Dr.  Stevens,  "the  only  memorial  of  a  great  and 
benevolent  scheme,  were  also  the  memento  of  the  great  Methodist  evan- 
gelist. If  the  ostensible  design  of  the  institution  had  failed,  it  had  accom- 
plished a  greater  result  which  was  destined  never  to  fail  ;  for  it  had  been 
the  centre  of  American  attraction  to  its  founder,  had  prompted  his  thirteen 
passages  across  the  Atlantic,  and  had  thus  led  to  those  extraordinary- 
travels  and  labours, "from  Georgia  to  Maine,  which  quickened  with  spiritual 
life  the  Protestantism  of  the  continent,  and  opened  the  career  of  Metho- 
dism in  the  western  hemisphere." ' 

We  return  to  Whitefield's  history.  After  the  auditing  of 
his  Orphan  House  accounts,  he  went  to  Charleston,  where 
he  remained  about  a  month.  He  was  now  in  better  health 
than  he  had  been  for  many  years,  and  was  "  enabled  to  preach 
almost  every  day."  The  establishment  of  his  College,  how- 
ever, was  still  a  great  anxiety.  In  a  letter  to  Mr.  Keen, 
dated  "Charleston,  February  10,  1770,  he  wrote  : — 

"  I  have,  more  than  once,  conversed  with  the  Governor  of  Georgia,  in 
the  most  explicit  manner,  concerning  an  Act  of  the  Assembly  for  the 
establishment  of  the  intended  Orphan  House  College.  He  most  readily 
consents.  I  have  shewn  him  a  draught,  which  he  much  approves  of;  and 
all  will  be  finished  on  my  return  from  the  northward.    Meanwhile,  the  build- 

'  "  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  269. 

■-   Wesleyan  MetJiodist  Magazine^  1825,  p.  841. 

^  It  is  right  to  add,  that  the  authorities  of  Savannah,  out  of  respect  to 
Whitefield's  memory,  secured  what  they  could  of  the  ruined  property,  and 
invested  the  proceeds  in  a  school,  which  vet  flourishes.  (Belcher's 
"Biography  of  Whitefield,"  p.  458.) 

"  Stevens'  "  History  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,"  vol.  iii.,  p.  50. 


586  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1770  ings  will  be  carried  .on.  Since  my  being  in  Charleston,  I  have  shewn  the 
—       draught  to  some  persons  of  great  eminence  and  influence.     They  highly 

^^  approve  of  it,  and  willingly  consent  to  be  some  of  the  wardens  ;  near 
twenty  are  to  be  of  Georgia,  about  six  of  this  place,  one  of  Philadelphia, 
one  of  New  York,  one  of  Boston,  three  of  Edinburgh,  two  of  Glasgow,  and 
six  of  London.  Those  of  Georgia  and  South  Carolina  are  to  be  qualified; 
the  others  to  be  only  honorary  corresponding  wardens." 

In  the  same  month,  Wesley  wrote  to  Whitefield;  and, 
because  the  letter  happened  to  be  the  last  he  addressed  to 
his  old  friend,  and  because  it  expressed  Wesley's  opinions 
respecting  the  intended  College,  it  shall  be  given  at  full 
length. 

"Lewisham,  7vi5r//rt;ry  21,  1770. 

"  My  dear  Brother, — Mr.  Keen  informed  me  some  time  since  of  your 
safe  arrival  in  Carolina  ;  of  which,  indeed,  I  could  not  doubt  for  a  moment, 
notwithstanding  the  idle  report  of  your  being  cast  away,  which  was  so  cur- 
rent in  London.  I  trust  our  Lord  has  more  work  for  you  to  do  in  Europe, 
as  well  as  in  America.  And  who  knows,  but,  before  your  return  to 
England,  I  may  pay  another  visit  to  the  New  World  ?  I  have  been  strongly 
solicited  by  several  of  our  friends  in  New  York  and  Philadelphia.  They 
urge  many  reasons,  some  of  which  appear  to  be  of  considerable  weight ; 
and  my  age  is  no  objection  at  all  ;  for,  I  bless  God,  my  health  is  not 
barely  as  good,  but  abundantly  better  in  several  respects,  than  when  I  was 
five-and-twenty.  But  there  are  so  many  reasons  on  the  other  side,  that  as 
yet  I  can  determine  nothing:  so  I  must  wait  for  further  light.  Here  I  am: 
let  the  Lord  do  with  me  as  seemeth  Him  good.  For  the  present,  I  must 
beg  of  you  to  supply  my  lack  of  service,  by  encouraging  our  preachers  as 
you  judge  best,  who  are  as  yet  comparatively  young  and  inexperienced  ;' 
by  giving  them  such  advices  as  you  think  proper  ;  and,  above  all,  by  ex- 
horting them,  not  only  to  love  one  another,  but,  if  it  be  possible,  as  much 
as  lies  in  them,  to  live  peaceably  with  all  men. 

"  Some  time  ago,  since  you  went  hence,  I  heard  a  circumstance  which 
gave  me  a  good  deal  of  concern  ;  namely,  that  the  College  or  Academy  in 
Georgia  had  swallowed  up  the  Orphan  House.  Shall  I  give  my  judgment 
without  being  asked  ?  Methinks,  friendship  requires  I  should.  Are  there 
not,  then,  two  points  which  come  in  view — a  point  of  mercy,  and  a  point  of 
justice  ?  With  regard  to  the  former,  may  it  not  be  inquired,  Can  anything 
on  earth  be  a  greater  charity,  than  to  bring  up  orphans?  What  is  a 
college  or  an  academy  compared  to  this?  unless  you  could  have  such  a 
college  as  perhaps  is  not  upon  earth.  I  know  the  value  of  learning,  and 
am  more  in  danger  of  prizing  it  too  much,  than  too  little.  But,  still,  I 
cannot  place  the  giving  it  to  five  hundred  students,  on  a  level  with  saving 
the  bodies,  if  not  the  souls  too,  of  five  hundred  orphans.  But  let  us  pass 
from  the  point  of  mercy  to  that  of  justice.     You  had  land  given,  and  col- 

'  Boardman  commenced  the  itinerancy  in  1763,  and  Pilmoor  in  1765. 


Faithful  Friends.  587 

lected  money,  for  an  Orphan  House.     Are  you  at  liberty  to  apply  this  to      »77o 
any  other  purpose,— at  least,  while  there  are  any  orphans  in  Georgia  left  ?     . 
I  just  touch  upon  this,  though  it  is  an  important  point,  and  leave  it  to  your       ^"^  ^ 
own  consideration,  whether  part  of  it,  at  least,  might  not  properly  be  ap- 
plied to  carry  on  the  original  design. 

"  In  speaking  thus  freely,  I  have  given  you  a  fresh  proof  of  the  sincerity 
with  which  I  am  your  ever  affectionate  friend  and  brother, 

"John  Wesley,"' 

Wesley's  letter,  though  it  may  lack  Whitefield's  gushing 
lovingness,  is  the  letter  of  a  fond  and  faithful  friend,  and  fully 
proves  that,  to  the  last,  the  two  great  evangelists  were  not 
rivals,  as  some  have  represented  them,  but  affectionate  and 
confiding  fellow-workers.  Whitefield  dearly  loved  Wesley, 
and  by  his  actions  shewed  he  did  ;  and  Wesley  equally  felt 
for  Whitefield  Avarm  affection.  "  In  every  place,"  said  he, 
after  Whitefield's  death,  *'  I  wish  to  shew  all  possible  respect 
to  the  memory  of  that  great  and  good  man."  ^  "  I  believe  he 
was  highly  favoured  of  God  ;  yea,  that  he  was  one  of  the 
most  eminent  ministers  that  has  appeared  in  England,  or 
perhaps  in  the  world,  during  the  present  century."  '^ 

Early  in  the  month  of  March,  Whitefield  returned  to 
Bethesda,  where  he  continued  till  near  the  end  of  April.  In 
a  letter  to  Mr.  Keen,  he  wrote  : — 

"Savannah,  March  11,  1770. 
"  My  very  dear  worthy  Friend, — Blessed  be  God,  the  good  wine 
seemed  to  be  kept  till  the  last  at  Charleston.  Last  Thursday"  (March  8) 
"  I  returned,  and  found  all  well  at  Bethesda.  I  am  come  to  town  to 
preach  this  morning,  though  somewhat  fatigued  with  being  on  the  water 
three  nights.  Upon  the  whole,  however,  I  am  better  in  health  than  I 
have  been  for  many  years.     Praise  the  Lord,  O  my  soul  ! "  ^ 

Further  extracts  from  letters  to  Mr.  Keen  will  pourtray 
Whitefield's  views  and  feelings  at  this  period  of  his  history. 
He  was  happy  in  a  luxuriant  wilderness. 

"  Bethesda,  April  6, 1770.     How  glad  would  many  be  to  see  our  Goshen^ 
our  Bethel^  our  Bethesda  J    Never  did  I  enjoy  such  domestic  peace,  com- 


'  "  Wesley's  Works,"  vol.  xii.,  p.  149. 

^  Ibid.,  vol.  iii.,  p.  400. 

'  Ibid.,  vol.  xi.,  p.  289. 

■■  A  strange  rumour  was  circulated,  at  this  time,  in  the  London 
newspapers,  that  Whitefield  had  returned  to  England.  I.loyd^s  Evening" 
Post,  of  April  2,  announced,  "  Saturday,  March  31,  arrived  in  town,  the 
Rev.  Mr.  George  Whitefield,  from  Georgia." 


588  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

ifjo  fort,  and  joy,  during  my  whole  pilgrimage.  It  is  unspeakable,  it  is  full  of 
glory.  Peace,  unutterable  peace,  attends  our  paths,  and  a  pleasing  pros- 
^^  ^  pect  of  increasing  prosperity  is  continually  rising  to  our  view.  I  have 
lately  taken  six  poor  children,  and  purpose  to  add  greatly  to  their  number. 
Dear  Mr.  Dixon  and  his  wife  are  to  sail  next  month  for  Portsmouth.  We 
part  with  great  respect.  Fain  would  I  retain  such  an  old,  tried,  dis- 
interested friend,  in  the  service  of  the  sanctuary,  and  near  my  person  ;  but 
what  scheme  to  pursue  I  know  not,  being  so  uncertain  as  to  the  path  I 
shall  be  called  to  take.  A  few  months  will  determine  :  perhaps  a  few 
weeks." 

"Bethesda,  April  i6,  1770.  Hallelujah!  Praise  the  Lord!  All  is 
well,  all  more  than  well  here  !  Never,  never  did  I  enjoy  such  domestic 
peace  and  happiness.  I  have  taken  in  about  ten  orphans.  Prizes  ! 
prizes  !  Hallelujah  !  Join,  join  in  praising  Him  whose  mercy  endureth 
for  ever  !  If  possible,  I  shall  write  a  line  to  the  Welsh  brethren.  They 
have  indeed  sustained  a  loss  in  the  death  of  Mr.  Howell  Davies.  God 
sanctify  it  !     Surely  my  turn  will  come  by-and-by."' 

"  Bethesda,  April  20,  1770.  We  enjoy  a  little  heaven  upon  earth  here. 
With  regret,  I  go  northward,  as  far  as  Philadelphia  at  least,  next  Mon- 
day. Everything  concurs  to  shew  me,  that  Bethesda  affairs  must  go  on, 
as  yet,  in  their  old  channel.  A  few  months  may  open  strange  scenes.  O 
for  a  spirit  of  love  and  moderation  on  all  sides,  and  on  both  sides  of  the 
water  !  In  all  probability,  I  shall  not  return  hither  till  November.  Was 
ever  man  blessed  with  such  a  set  of  skilful,  peaceful,  laborious  helpers  !  O 
Bethesda,  my  Bethel,  my  Peniel !  My  happiness  is  inconceivable.  Nine 
or  ten  orphans  have  been  lately  taken  in.  Hallelujah  !  Hallelujah!  Let 
chapel,  tabernacle,  heaven,  and  earth,  resound  with  hallelujah  !  " 

"  Savannah,  April  24,  1770.  Five  in  the  morning.  I  am  just  going  into 
the  boat,  in  order  to  embark  for  Philadelphia.  This  will  prove  a  blessed 
year  for  me,  at  the  day  of  judgment.  Hallelujah  !  Come,  Lord,  come  ! 
Mr.  Robert  Wright  is  a  quiet,  ingenuous,  good  creature,  and  his  wife  an 
excellent  mistress  of  the  family.  Such  a  set  of  helpers  I  never  met  with. 
They  will  go  on  with  the  buildings,  while  I  take  my  gospel  range  to  the 
northward." 

Whitefield  had  now  left  his  beloved  Bethesda  for  ever. 
He  arrived  in  Philadelphia  on  Sunday,  the  6th  of  May,  and 
met  with  the  missionaries  of  his  old  friend  Wesley,  Messrs. 
Boardman  and  Pilmoor,  whom  he  encouraged  to  proceed  to 
their  arduous  work.^      Writing  to  Mr.  Keen,  he  says  : — 


'  It  is  a  noticeable  fact  that  two  of  Whitefield's  oldest  fellow-labourers 
died  in  the  same  year  as  himself, — the  Rev.  Howell  Davies,  "the  head  of 
Calvinistic  Methodism  in  Pembrokeshire,"  and  faithful  Thomas  Adams, 
the  leader  of  the  same  cause  in  Gloucestershire  and  Wilts.  ("  Memoirs 
of  Cornelius  Winter,"  p.  147.) 

^  Jesse  Lee,  who  became  a  Methodist  preacher  in  America,  twelve 
years  after  Whitefield's  death,  says  in  his  "  History  of  the  Methodists  in 


Age5i> 


Itinerathig,  589 

"  Philadelphia,  May  9,  1770.  I  arrived  here  on  the  6th  instant.  The  '770 
evening  following,  I  was  enabled  to  preach  to  a  large  auditory,  and  am  to 
repeat  the  delightful  task  this  evening.  Pulpits  and  hearts  seem  to  be 
as  open  to  me  as  ever.  Praise  the  Lord,  O  our  souls !  I  have  my  old 
plan  in  view,  to  travel  in  these  norlhern  parts  all  summer,  and  return  late 
in  the  fall  to  Georgia,  Through  infinite  mercy,  I  continue  in  good  health, 
and  am  more  and  more  in  love  with  a  pilgrim  life." 

"  Philadelphia,  May  24,  1 770.  I  have  now  been  here  nearly  three 
weeks-  People  of  all  ranks  flock  as  much  as  ever.  Impressions  are 
made  on  many,  and,  I  trust,  they  will  abide.  To  all  the  Episcopal 
Churc/us,  as  well  as  to  most  of  the  other  places  of  worship,  I  have  free 
access.  My  health  is  preserved ;  and,  though  I  preach  twice  on  the 
Lord's-day,  and  three  or  four  times  a  week  besides,  I  am  rather  better 
than  I  have  been  for  many  years.  This  is  the  Lord's  doing.  To  Him  be 
all  the  glory  !  " 

Three  weeks  after  this,  Whitefield  wrote  again  to  Mr. 
Keen  : — 

"  Philadelphia,  June  14,  1770.  I  have  just  returned  from  a  hundred  and 
fifty  miles'  circuit,  in  which  I  have  been  enabled  to  preach  every  day.  So 
many  new,  as  well  as  old,  doors  are  open,  and  so  many  invitations  sent 
from  various  quarters,  that  I  know  not  which  way  to  turn  myself. 
However,  at  present  I  am  bound  for  New  York,  and  so  on  further 
northward." 

He  arrived  at  New  York  on  Saturday,  June  22,,  and,  in 
another  letter  to  Mr.  Keen,  remarked  : — 

"  New  York,  June  30,  1770-  I  have  been  here  just  a  week.  Have  been 
enabled  to  preach  four  times,  and  am  to  preach  again  this  evening. 
Congregations  are  larger  than  ever.  Next  week,  I  purpose  to  go  to 
Albany  :  from  thence,  perhaps,  to  the  Oneida  Indians.  There  is  to  be  a 
very  large  Indian  congress.  Mr.  Kirkland  accompanies  me.  He  is  a 
truly  Christian  minister  and  missionary.  Everything  possible  should  be 
done  to  strengthen  his  hands  and  his  heart." 

A  word  must  be  interposed  respecting  this  vakiable  man. 
Samuel  Kirkland  had  been  educated  in  Dr.  Whcelock's 
school,  and  in  New  Jersey  College.     While  at  school,  he  had 

America"  (p.  36),  "In  the  year  1770,  Mr.  Whitefield  passed  through 
Philadel;  hia,  and,  calling  on  our  preachers  who  were  in  that  city,  ex- 
pressed to  them  his  great  satisfaction  at  finding  them  in  this  country, 
where  there  was  such  a  great  call  for  faithful  labourers  in  the  vineyard  of 
the  Lord.  His  labours,  as  an  itinerant  preacher,  had  been  greatly  blessed 
to  the  people  in  America  ;  and,  thereby,  the  way  was  opened  for  our 
creachcrs  to  travel  and  preach  in  different  parts  of  the  country." 


5 go  The  Life  of  Whitcjield. 

^770  learned  the  language  of  the  Mohawks  ;  and,  in  1764,  corn- 
Age  55  menced  a  journey  to  the  Senecas,  among  whom  he  spent  a 
year  and  a  half.  In  1766,  he  was  ordained  a  missionary  to 
~  the  Indians;  and,  in  1769,  removed  with  his  wife  to  the 
Oneida  tribe,  for  whose  benefit  he  laboured  more  than  forty 
years.  His  son,  Dr.  Kirkland,  became  president  of  Harvard 
College.  N1)  wonder  Whitefield  fell  in  love  with  such  a  man. 
Unfortunately,  no  record  of  his  visit  to  the  "Ii^dian  congress" 
now  exists  ;  but  an  idea  of  his  enormous  labours  may  be 
gathered  from  the  following  letter  to  Mr.  Keen  : — 

"  New  York,  July  29,  1770.  During  this  month,  I  have  been  above  a 
five  hundred  miles'  circuit,  and  have  been  enabled  to  pi^each  every  day. 
The  congregations  have  been  very  large,  attentive,  and  affected,  particularly 
at  Albany,  Schenectady,  Great  Barrington,  Norfolk,  Salisbury,  Sharon, 
Smithfield,  Powkeepsy,  Fishkill,  Ne.w  Rumburt,  New  Windsor,  and  Peck- 
shill.  Last  night,  I  returned  hither,  and  hope  to  set  out  for  Boston  in  two 
or  three  days.  O  what  a  new  scene  of  usefulness  is  opening  in  various 
parts  of  this  new  world  !  All  fresh  work  where  I  have  been.  The  Divine 
influence  has  been  as  at  the  first.  Invitations  crowd  upon  me,  both  from 
ministers  and  people,  from  many,  many  quarters.  A  very  peculiar  provi- 
dence led  me  lately  to  a  place  where  a  horse-stealer  was  executed. 
Thousands  attended.  The  poor  criminal,  hearing  I  was  in  the  country, 
had  sent  me  several  letters.  The  sheriff  allowed  him  to  come  and  hear  a 
sermon  under  an  adjacent  tree.  Solemn  !  solemn  !  After  being  by  him- 
self about  an  hour,  I  walked  half  a  mile  with  him  to  the  gallows.  His 
heart  had  been  softened  before  my  first  visit.  He  seemed  full  of  Divine 
consolations.  An  instructive  walk  !  I  went  up  with  him  into  the  cart. 
He  gave  a  short  exhortation.  I  then  stood  upon  the  coffin  ;  added,  I 
trust,  a  word  in  season  ;  prayed  ;  gave  the  blessing  ;  and  took  my  leave. 
I  hope  effectual  good  Avas  done  to  the  hearers  and  spectators." 

While  travelling  this  "  five  hundred  miles'  circuit,"  White- 
field,  one  day,  dined,  with  a  number  of  ministers,  at  the  manse 
of  his  old  friend,  the  Rev.  William  Tennent.  After  dinner,  as 
often  happened,  Whitefield  expressed  his  joy  at  the  thought 
of  soon  dying  and  being  admitted  into  heaven  ;  and,  then, 
appealing  to  the  ministers  present,  he  asked  if  his  joy  was 
shared  by  them.  Generally  they  assented  ;  but  Tennent 
continued  silent.  "  Brother  Tennent,"  said  Whitefield,  "  you 
are  the  oldest  man  among  us.  Do  you  not  rejoice  that  your 
being  called  home  is  so  near  at  hand  ? "  "  I  have  no  wish 
about  it,"  bluntly  answered  Tennent.  Whitefield  pressed  his 
question,  and  Tennent   again   replied,  "  No,  sir,  it  is  no  plea- 


A  Rebuke.  591 

sure  to  me  at  all  ;  and,  if  you  knew  your  duty,  it  would  be  '^° 
none  to  you.  I  have  nothing  to  do  with  death.  My  busi-  Age  55 
ness  is  to  live  as  lo7ig  as  I  can,  and  as  well  as  I  can." 
Whitefield  was  not  satisfied,  and  a  third  time  urged  the  good 
old  man  to  state,  whether  he  would  not  choose  to  die,  if  death 
were  left  to  his  own  choice.  "  Sir,"  answered  Tennent,  "  I 
have  no  choice  about  it.  I  am  God's  servant,  and  have 
engaged  to  do  His  business  as  long  as  He  pleases  to  continue 
me  therein.  But  now,  brother  Whitefield,  let  me  ask  you  a 
question.  What  do  you  think  I  would  say,  if  I  were  to  send  • 
my  man  Tom  into  the  field  to  plough,  and  if  at  noon  I 
should  find  him  lounging  under  a  tree,  and  complaining, 
'  Master,  the  sun  is  hot,  and  the  ploughing  hard,  and  I  am 
weary  of  my  work,  and  overdone  with  heat :  do,  master,  let 
me  go  home  and  rest '  .''  Wh'at  would  I  say  1  Why,  that  he 
was  a  lazy  fellow,  and  that  it  was  his  business  to  do  the  work  I 
had  appointed  him,  until  I  should  think  fit  to  call  him  home." 
For  the  present,  at  least,  Whitefield  was  silenced,  and  was 
taught,  that  it  is  every  Christian  man's  duty  to  say,  "  All  the 
days  of  my  appointed  time  will  I  wait  till  my  change  come."  ^ 

Whitefield's  preaching  was  never  more  popular  and  power- 
ful than  now.  Sharon  has  been  mentioned  in  the  foregoing  ^ 
extract.  The  minister  here  was  the  Rev.  Cotton  Mather 
Smith,  who  offered  him  his  pulpit.  Whitefield  selected  his 
favourite  subject,  and  preaclied  from,  "  Ye  must  be  born 
again,"  The  immense  congregation  was  moved  and  melted 
throughout,  but  the  pronunciation  of  the  concluding  w^ords  of 
the  sermon,  it  is  said,  produced  a  life-time  impression  on 
those  who  heard  them  :  "  Awake,  O  north  wind  ;  and  come, 
thou  south  ;  blow  upon  this  garden,  that  the  spices  thereof 
may  flow  out.  Let  my  beloved  come  into  this  garden,  and 
eat  his  pleasant  fruits."  (Solomon's  Song,  iv.  16.)  Simple 
words,  but  uttered  in  a  manner  and  with  a  pathos  which 
thrilled  the  enormous  crowd,  and  which  caused  many  of 
them  to  follow  him  into  the  adjacent  towns  for  several 
successive  days.^ 

Another   anecdote    may  be   inserted    here.      An    eminent 

'  Evangelical  Mas^azine,  1807,  p.  292. 

*  Wakeley's  "Anecdotes  of  Whitefield,"  p.  358. 


502  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

^770  shipbuilder  being  invited  to  hear  Whitefield,  at  first  made 
^  e  55  several  objections,  but  at  last  was  persuaded  to  go. 
"  What  do  you  think  of  Mr.  Whitefield  1  "  asked  his  friend. 
"  Think,"  said  he,  "  I  never  heard  such  a  man  in  my 
life.  I  tell  you,  sir,  every  Sunday,  when  I  go  to  church,  I 
can  build  a  ship  from  stem  to  stern,  under  the  sermon  ;  but, 
were  it  to  save  my  soul,  under  Mr.  Whitefield,  I  could  not  lay 
a  single  plank."  -^ 

Whitefield  sailed  from  New  York  on  Tuesday,  July  31st, 
and  arrived  at  New  Port  on  the  Friday  following.  With  the 
exception  of  six  days,  on  five  of  which  he  was  seriously  ill, 
he  preached  daily  until  he  died.  From  August  4th  to  8th 
inclusive,  he  preached  at  New  Port ;  August  9th  to  12th,  at 
Providence;  August  13th,  at  Attleborough  ;  and  14th,  at 
Wrentham.  With  the  exception  of  the  19th,  when  he  dis- 
coursed at  Maiden,  he  ofiiciated  every  day  at  Boston,  from 
the  15  th  to  the  25  th.  On  August  26th,  he  preached  at 
Medford  ;  on  the  27th,  at  Charlestown  ;  and  on  the  28th, 
at  Cambridge.  The  next  two  days  were  employed  at  Boston  ; 
August  31st,,  at  Roxbury  Plain  ;  September  ist,  at  Milton  ; 
2nd,  at  Roxbury  ;  3rd,  at  Boston  ;  5th,  at  Salem  ;  6th,  at 
Marble  Head  ;  7th,  at  Salem  ;  8th,  at  Cape  Ann  ;  9th,  at 
Ipswich  ;  loth  and  iith,  at  Newbury  Port  ;  and  12  th  and 
13th,  at  Rowley.  On  the  14th  and  two  following  days,  he 
was  disabled  by  violent  diarrhoea.  From  September  1 7th 
to  19th,  he  again  preached  at  Boston  ;  and  on  the  20th,  at 
Newton.  The  next  two  days  he  was  ill,  but  managed  to 
travel  from  Boston  to  Portsmouth,  where  he  preached  on  the 
23rd  to  the  25th.'^      The  26th,  he  employed  at  Kittery  ;   the 

'  Methodist  Magazine,  181 1,  p.  788. 

^  In  the  Pennsylvania  Journal,  a  letter  was  published,  bearing  date 
**  Portsmouth,  September  28,  1770."  The  writer  said,  "Last  Sunday 
morning  came  to  town,  from  Boston,  the  Rev.  George  Whitefield  ;  and, 
in  the  afternoon,  he  preached  at  the  Rev.  Dr.  Haven's  meeting-house  : 
Monday  morning,  he  preached  again  at  the  same  place,  to  a  very  large 
and  crowded  audience.  Tuesday  morning,  a  most  numerous  assembly 
met  at  the  Rev.  Dr.  Langdon's  meeting-house,  which,  it  is  said,  will  hold 
nearly  6,000  people,  and  was  well  filled,  even  the  aisles.  In  the  evening, 
he  preached  at  the  Rev.  Mr.  John  Rodgers'  meeting-house  in  Kittery  ; 
and  yesterday,  at  the  Rev.  Mr.  Lyman's,  in  York,  to  which  place  a  number 
of  ladies  and  gentlemen  from  town  accompanied  him.  This  morning 
(Friday)  he  will  preach  at  the  Rev.  Dr.  Langdon's  meeting-house  in  this 
town."     (Belcher's  "  Biography  of  Whitefield,"  p.  433.) 


Last  Letters.  593 

27th,  at  Old  York  ;  the  28th,  at  Portsmouth  ;  and  the  29th,     ^7^'' 
at  Exeter.^      At  six  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  the  30th,  he  Age 
died. 

Thus  were  spent  the  last  two  months  of  Whiteficld's  life. 
He  was  too  much  occupied  to  have  time  for  his  wonted 
correspondence  with  his  friends  ;  but  there  are  two  letters, 
belonging  to  this  interval,  which  must  be  quoted  :  the  first, 
to  Mr.  Wright,  his  manager  at  Bethesda;  the  second  to  his 
beloved  and  faithful  friend,  Mr.  Keen,  of  London. 

"  Boston,  September  17,  1770. 
"  Dear  Mr.  Wright,— Blessed  be  God  !  I  find  all  is  well  at  Bethesda  ; 
only  I  want  to  know  what  things  are  needed,  that  I  may  order  them  from 
Philadelphia,  by  Captain  Souder.  Fain  would  I  contrive  to  come  by  him, 
but  people  are  so  importunate  for  my  stay  in  these  parts,  that  I  fear  it  will 
be  impracticable.  Lord  Jesus,  direct  my  goings  in  Thy  way  !  He  will,  He 
will !  My  God  will  supply  all  my  wants,  according  to  the  riches  of  His 
gi-ace  in  Christ  Jesus.  Two  or  three  evenings  ago,  I  was  taken  in  the 
night  with  a  violent  lax,  attended  with  retching  and  shivering,  so  that  I 
was  obliged  to  return  to  Boston.  Through  infinite  mercy,  I  am  restored, 
and  to-morrow  morning  hope  to  begin  to  begin  again.  Never  was  the  word 
received  with  greater  eagerness  than  now.  All  opposition  seems,  as  it  were, 
for  a  while  to  cease.  I  find  God's  time  is  the  best.  The  season  is  critical  as  to 
outward  circumstances.  But  when  forts  are  given  up,  the  Lord  Jesus  can 
appoint  salvation  for  walls  and  bulwarks.  He  has  promised  to  be  a  wall  * 
of  fire  round  about  His  people.  This  comforts  me  concerning  Bethesda, 
though  we  should  have  a  Spanish  war.  You  will  be  pleased  to  hear  I 
never  was  carried  through  the  summer's  heat  so  well.  I  hope  it  has 
been  so  with  you,  and  all  my  family.  Hoping  ere  long  to  see  you, 
I  am,  etc., 

"  George  Whitefield." 

The  letter  to  Mr.  Keen,  written  only  seven  days  before 
Whiteficld's  death,  was  to  the  following  effect  : — 

"Portsmouth,  New  Hampshire, 6'^//'dv//(^<?r 23,  1770. 
"  My  very  dear  Friend, — By  this  time,  1  thought  to  be  moving  south- 
ward ;  but  never  was  greater  importunity  used  to  detain  me  longer  in 
these  northern  parts.  Poor  New  England  is  much  to  be  pitied  ;  Boston 
people  most  of  all.  How  falsely  misrepresented  !  What  a  mercy  that 
our  Christian  charter  cannot  be  dissolved  !  Blessed  be  God  for  an  un- 
changeable Jesus  !  You  will  see,  by  the  many  invitations  enclosed,  what 
a  door  is  opened  for  preaching  His  everlasting  gospel.  I  was  so  ill  on 
F'riday,  that  I  could  not  preach,  though  thousands  were  waiting  to  hear. 
Well,  the  day  of  release  will  shortly  come,  but  it  does  not  seem  yet  ;  for. 


'  Gillies'  "  Memoirs  of  Whitefield." 
VOL.    II.  .  38 


5 9 -I-  '^'^'^  Life  of  Whitefield. 

'^11'^  by  riding  sixty  miles,  I  am  better,  and  hope  to  preach  here  to-morrow.  I 
.  J~  hope  my  blessed  Master  will  accept  of  these  poor  efforts  to  serve  Him. 
*  '^  O  for  a  warm  heart  !     O  to  stand  fast  in  the  faith,  to  quit  ourselves  like 

men,  and  to  be  strong  !  May  this  be  the  happy  experience  of  you  and 
yours  !  If  spared  so  long,  I  expect  to  see  Georgia  about  Christmas.  Still 
pray  and  praise.  I  am  so  poorly,  and  so  engaged  when  able  to  preach, 
that  this  must  apologize  for  not  writing  to  more  friends.  It  is  quite  im- 
practicable. Hoping  to  see  all  dear  friends  about  the  time  proposed,  and 
earnestly  desiring  a  continued  interest  in  all  your  prayers,  I  must  hasten 
to  subscribe  myself, 

"  My  dear,  very  dear  sir, 

"  Less  than  the  least  of  all, 

"  George  Whitefield." 

This  was  Whitefield's  last  letter;  at  all   events,  no  letter 
of  a  subsequent  date  has  been  published. 

Though  Whitefield  scarcely  alludes  to  the  circumstance, 
it  ought  to  be  noted,  that,  the  last  six  months  of  his  life 
were,  spent  in  the  midst  of  great  political  excitement.  It  is 
a  well-known  fact,  that  the  inhabitants  of  the  British  colonies 
in  America  strongly  objected  to  pay  taxes  upon  goods  im- 
ported from  England  ;  and  defended  themselves  by  the 
famous  aphorism,  "  Taxation,  without  representation,  is 
tyranny."  So  stout  was  their  resistance,  that,  during  the 
year  1769,  the  exports  of  English  merchants  fell  short  of 
what  they  had  been  to  the  value  of  three-quarters  of  a 
million  sterling;  and,  since  the  year  1767,  the  revenue,  re- 
ceived by  government  from  duties  paid  in  America,  had 
decreased  from  ;^i  10,000  to  ;^30,000.  In  consequence  of 
this  state  of  things,  Lord  North,  on  the  5th  of  March,  1770, 
moved  in  the  House  of  Commons  for  leave  to  bring  in  a  bill 
to  repeal  all  the  American  taxes  and  duties,  except  the  duty 
upon  tea.  Great  debates  followed.  On  the  ist  of  May,  the 
opposition  called  for  the  correspondence  with  the  American 
colonies.  Eight  days  later,  Burke  moved  eight  resolutions 
censuring  the  plan  the  government  were  pursuing.  On  the 
14th  of  May,  Chatham  moved  that,  in  consequence  of  "the 
alarming  disorders  in  his  Majesty's  American  dominions,"  an 
humble  address  be  presented  to  the  king,  beseeching  him 
"  to  take  the  recent  and  genuine  sense  of  the  people,  by 
dissolving  this  present  parliament,  and  calling  another,  with 
all  convenient  dispatch." 

So  much  as  it  regards  England.      In  America,  the  excite- 


Riots  at  Boston.  595 


ment  had  become  dangerous.  In  nearly  all  the  principal  ^77o 
seaports  of  the  colonies,  committees  had  been  appointed,  by  A^e  55 
the  people,  to  examine  cargoes  arriving  from  Great  Britain, 
and  to  prevent  the  sale  of  taxed  commodities.  At  Boston, 
meetings  were  regularly  held,  and  strong  votes  of  censure 
passed  upon  every  one  who  dared  to  introduce  or  sell  any 
of  the  prohibited  goods  ;  and,  still  further  to  increase  the 
odium  and  danger  of  such  departures  from  the  popular  will, 
the  names  of  offenders  were  published  in  the  newspapers, 
with  comments  representing  them  as  slaves  and  traitors. 

As  might  naturally  be  expected,  riots  followed.  In  the 
month  of  February,  1770,  the  shop  of  Theophilus  Lillie 
was  attacked.  A  friend  of  Lillie's  seized  a  gun,  and  fired 
upon  the  assailants.  The  shot  killed  Christopher  Snider,  a 
dirty  boy,  who,  as  "  the  first  martyr  to  the  glorious  cause  of 
liberty,"  was  buried  with  great  pomp,  the  procession  which 
followed  the  young  reformer  to  his  grave  being  a  quarter  of 
a  mile  in  length.  In  the  meantime,  the  inhabitants  of 
Boston,  and  the  soldiers  quartered  there,  were  perpetually 
quarrelling.  No  man  in  a  red  coat  could  go  through  the 
streets  without  being  insulted,  and  no  discipline  could  pre- 
vent the  soldiers  from  retorting.  Words  led  to  blows.  On 
the  2nd  of  March,  a  private  of  the  29th  Regiment  got  into 
a  quarrel,  and  was  beaten  by  a  set  of  ropemakers.  •  A 
dozen  of  the  soldier's  comrades  chastised  the  ropemakers, 
and  made  them  run  for  their  very  lives.  The  towns- 
people were  exasperated,  and  armed  themselves  with  clubs. 
Meetings  were  held  by  the  mob  ;  and,  on  the  5  th  of  March, 
a  crowd,  with  sticks  and  clubs,  marched  to  Dock  Square, 
and  made  an  attack  upon  the  soldiers.  Muskets  were  fired, 
and  the  rioters  ran  away ;  but  three  were  killed,  and 
five  were  dangerously  wounded.  The  subject  need  not 
here  be  pursued  at  greater  length.  In  point  of  fact,  the 
American  Rebellion  was  begun,  and,  during  the  last  six 
months  of  his  eventful  life,  Whitefield  preached  among  the 
excited  and  angry  discontents.  In  some  degree,  he  evidently 
sympathised  with  their  protests  concerning  their  grievances  ; 
and,  hence,  the  exclamations  in  his  last  letter  to  IMr.  Keen  : 
"  Poor  New  England  is  much  to  be  pitied  !  Boston  people 
most    of   all !      How   falsely   misrepresented  !  "      No   doubt, 


5q6  The  Life  of  Whitcfuid. 

^770  both  sides  Avere  misrepresented.  The  hour  was  pregnant 
Age  55  with  the  most  disastrous  events.  For  years  afterwards,  the 
roar  and  ravages  of  war  were  terrific.  Fortunately  for 
himself,  Whitefield  escaped  to  the  land  of  love,  and  peace, 
and  blessedness,  while  the  storm  was  only  gathering,  and 
before  it  burst  in  all  its  devastating  deadliness. 

On  Saturday  morning,  September  29,  Whitefield   set  out 
from  Portsmouth  to  Boston,  with  the  intention  of  preaching 
at    Newbury    Port    next    morning.      On    the    way,  he   was 
stopped  at  Exeter,  fifteen   miles  from   Portsmouth,  and  was 
prevailed   upon   to   give  a  sermon  to  the  people   there.      A 
friend  said  to  him,   "  Sir,  you  are  more  fit  to  go  to  bed  than 
to    preach,"       "  True,   sir,"    replied    Whitefield  ;     and    then, 
clasping  his  hands,   and    looking   up   to   heaven,  he  added, 
"  Lord  Jesus,  I  am  Aveary  in  Thy  work,  but   not  of  it.      If  I 
have   not  yet  finished   my  course,  let   me   go  and   speak  for 
Thee  once  more  in  the  fields,  seal  Thy  truth,  and  come  home 
and  die  !  "    An  immense  multitude  assembled.     He  mounted 
a  hogshead.^      His  text  was,  *'  Examine  yourselves,  whether' 
you  be  in  the  faith."      One,  who  was  present,  thus  described 
the  preacher  and  his  sermon  : — 

"  The  subject  was  '  Faith  and  works.'  He  rose  up  sluggishly  and 
wearily,  as  if  worn  down  and  exhausted  by  his  stupendous  labours.  His 
face  seemed  bloated,  his  voice  was  hoarse,  his  enunciation  heavy.  Sen- 
tence after  sentence  was  thrown  off  in  rough,  disjointed  portions,  without 
much  regard  to  point  or  beauty.  At  length,  his  mind  kindled,  and  his 
•  lion-like  voice  roared  to  the  extremities  of  his  audience.  He  was  speaking 
of  the  inefficiency  of  works  to  merit  salvation,  and  suddenly  cried  out  in 
a  tone  of  thunder,  *  Works  !  works  !  a  man  get  to  heaven  by  works  1  I 
would  as  soon  think  of  climbing  to  the  moon  on  a  rope  of  sand  ! "  * 

Another  gentleman,  who  was  present,  wrote  : — 

"  Mr.  Whitefield  rose,  and  stood  erect,  and  his  appearance  alone  was  a 
powerful  sermon.  He  remained  several  minutes  unable  to  speak ;  and 
then  said,  '  I  will  wait  for  the  gracious  assistance  of  God  ;'  for  He  will,  I 
am  certain,  assist  me  once  more  to  speak  in  His  name.'  He  then  delivered, 
perhaps,  one  of  his  best  sermons.  '  I  go,'  he  cried,  '  I  go  to  rest  prepared  ; 
my  sun  has  arisen,  and,  by  aid  from  heaven,  has  given  light  to  many.  It 
is  now  about  to  set  for — no,  it  is  about  to  rise  to  the  zenith  of  immortal 


'  Lee's  "History  of  American  Methodists,"  p.  36. 
*  Wakeley's  "Anecdotes  of  Whitefield." 


Age  55 


The  Journey's  End.  597 

glory.    I  have  outlived  many  on  earth,  but  they  cannot   outlive  me  in     177° 
heaven.    Oh,  thought  divine  !    I  soon  shall  be  in  a  world  where  time,  age, 
pain,  and  sorrow  are  unknown.     My  body  fails,  my  spirit  expands.     How 
willingly  would  I  live  for  ever  to  preach  Christ !     But  I  die  to  be  with 
Him." ' 

Whitefield's  sermon  was  two  hours  in  length, — character- 
istic of  the  man,  but,  in  his  present  healtli,  quite  enough  to 
kill  him. 

The  Rev.  Jonathan  Parsons,  who,  for  the  last  twenty-four 
years,  had  been  the  Presbyterian  minister  at  Newbury  Port, 
met  him  at  Exeter.  In  piety,  the  two  were  kindred  spirits. 
Mr.  Parsons'  congregation  was  one  of  the  largest  in  America. 
As  a  preacher,  he  was  eminently  useful  ;  his  imagination  was 
rich,  and  his  voice  clear  and  commanding.  He  was  well 
skilled  in  the  Latin,  Greek,  and  Hebrew  languages  ;  and 
many  were  the  seals  of  his  faithful  ministry,  which  closed 
six  years  after  that  of  his  friend  Whitefield's. 

After  Whitefield's  enormous  sermon,  the  two  friends  dined 
at  Captain  Gillman's,  and  then  started  for  Newbury  Port. 
On  arriving  there,  Whitefield  was  so  exhausted,  that  he  was 
unable  to  leave  the  boat  without  assistance,  but,  in  the 
course  of  the  evening,  he  recovered  his  spirits.^ 

Newbury  Port  was  an  ordinary  New  England  village  ;  in 
fact,  it  remains  such  at  the  present  day, — its  streets  narrow, 
and  not  overcrowded  with  either  traffic  or  passengers."^  It  is' 
a  remarkable  coincidence,  that,  exactly  thirty  years  before  his 
death,  Whitefield,  for  the  first  time,  visited  the  place  which 
contains  his  sepulchre.      In  his  Journal,  he  wrote  : — 

"  Tuesday,  September  30,  1740.  Preached  at  Ipswich  in  the  morning 
to  many  thousands.  There  was  a  great  melting  in  the  congregation. 
Dined.  Set  out  for  Newbury,  another  town  twelve  miles  from  Ipswich, 
and  arrived  about  three.  Here  again  the  power  of  the  Lord  accompanied 
the  word.  The  meeting-house  was  very  large.  Many  ministers  were 
present,  and  the  people  were  greatly  affected.     Blessed  be  God  !  " 

Little  did  the  great  preacher  think,  that,  on  the  same  day, 
thirty   years  afterwards,  his   work    would   terminate   in   the 

'  Belcher's  "  Biography  of  Whitefield,'"  p.  435. 
"  ..S7.  yavu's^s  CJuonicle,  November  8,  1770. 
*  Methodist  World,  February  1,  1870. 


598  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1770    meeting-house's  manse.     The  venerable  building  still  stands. 
Age  55   in  a  narrow  lane,  and,  though  now  used  as   two  comfortable 
residences,  the  spacious  entrance  hall  yet  exists,  and  likewise 
the  fine  oak  staircase  which  led  to  the  room  in  which  White- 
field  died.^ 

While  Whitefield  partook  of  an  early  supper,  the  people 
assembled  at  the  front  of  the  parsonage,  and  even  crowded 
into  its  hall,  impatient  to  hear  a  few  words  from  the  man 
they  so  greatly  loved.  "  I  am  tired,"  said  Whitefield,  "  and 
must  go  to  bed."  He  took  a  candle,  and  was  hastening  to 
his  chamber.  The  sight  of  the  people  moved  him  ;  and, 
pausing  on  the  staircase,  he  began  to  speak  to  them.  He 
had  preached  his  last  sermon ;  this  was  to  be  his  last  exhor- 
tation. There  he  stood,  the  crowd  in  the  hall  "  gazing  up 
at  him  with  tearful  eyes,  as  Elisha  at  the  ascending  prophet. 
His  voice  flowed  on  until  the  candle  which  he  held  in  his 
hand  burned  away  and  went  out  iiz  its  socket !  The  next 
morning  he  was  not,  for  God  had  taken  him  \"^ 

Mr.  Richard  Smith,  who  had  accompanied  Whitefield 
from  England,  and  had  attended  him  in  his  journeyings, 
followed  him  to  his  chamber.  He  found  him  reading  the 
Bible,  and  with  Dr.  Watts's  Psalms  before  him.  Whitefield 
drank  some  water-gruel,  knelt  by  his  bedside,  engaged  in 
prayer,  and  then  went  to  rest.  He  slept  till  two  in  the  morn- 
ing, when  he  asked  for  cider,  and  drank  a  wine-glassful. 

"  He  panted  for  want  of  breath,"  says  Mr.  Smith.  "  I  asked  him  how- 
he  felt.  He  answered,  '  My  asthma  is  returning ;  I  must  have  two  or 
three  days'  rest.  Two  or  three  days'  riding,  without  preaching,  will  set  me 
up  again.'  Though  the  window  had  been  half  up  all  night,  he  asked  me 
to  put  it  a  little  higher.  '  I  cannot  breathe,'  said  he,  '  but  1  hope  I  shall 
be  better  by-and-by.  A  good  pulpit  sweat  to-day  may  give  me  relief. 
I  shall  be  better  after  preaching.'  I  said  to  him,  I  wished  he  would  not 
preach  so  often.  He  replied,  '  1  had  rather  wear  out,  than  rust  out.'  He 
then  sat  up  in  bed  and  prayed  that  God  would  bless  his  preaching  where 
he  had  been,  and  also  bless  his  preaching  that  day,  that  more  souls  might 
be  brought  to  Christ.  He  prayed  for  direction,  whether  he  should  winter 
at  Boston,  or  hasten  southward.  He  asked  for  blessings  on  his  Bethesda 
College  and  his  family  there  ;  likewise  on  the  congregations  at  the  Taber- 
nacle and  Tottenham  Court  chapel,  and  on  all  his  English  friends. 

'  Methodist  World.  Feb.  i,  1S70. 

*  Stevens'  "History  of  Methodism,"  vol.  i.,  p.  466. 


Whitefield'' s  Death.  599 


"  He  then  lay  down  to  sleep  again.  This  was  nigh  three  o'clock.  At  1770 
a  quarter  to  four  he  awoke,  and  said,  '  My  asthma,  my  asthma  is  coming 
on  again.  I  wish  I  had  not  promised  to  preach  at  Haverhill  to-morrow.  ^  ^^ 
1  don't  think  I  shall  be  able  ;  but  I  shall  see  what  to-day  will  bring  forth. 
If  I  am  no  better  to-morrow,  I  will  take  a  two  or  three  days'  ride.'  He 
then  asked  me  to  warm  him  a  little  gruel  ;  and,  in  breaking  the  firewood, 
I  awoke  Mr.  Parsons,  who  rose  and  came  in.  He  went  to  Mr.  Whiiefield's 
bedside,  and  asked  him  how  he  felt.  He  answered,  '  I  am  almost 
suffocated.  I  can  scarce  breathe.  My  asthma  quite  chokes  me.'  He 
got  out  of  bed,  and  went  to  the  open  window  for  air.  This  was  exactly  at 
five  o'clock.  Soon  after,  he  turned  to  me,  and  said,  '  I  am  dying.'  I  said, 
'  I  hope  not,  sir.'  He  ran  to  the  other  window,  panting  for  breath,  but 
could  get  no  relief.  I  went  for  Dr.  Sawyer  ;  and,  on  my  coming  back, 
I  saw  death  on  his  face.  We  offered  him  warm  wine  with  lavender 
drops,  which  he  refused.  I  persuaded  him  to  sit  down  and  put  on  Jiis 
cloak  ;  he  consented  by  a  sign,  but  could  not  speak.  I  then  offered 
him  the  glass  of  warm  wine  ;  he  took  half  of  it,  but  it  seemed  as  if  it 
would  have  stopped  his  breath  entirely.  In  a  little  while,  he  brought  up 
a  considerable  quantity  of  phlegm.  I  was  continually  employed  in  taking 
the  mucus  from  his  mouth,  bathing  his  temples,  and  rubbing  his  wrists. 
His  hands  and  feet  were  as  cold  as  clay.  When  the  doctor  came,  and 
felt  his  pulse,  he  said,  '  He  is  a  dead  man.'  Mr.  Parsons  replied,  '  I  do  not 
believe  it.  You  must  do  something,  doctor.'  He  answered,  '  I  cannot. 
He  is  now  near  his  last  breath.' '  And  indeed  so  it  proved  ;  for  he  fetched 
but  one  gasp,  stretched  out  his  feet,  and  breathed  no  more.  This  was 
exactly  at  six  o'clock."  ^ 

Thus  died  the  most  popular  and  powerful  evangelist  of 
modern  times,  on  Sunday  morning,  September  30,  1770. 
"  I  shall  die  silent,"  remarked  Whitefield  at  the  dinner  table 
of  Finley,  the  president  of  New  Jersey  College  :  "  I  shall 
die  silent.  It  has  pleased  God  to  enable  me  to  bear  so 
many  testimonies  for  Him  during  my  life,  that  He  will  require 
none  from  me  when  I  die."  Whitefield's  words  were  strangely 
verified.  In  this  respect,  his  death  was  a  contrast  to  that 
of  his  friend  Wesley. 

Whitefield  was  interred  on  Tuesday,  October  2.  "At 
one  o'clock,  all  the  bells  in  Newbury  Port  were  tolled  for 
half  an  hour,  and  all  the  ships  in  the  harbour  hoisted 
signals  of  mourning.  At  two  o'clock,  the  bells  tolled  a 
second   time.      At  three   o'clock,  the  bells   called   to   attend 

'  There  can  be  but  little  doubt  thatt-.e  disease  which  terminated  White- 
field's  life  was  ane,ina pectoris. 
2  Gillies'  "  Memoirs  of  Whitefield." 


6oo  The  Life  of  WhUcJieU. 

1770  the  funeral."^  Meanwhile,  a  large  number  of  ministers  had 
!  re  55  assembled  at  the  manse  of  Mr.  Parsons,  and  had  spent  two 
hours  in  conversation  respecting  Whitefield's  usefulness,  and 
in  prayer  that  his  mantle  might  fall  on  them  and  others. 
The  pall-bearers  were  the  Revs.  Samuel  Haven,  D.D.,  of 
Portsmouth  ;  Daniel  Rogers,  of  Exeter  ;  Jedediah  Jewet  and 
James  Chandler,  of  Rowley  ;  Moses  Parsons,  of  Newbury  ; 
and  Edward  Bass,  D.D.,^  the  first  bishop  of  the  Church  of 
England  in  Massachusetts.  The  funeral  procession  was  a 
mile  in  length.  About  6,000  persons  crowded  within  the 
church,  and  many  thousands  stood  outside.^  The  corpse 
being  placed  at  the  foot  of  the  pulpit,  the  Rev.  Daniel 
Rogers  offered  prayer,  in  which  he  confessed  that  he  owed 
his  conversion  to  Whitefield's  ministry,  and  then  exclaiming, 
"  O  my  Father  !  my  Father  !  "  stopped  and  wept  as  though 
his  heart  was  breaking.  The  scene  was  one  never  to  be 
forgotten.  The  crowded  congregation  were  bathed  in  tears. 
Rogers  recovered  himself,  finished  his  prayer,  sat  down,  and 
sobbed.  ^  One  of  the  deacons  gave  out  the  hymn  beginning 
with  the  line, — 

"  Why  do  we  mourn  departing  friends?" 

Some  of  the  people  sang,  and  some  wept,  and  others  sang 
and  wept  alternately.  The  coffin  was  then  put  into  a  newly 
prepared  tomb,  beneath  the  pulpit  ;  and,  before  the  tomb 
was  sealed,  the  Rev.  Jedediah  Jewet  delivered  a  suitable 
address,  in  the  course  of  which  he  spoke  of  Whitefield's 
"  peculiar  and  eminent  gifts  for  the  gospel  ministry,  and  his 
fervour,  diligence,  and  success  in  the  work  of  it."  "  What  a 
friend,"  cried  Jewet,  "  he  has  been  to  us,  and  our  interests, 
religious  and  civil  ;  to  New  England,  and  to  all  the  British 
colonies  on  the  continent  !  "^  After  this,  another  prayer 
was  offered,  and  the  immense  crowd  departed,  weeping 
through  the  streets,  as  in  mournful  groups  they  wended  their 
way  to  their  respective  homes.  ^ 

,  "  Funeral  Sermon,"  etc.,  bv  Rev.  Jonathan  Parsons,  p.  28. 

s  Ibid. 

,  Ibid. 

4  Stevens'  "  History  of  Methodism,"  vol.  i.,  p.  467. 

«  "  Funeral  Sermon,"  etc.,  by  Rev.  Jonathan  Parsons,  p.  31. 

*  Whiteticld's  friends,  at  Boston,  intended  to  have  hmi  buried  there. 


Benjamin  Randi>II.  ^oi 

The  sensation  occasioned  by  the  sudden  decease  of  the  '77o 
"  man  greatly  beloved  "  was  enormous.  The  people  came  Age  55 
in  crowds,  begging  to  be  allowed  to  see  his  corpse.  Ministers 
of  all  denominations  hastened  to  the  house  of  Mr.  Parsons, 
where  sev^eral  of  them  related  how  his  ministry  had  been 
the  means  of  their  conversion.  Two  days  before  his  death, 
he  had  preached  at  Portsmouth,  and  one  of  his  hearers  was 
a  young  man  named  Benjamin  Randall,  then  unconverted, 
and  also  cherishing  a  dislike  to  Whitefield.  "  O  how  won- 
derful he  spoke  !"  wrote  Randall.  His  soul  inflamed  with 
love,  his  arms  extended,  and  tears  rolling  from  his  eyes — 
with  what  power  he  spoke  !"  At  noon  on  Sunday,  a  stranger 
was  seen  riding  through  the  streets  of  Portsmouth,  and 
crying  at  the  different  corners,  "  Whitefield  is  dead  !  White- 
field  is  dead  !  "  Young  Randall  heard  the  announcement. 
It  pierced  his  heart.  He  afterwards  wrote  :  "  It  was  Sep- 
tember 30,  1770 — that  memorable  day!  that  blessed  day 
to  Whitefield  !  that  blessed  day  to  me  !  A  voice  sounded 
through  my  soul,  more  loud  and  startling  than  ever  thunder 
pealed  upon  my  ears,  '  Whitefield  is  dead!'  Whitefield  is 
now  in  heaven,  but  I  am  on  the  road  to  hell.  He  was  a 
man  "of  God,  and  yet  I  reviled  him.  He  taught  me  the  way 
to  heaven,  but  I  regarded  it  not.  O  that  I  could  hear  his 
voice  again  !  "  Whitefield's  death  led  to  Randall's  conversion. 
He  became  a  Baptist  minister,  and  founded  the  P^-ee-Will 
Baptist  denomination,  which  now  numbers  sixty  thousand 
church  members,  more  than  a  thousand  ministers,  two  colleges, 
and  one  theological  seminary;  and  also  has  its  weekly  perio- 
dicals, its  Qnarterly  Review,  and  its  flourishing  missions  in 
India.i 

The  effect  of  Whitefield's  death  upon  the  inhabitants  of 
Georgia  was  indescribable.  All  the  black  cloth  in  the 
colony  was  bought  up.  The  pulpit  and  desk,  the  chandeliers 
and  organ,  the  pews  of  the  Governor  and  Council  in  the 
church   at   Savannah  were  draped  with  mourning  ;   and  the 

Hence  the  following,  from  a  letter  dated  "  Boston,  October  2, 1770  ": — "A 
number  of  gentlemen  set  out  from  hence,  early  this  morning,  for  Newbury 
Port,  which  is  forty  miles  from  Boston,  in  order  to  make  the  necessary 
preparations  for  conveying  the  corpse  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Whitefield  to  this 
town,  where  he  is  to  be  interred,  agreeable  to  his  own  request." 
'  Wakeley's  "Anecdotes  of  Whitefield,"  p.  385. 


602  TJie  Life  of  Whitefield. 

1770  Governor  and  members  of  the  two  Houses  of  Assembly  went 
A^e  55  in  procession  to  the  church,  and  were  received  by  the  organ 
playing  a  funereal  dirge.  ^  A  sum  of  money  also  was  unani- 
mously voted  for  the  removal  of  Whitefield's  remains  to 
Georgia,  to  be  interred  at  his  Orphan  House  ;  but  the  people 
of  Newbury  Port  strongly  objected,  and  the  design  had  to 
be  relinquished.  Forty-five  years  later,  however,  when  a 
new  county  was  formed  in  Georgia,  it  received  the  name  of 
Whitefield,  in  memory  of  his  worth  and  useful  services.  ^ 

Jesse  Lee,  in  his  "  History  of  the  American  Methodists," 
(page  36,)  remarks  :  "  Mr.  Whitefield  had  often  felt  his  soul 
so  much  comforted  in  preaching  in  the  Presbyterian  meeting- 
house at  Newbury  Port,  that  he  told  his  friends  long  before 
his  death,  that,  if  he  died  in  that  part  of  the  world,  he 
wished  to  be  buried  under  the  pulpit  of  that  house.  The 
people,  who  remembered  his  request,  had  it  now  in  their 
power  to  grant  it ;  and  they  prepared  a  vault  under  the 
pulpit,  where  they  laid  his  body."  During  the  last  hundred 
years,  thousands  of  persons  have  visited  that  vault  ;  and,  as 
time  flows  on,  the  numbers  still  increase.  The  Christiaii s 
Magazine,  for  1790,  inserted  a  startling  letter,  written  by 
"  J.  Brown,  of  Epping,  Essex,"  to  the  following  effect : — 

"In  1784,  I  visited  my  friends  in  New  England,  and,  hearing  that 
Whitefield's  body  was  undecayed,  I  went  to  see  it.  A  lantern  and  candle 
being  provided,  we  entered  the  tomb.  Our  guide  opened  the  coffin  lid 
down  to  Whitefield's  breast.  His  body  was  perfect.  I  felt  his  cheeks, 
his  breast,  etc.;  and  the  skin  immediately  rose  after  I  had  touched  it. 
Even  his  lips  were  not  consumed,  nor  his  nose.  His  skin  was  con- 
siderably discoloured  through  dust  and  age,  but  there  was  no  effluvium  ; 
and  even  his  gown  was  not  much  impaired,  nor  his  wig." 

If  this  were  true  in  1784,  it  had  ceased  to  be  a  fact  in 
1796.  In  a  letter  dated  "  Newbury  Port,  August  i  5,  1801," 
William  Mason  remarks  :  "  About  five  years  ago,  a  few  friends 
were  permitted  to  open  Whitefield's  coffin.  W^e  found  the 
flesh  totally  consumed,  but  the  gown,  cassock,  and  bands 
were  almost  the  same  as  when  he  was  buried  in  them."^ 
After  all,  the  two  statements  are  not  incompatible  ;   and  it 


'  Winter's  "  Memoirs,"  p.  104. 

'  Belcher's  "  Biography  of  Whitefield,"  p.  447. 

•  Gospel  Magazine,  1802,  p.  12, 


Wliitejield'' s  Cenotaph.  603 


has  been  asserted,  that  "  several  other  corpses  are  in  the  same     ^77° 
state,"  as  Whitefield's  was  said  to  have  been  in  fourteen  years  Age  55 
after  his  decease,  "  owing  to  the  vast  quantities  of  nitre  with 
which  the  earth  there  abounds."^ 

A  cenotaph  in  honour  of  Whitefield's  friends,  John  and 
Charles  Wesley,  has  recently  been  erected  in  Westminster 
Abbey.  That  is  a  distinction  which  has  not  been  conferred 
on  Whitefield. 

Indeed,  I  am  not  aware  that  England  has  now  any 
monument  of  Whitefield  whatever.  Gillies  says  that,  at 
the  bottom  of  Mrs.  Whitefield's  monument,  in  Tottenham 
Court  Road  chapel,  an  inscription  was  placed  in  memory 
of  Whitefield  himself;  but  that  monument,  years  ago,  was 
broken,  and  has  disappeared.  The  inscription,  composed 
by  Titus  Knight,  of  Halifax,  is  not  worth  quoting.  One 
cenotaph  exists — and,  so  far  as  I  know,  only  one,  in  either 
England  or  America,  That  is  in  the  chapel  containing 
Whitefield's  bones  and  dust.  It  is  a  plain,  but  tasteful 
tablet,  surmounted  by  a  flame  burning  from  an  uncovered 
urn  ;  and  its  history  is  the  following.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Proudfit, 
a  former  pastor  of  the  old  South  Church,  Newbury  Port, 
remarked  at  its  centenary  anniversary  in  1856  : — 

"  As  my  eye  rests  on  that  monument,  let  me  recall  the  way  in  which  it 
came  there.  I  called  one  evening  on  Mr.  Bartlett.  He  told  me  he  had 
heard  Whitefield,  when  he  was  boy,  and  had  never  forgotten  the  impression 
made  upon  him  by  his  preaching.  He  expressed  a  desire  to  have  a 
suitable  monument  erected  to  his  memory  in  this  church.  He  asked  if  I 
would  look  after  the  matter,  and  employ  an  eminent  artist  to  do  the  work. 
I  enquired  how  much  he  was  willing  it  should  cost.  '  On  that  point,'  he 
replied,  '  I  leave  you  entirely  at  liberty.  Let  it  be  something  worthy  of  a 
great  and  good  man.'  That  monument,  designed  by  Strickland,  and  exe- 
cuted by  Strothers,  is  the  result.  I  used  the  liberty  he  gave  me  moderately. 
Had  it  cost  ten  times  as  much,  he  would,  no  doubt,  have  paid  it  cheer- 
fully. When  the  artist  presented  the  demand,  Mr.  Bartlett  gave  him  one 
hundred  dollars  above  the  amount.  When  I  was  in  England,  the  congrega- 
tions at  Tottenham  Court  and  at  the  Tabernacle  intimated  a  desire  to  have 
Whitefield's  remains  removed  to  England  ;  but  when  I  told  them  what 
Mr.  Bartlett  had  done,  they  said,  if  any  American  gentleman  was  willing 
to  give  ^300  to  do  honour  to  Whitefield's  memory,  America  was  well 
entitled  to  his  remains."^ 

'  Southey's  "  Life  of  Wesley,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  379. 
'  Wakeley's  "Anecdotes  of  Whitefield,"  p.  399. 


6o4  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 


1770         This  monument  was  not  put  up  until  the  year  1828.    The 
^ge  55  inscription,   written   by  Dr.  Ebenezer  Porter,  of  Andover/  is 
as  follows  : — 

This  Cenotaph 

is  erected,  with  affectionate  veneration, 

To  the  Memory  of 

The  Rev.  GEORGE  WHITEFIELD, 

Born  at  Gloucester,  England,  December  16,  1714; 

Educated  at  Oxford  University  ;  ordained  1736. 

In  a  ministry  of  thirty-four  years, 

He  crossed  the  Atlantic  thirteen  times. 

And  preached  more  than  eighteen  thousand  Sermons. 

As  a  soldier  of  the  cross,  humble,  devout,  ardent. 

He  put  on  the  whole  armour  of  God  : 

Preferring  the  honour  of  Christ  to  his  own  interest,  repose, 

reputation,  and  life. 

As  a  Christian  orator,  his  deep  piety,  disinterested  zeal, 

and  vivid  imagination. 

Gave  unexampled  energy  to  his  look,  utterance,  and  action. 

Bold,  fervent,  pungent,  and  popular  in  his  eloquence, 

No  other  uninspired  man  ever  preached  to  so  large  assemblies, 

Or  enforced  the  simple  truths  of  the  Gospel  by  motives 

so  persuasive  and  awful,  and  with  an  influence  so  powerful, 

on  the  hearts  of  his  hearers. 

He  died  of  asthma,  September  30,  1770  : 

Suddenly  exchanging  his  life  of  unparalleled  labours 

for  his  eternal  rest." 

It  ought  to  be  added  that  another,  and  more  imposing, 
monument  to  Whitefield's  memory,  was  proposed  to  be 
erected  in  1839.  In  that  year,  the  Congregational  minis- 
ters of  Gloucestershire  associated  themselves  together  in  a 
society  called  the  "  Christian  Union,"  and  determined  to 
preach,  in  the  open  air,  in  every  town,  village,  and  hamlet 
of  their  county.  They  went  forth,  like  the  seventy  of  old, 
by  two  and  two,  in  the  prosecution  of  their  mission.  While 
these  services  were  being  held,  many  of  the  missioners  met 
in  a  central  town,  when  one  of  them  proposed,  that,  as  the 
present  year  was  "  the  centenary  of  Whitefield's  labours 
in  reviving  the  apostolic  practice  of  open-air  preaching, — 
that  as  Whitefield  was  a  native  of  Gloucester, — and  that  as 
Stinchcombe  Hill  was  one  of  the  places  where  Whitefield 
preached  a  century  ago," — it  would  be  well  to  hold  a  monster 

'  Wakelcy's  "Anecdotes  of  Whitefield,"  p.  400. 


Proposed  Mon^imcnt.  605 

meeting  there  for  the  promotion  of  evangelical  religion.  ^77° 
The  proposal  was  favourably  received  ;  and,  on  Tuesday,  Age  5 
July  30,  nearly  one  hundred  ministers  and  twenty  thousand 
people  assembled  on  the  summit  of  this  memorable  hill. 
Drs.  Rcdford,  Ross,  and  Matheson,  with  the  Rev.  Messrs. 
East,  Hinton,  and  Sibree,  preached  upon  appropriate  subjects, 
previously  announced  ;  and  hymns,  specially  composed  by 
J.  Conder,  Esq.,  and  others,  were  sung  on  the  occasion. 
The  rain,  during  the  afternoon,  fell  in  torrents,  but,  till 
about  five  o'clock,  when  they  adjourned  to  Dursley,  the 
vast  assemblage  preserved  the  utmost  order  and  compact- 
ness. The  party  partook  of  dinner  and  tea  upon  the  hill, 
in  large  booths  and  tents  erected  for  the  day ;  and  the 
services  were,  in  all  respects,  remarkable.  A  few  fastidious 
persons  thought  the  preachers  dwelt  more  on  Whitefield 
than  was  seemly,  forgetting,  however,  that  the  design  of  the 
commemoration  was  specially  to  use  Whitefield's  character 
and  example  for  the  glory  of  God,  the  illustration  of 
piety,  the  instruction  of  the  world,  and  the  revival  of 
religion.  The  results  were,  the  ministers  of  the  county 
re-entered  with  ardour  upon  their  itinerant  engagements, 
the  churches  of  the  neighbourhood  were  refreshed,  and 
several  modes  of  perpetuating  the  influence  of  Whitefield's 
piety  were  proposed. 

At  the  half-yearly  meeting  of  the  Gloucestershire  Associa- 
tion, held  in  Bristol  soon  after,  an  "  Address  to  the  Christian 
Public  "  was  read  and  adopted,  and  afterwards  published,  to 
the  following  effect : — 

"  It  is  proposed  to  erect,  by  small  subscriptions,  a  plain  monumental 
column,  surmounted  by  a  statue,  on  the  summit  of  Stinchcombe  Hill,  near 
Dursley,  to  commemorate  the  life  and  labours  of  the  Rev.  George  White- 
field.  The  site  appears  peculiarly  eligible,  as  being  situated  in  the  centre 
of  his  native  county,  the  scene  of  some  of  his  earliest  itinerant  labours, 
surrounded  by  churches  established  by  his  ministry,  and  commanding  a 
prospect  of  twelve  or  thirteen  counties,  together  with  much  of  the  Bristol 
Channel.  A  noble  column,  upon  such  a  base,  to  testify  that  tens  of 
thousands  regard  his  labours  as  blessed  of  God  to  the  revival  of  religion 
in  our  land,  will  exert  a  moral  influence  which  many  may  undervalue,  but 
which  few  can  calculate.  Thousands,  as  they  travel  on  the  great  high- 
way, almost  beneath  the  shadow  of  the  statue,  will  think  and  talk  of 
Whitefield, — of  his  life,  his  labours,  and  his  holy  success,  as  they  have 
never  done  before.     Its  erection  would  open  a  chapter  in  the  book  of 


6o6  The  Life  of  Whitefleld. 

1770 


providence,  which  many,  who  never  enter  our  sanctuaries,  will  be  obliged 
^  to  read  ;  and  will  cherish,  perhaps,  amongst  themselves,  an  imitation  of 

those  zealous  labours,  which  God  made  so  pre-eminently  useful.  We 
suggest  a  subscription  of  a  shilling  each  person  ;  and  hope,  by  this  means, 
to  erect  a  magnificent  testimonial  of  one  who  was  in  England  as  great  a 
blessing  to  his  country,  as  he  was  in  America  an  honour.  Whitefleld  was 
a  man  of  no  sect  ;  the  sphere  of  his  labours  had  no  boundary  ;  holding 
office,  as  it  were,  in  every  church,  his  communion  was  with  the  pious  of 
every  name.  In  the  erection  of  this  cenotaph  all  may  unite — the  Epis- 
copalian, who  would  say  with  Toplady,  that '  he  was  a  true  and  faithful 
son  of  the  Church  of  England,'— the  Dissenter,  who  considers  his  whole 
course  but  practical  independency, — the  Calvinist,  who  admires  his  con- 
scientious adherence  to  the  truth, — and,  likewise,  the  Wesleyan,  who 
remembers  him  as,  in  life  and  death,  the  dearest  friend  of  Wesley." ' 

An  instinctive  awe  pervades  thoughtful  men  when   in  the 
presence  of  the  last  earthly  remains  of  those  who   wielded 
a  controlling  influence  upon  their  times.      Napoleon  lingered 
thoughtfully  and  reverently  in   the   tomb  of   Frederick   the 
Great.      The  Prince  of  Wales  took  off  his  hat  at  the  grave 
of  Washington.      This  may  be  a  sort  of  hero-worship,  but  it 
is  •  not    a    weakness.      Thousands    have    entered    the    vault 
beneath   the  pulpit  at  Newbury  Port,    to  look   at   the   open 
coffin    of  Whitefleld,   the    good   and   eloquent.      The    coffin, 
apparently   of  oak,    is   yet   undecayed,    and   rests   upon   the 
coffin  of  a  Mr.  Prince,  a  blind  preacher,  and  one  of  the   flrst 
pastors  of  the  church.      The  skull,  the  bones  of  the  arms,  the 
backbone,   and   the  ribs    are   in   good   preservation.       Many 
years  ago,  Mr.  Bolton,   an   Englishman,  and  one  of  White- 
field's  great  admirers,  wished  to  obtain  a   small  memento  ot 
the   great    preacher.      A   friend   of  Bolton's    stole  the   main 
bone  of  Whitefield's  right  arm,  and  sent   it  to  England  in  a 
parcel.      Bolton  was   horrified    with  his   friend's   sacrilegious 
act,  and  carefully  returned  the  bone,   in   1837,  to  the   Rev. 
Dr.    Stearns,   then   pastor   of  the   church   at   Newbury   Port. 
Great  interest  was  created  by  the  restoration  of  Whitefield's 
relic  ;  a  procession  of  two  thousand  people  followed  it  to  the 
grave  ;    and  it  was  restored  to   its  original  position.^      That 
bone  now  lies  crosswise  near  the  region  of  the  breast ;  and  the 
little  box,  in  which  it  was  returned,  is  laid  upon  the  coffin.-^ 


'  Evangelical  Maga2ine,  1S39,  pp.  443,  590. 

*  Wakeley's  "Anecdotes,"  p.  389. 

*  7"//^  JA'///tf^/j-/(New  York),  Sept.  12,  1863. 


Whitefield  in  his   Coffin.  607 

The  good  taste  of  those  who  exhibit  the  dust  and  bones  '"7o 
of  Whitefield  may  be  fairly  doubted  ;  but  so  long  as  they  Aje  55 
are  exposed  to  the  public  view,  Whitefield's  sepulchre  will 
have  its  visitors.  Of  the  numerous  descriptions  published 
by  those  whose  curiosity  or  piety  had  brought  them  to 
Whitefield's  resting-place,  one  only  shall  suffice, — and  that 
by  an  outsider.  Henry  Vincent,  the  eloquent  English 
lecturer,  thus  described  his  visit  in  18671: — 

"We  descended  into  a  cellar,  through  a  trap-door  behind  the  pulpit, 
and  entered  the  tomb  of  the  great  preacher.  The  upper  part  of  the  lid 
of  Whitefield's  coffin  opens  upon  hinges.  We  opened  the  coffin  carefully, 
and  saw  all  that  was  mortal  of  the  eloquent  divine.  The  bones  are 
blackened,  as  though  charred  by  fire.  The  skull  is  perfect.  I  placed  my 
hand  upon  the  forehead,  and  thought  of  the  time  when  the  active  brain 
within  throbbed  with  love  to  God  and  man  ;  and  when  those  silent  lips 
swayed  the  people  of  England,  from  the  churchyard  in  Islington  to 
Kennington  Common, — from  the  hills  and  valleys  of  Gloucestershire  to 
the  mouths  of  the  Cornish  mines,  and  on  through  the  growing  colonies  of 
America.  In  these  days  of  High  Church  pantomime,  would  it  not  be  well 
to  turn  our  attention  to  the  times  of  Whitefield  and  his  glorious  friend 
Wesley.''  Not  by  new  decorations  and  scenery, — not  by  candles  and 
crosses, — not  by  what  Wycliffe  boldly  called  the  '  priests'  rags,' — not  by 
Pan-Anglican  Synods,  or  by  moaning  out  bits  of  Scripture  in  unearthly 
chants  ;  but  by  such  lives  as  those  of  Whitefield  and  Wesley,  are  the 
people  to  be  reached  and  won.  I  confess  that,  as  an  Englishman,  I  envy 
America  the  possession  of  the  earthly  remains  of  dear  George  Whitefield  ; 
but  perhaps  it  is  appropriate  that,  Avhile  England  claims  the  dust  of 
Wesley,  the  great  republic  should  be  the  guardian  of  the  dust  of  his  holy 
brother."^ 

The  Americans  are  proud  of  their  possession,  and,  to  this 
day,  not  only  preserve  his  sepulchre,  but,  at  Newbury  Port, 
still  use  in-  the  pulpit  the  old  Bible  out  of  which  Whitefield 
was  wont  to  read  his  texts,  and  still  keep  the  old  chair  in 
which  he  died,  and  still  shew  the  ring  taken  from  the  finger 
of  his  corpse. 

'  In  1834,  the  Rev.  Andrew  Reed,  D.D.,  of  London,  and  the  Rev. 
James  Matheson,  D.D.,  of  Durham,  visited  America  as  a  deputation 
"from  the  Congregational  Union  of  England  and  Wales;  and,  in  1835,  a 
similar  deputation,  consisting  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Cox,  and  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Iloby,  was  sent  from  the  Baptist  Union  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland. 
Both  the  deputations  entered  Whitefield's  sepulchre,  and  have  left  descrip- 
tions of  what  they  saw  and  felt  ;  but  for  want  of  space,  their  reports 
cannot  be  inserted  here. 

-  MctJiodist  Recorder,  Dec.  27,  1867. 

*  Wakeley's  "  Anecdotes,"  p.  396. 


6o8  The  Life  of  White  field. 

1770  Excepting  the  value  of  the  copyright  of  his  pubHcations, 
Age  55  Wesley  died  almost  penniless  ;  and  the  same  would  have 
been  Whitefield's  case,  but  for  certain  legacies  bequeathed 
to  him  only  a  short  time  before  his  death.  By  the  decease 
of  his  wife,  in  1768,  he  became  possessed  of  ^700.  Mrs. 
Thomson,  of  Tower  Hill,  bequeathed  him  iJ^5oo  ;  Mr.  Whit- 
more,  ^100;  and  Mr.  Winder,  ^100;^  making  a  total  of 
;£"  1,400.  This,  in  round  figures,  was  the  sum  disposed  of  in 
Whitefield's  "  last  will  and  testament."  The  Orphan  House 
buildings,  furniture,  slaves,  and  lands  might  be  regarded  as 
property  held  in  trust,  and,  as  such,  were  left  "  to  that  elect 
lady,  that  mother  in  Israel,  that  mirror  of  true  and  undefiled 
religion,  the  Right  Honourable  Selina,  Countess-Dowager  of 
Huntingdon  ;"^  and,  in  case  of  her  death,  to  Whitefield's 
"  dear  first  fellow-traveller,  and  faithful,  invariable  friend, 
the  Honourable  James  Habersham,  Esq.,  President  of  His 
Majesty's  Honourable  Council,"  in  Georgia.  The  Taber- 
nacle, and  Tottenham  Court  Road  chapel,  with  the  adjacent 
manses,  coach-houses,  stables,  and  other  buildings,  having 
been  erected,  in  great  part,  by  the  su'oscriptions  of  the  public, 
were  also,  in  a  certain  sense,  trust  properties  ;  and  were  left 
to  be  managed  by  Whitefield's  "  worthy,  trusty,  tried  friends, 
Daniel  West,  Esq.,  in  Church  Street,  Spitalfields  ;  and  Mr. 
I'vobert  Keen,  woollen  draper,  in  the  Minories."  The  re- 
mainder of  Whitefield's  bequests  were  as  follows  : — 

Lady  Huntingdon 

The  Honourable  James  Habersham,  for  mourning 
Gabriel  Harris,  Esq.,  of  Gloucester  ... 
Ambrose  Wright,  a  faithful  servant  ... 

Mr.  Richard  Whitefield,  a  brother 

Mr.  Thomas  Whitefield,  a  brother     ... 
Mr.  James  Smith,  a  brother-in-law    ... 

'  Lloyd's  ETCJiing  Post,  February  11,  1771. 

-  Whitefield's  adulations,  especially  of  those  belonging  to  the  higlier 
classes  of  society,  were  often  objectionable.  Southey,  noticing  one  of  his 
letters  to  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,  remarks  :  "  Wesley  would  not 
have  written  in  this  strain,  which,  for  iis  servile  adulation,  and  its  canting 
vanity,  might  well  provoke  disgust  and  indignation,  were  not  the  real 
genius  and  piety  of  the  writer  beyond  all  doubt.  The  language,  how- 
ever, was  natural  in  Whitefield,  and  not  ill  suited  for  the  person  to 
whom  it  was  addressed."  (Life  of  Wesley.)  This  animadversion  is  some- 
what strong  ;  but,  a  ^ftw  passages  in  Whitefield's  letters  to  the  nobility, 
almost  justify  the  Poet- Laureate's  critique. 


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Whitefield's    Will. 


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Mrs.  Frances  Hartford,  a  niece 

Mr,  J.  Crane,  steward  at  the  Orphan  House 

Mr.  Benjamin  Stirk,  for  mourning     ... 

Peter  Edwards,'  at  the  Orphan  House 

William  Trigg,  at  ditto... 

Mr.  Thomas  Adams,  of  Rodborough 

Rev.  Mr.  Howell  Davies,  for  mourning 

Mr.  Torial  Joss,  for  ditto         ...         ...         

Mr,  Cornelius  Winter,  for  ditto 

Mr,  Ambrose  Wright's  three  brothers,  for  ditto 

Ditto's  sister-in-law,  for  ditto  ... 

Mr.  Richard  Smith        

The  old  servants  in  London,  the  widows,  etc.,  for 
mourning     ... 


The  residue  of  Whitefield's  monies,  if  any,  were  to  be 
given  to  the  Orphan  House  Academy,  His  wile's  gold 
watch,  he  bequeathed  to  James  Habersham  ;  his  wearing 
apparel,  to  Richard  Smith  ;  to  his  four  executors,  James 
Habersham,  Charles  Hardy,  Daniel  West,  and  Robert  Keen, 
each  a  mourning  ring  ;   also,  he  added  : — 

"  I  leave  a  mourning  ring  to  my  honoured  and  dear  friends  and  dis- 
interested fellow-labourers,  the  Rev.  Messrs,  John  and  Charles  Wesley, 
in  token  of  my  indissoluble  union  with  them,  in  heart  and  Christian 
affection,  notwithstanding  our  difference  in  judgment  about  some  par- 
ticular points  of  doctrine,  Grace  be  with  all  them,  of  whatever  denomi- 
nation, that  love  our  Lord  Jesus,  our  common  Lord,  in  sincerity," 

The  conclusion  of  Whitefield's  will  is  too  characteristic  to 
be  omitted  : — 

"  To  all  my  other  Christian  benefactors,  and  more  intimate  acquaint- 


'  Peter  Edwards  was  one  of  Whitefield's  orphans,  and,  at  the  anniver- 
sary of  laying  the  foundation  of  the  Orphan  House,  on  March  27,  1771, 
delivered  a  long  address  to  the  Governor  of  Georgia,  many  members  of 
the  Council,  and  a  great  number  of  the  principal  inhabitants  of  the  pro- 
vince, assembled  together  in  the  Orphan  House  chapel,  which  on  this 
day  was  opened,  and  solemnly  dedicated  to  the  service  of  God.  The  Rev. 
Edward  Ellington,  minister  of  the  parish  of  St.  Bartholom.ew,  in  South 
Carolina,  read  prayers,  and  preached  a  sermon  from  Matt,  xviii.  20, 
Divine  service  being  ended,  the  young  gentlemen  of  the  recently  com- 
menced academy  recited  passages  from  some  of  the  best  English  authors  ; 
and  the  day's  proceedings  were  concluded  with  a  speech  from  the  tutor, 
Mr.  Edward  Langworthy,    ("Whitefield's  Works,"  vol,  iii.,  pp.  503 — 509.) 


VOL.    IL 


Z9 


6  TO  The  Life  of  White  field. 


ance,  I  leave  my  most  hearty  thanks  and  blessing,  assuring  them  that  I 
am  more  and  more  convinced  of  the  undoubted  reality  and  infinite 
importance  of  the  grand  gospel  truths,  which  I  have,  from  time  to  time, 
dcliveic.l  ;  and  am  so  far  from  repenting  my  delivering  them  in  an 
itinerant  way,  that,  had  I  strength  equal  to  my  inclination,  I  v/ould  preach 
them  from  pole  to  pole,  not  only  because  I  have  found  them  to  be  the 
power  of  God  to  the  salvation  of  my  own  soul,  but  because  I  am  as  much 
assured  that  the  Great  Head  of  the  Church  hath  called  me  by  His  Word, 
Providence,  and  Spirit,  to  act  in  this  way,  as  that  the  sun  shines  at  noon- 
day. As  for  my  enemies,  and  misjudging,  mistaken  friends,  I  most  freely 
and  heartily  forgive  them,  and  can  only  add,  that  the  last  tremendous 
day  will  soon  discover  what  I  have  been,  what  I  am,  and  what  I  shall  be 
when  time  itself  shall  be  no  more.  And,  therefore,  from  my  inmost  soul, 
I  close  all,  by  crying,  '  Come,  Lord  yesus,  come  quickly  !  Even  so.  Lord 
Jesus  !     Amen  and  amen  ! ' 

"  George  Whitefield 

Whitefield's  will  was  written  by  himself,  and  signed,  at 
the  Orphan  House,  on  March  22,  1770,  in  the  presence  of 
Robert  Bolton,  Thomas  Dixon,  and  Cornelius  Winter,  as 
witnesses.  It  was  proved  in  the  Prerogative  Court  of  Can- 
terbury, on  February  5,  1771.^ 

When  great  men  die,  poets  sing.  So  it  was  in  the  case 
of  Whitefield.  To  say  nothing  of  poems  printed  in  news- 
papers and  magazines,,  the  following  were  a  few  of  the  elegies 
published  separately  :  "  Zion  in  Distress,  an  Elegy  on  the 
Death  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  George  Whitefield.  By  W.  S."  "  The 
Bromsgrove  Elegy,  in  blank  verse,  in  which  are  represented 
the  Subjects  of  his  Ministry,  his  Manner  of  Preaching,  the 
Success  of  his  Labours,  his  excellent  Moral  Character,  and 
his  Death.  By  John  Fellows,  of  Bromsgrove,  in  Worcester- 
shire." "An  Elegy.  By  Jacob  Rowel."  "An  Elegy,  ex- 
hibiting a  brief  History  of  the  Life,  Labours,  and  Glorious 
Death  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  George  Whitefield.  By  T.  Knight, 
Minister  of  the  Gospel  at  Halifax.""^  "  A  Monody  on  the 
Death  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  George  Whitefield."  "  An  Elegiac 
Poem,  dedicated  to  the  Memory  of  the  Rev.  M;.  George 
W'hitefield.      By    James    Stevens,   Preacher  of   the    Gospel." 

'  Lloyd'' s  Evening  Post,  February  6,  1771. 

^  In  a  foot-note,  Titus  Knight  makes  a  statement  which  was  doubtless 
true,  though  almost  incredible  ;  namely,  that  even  after  the  arrival  of  the 
news  of  WhiteficId's  death,  Foote's  execrable  comedy,  "The  Minor,''  was 
acted  in  the  theatre  at  Edinburgh. 


Elegies.  6 1  r 


"Elegiac   Lines.      By  Rev.  Mr.  De  Courcy."^      "A  Pastoral. 
By  the  Rev.  Walter  Shirley."^ 

All  these  were  pious,  and  some  of  them  respectable.  The 
best  published  was  by  Whiteficld's  oldest  friend  :  "  An  Eleg)' 
on  the  late  Reverend  George  Whitefield,  M.A.,  who  died 
September  30,  1 770,  in  the  56th  year  of  his  age.  By 
Charles  Wesley,  M.A.,  Presbyter  of  the  Church  of  England. 
Bristol:  1771."  (8vo,  29  pp.)  No  one  knew  or  loved 
Whitefield  better  than  Charles  Wesley  did  ;  and  the  follow- 
ing extracts  from  his  "Elegy"  may  be  acceptable: — 

"  And  is  my  Whitefield  enter'd  into  rest, 
With  sudden  death,  with  sudden  glory  blest? 
Left  for  a  few  sad  moments  here  behind, 
I  bear  his  image  on  my  faithful  mind  ; 
To  future  times  the  fair  example  tell 
Of  one  who  lived,  of  one  who  died,  so  well, 
Pay  the  last  office  of  fraternal  love. 
And  then  embrace  my  happier  friend  above." 

"  Can  I  the  memorable  day  torget, 
When  first  we,  by  Divine  appointment,  met  ? 
Where  undisturb'd  the  thoughtful  student  roves, 
In  search  of  truth,  through  academic  groves, 
A  modest,  pensive  youth,  who  mus'd  alone, 
Industrious  the  frequented  path  to  shun  : 
An  Israelite  without  disguise  or  art 
I  saw,  I  loved,  and  clasp'd  him  to  my  heart 
A  stranger  as  my  bosom  friend  carest, 
And  unawares  receiv'd  an  angel-guest." 

'  De  Courcy,  in  the  preface  to  his  "Elegiac  Lines,"  remarks:  "What 
a  pattern  of  flaming  zeal,  and  faithfulness  in  the  ministry,  was  this  servant 
of  the  Lord  !  With  what  unabated  assiduity,  fortitude,  and  patience,  did 
he  persevere  in  holding  foi'th  the  word  of  hfe  !  How  great  was  his  dis- 
interestedness of  spirit  !  With  what  a  catholic,  loving  heart  did  he  embrace 
all  of  all  denominations,  who  loved  the  Lord  Jesus  in  sincerity  !"  In  a 
foot-note  to  his  poem,  the  author  relates  that,  in  his  sermons,  Whitefield 
often  said,  "  The  moment  I  leave  the  body,  and  plunge  into  the  world 
of  spirits,  the  first  question  I  shall  ask  will  be — Where's  jjjy  Saniou?-?" 

-  An  elegy  was  published  in  the  A'ew  York  Gazette,  of  October  19, 
1770,  from  which  the  following  lines  are  taken  : — 

"  Methinks,  I  see  him  in  the  pulpit  stand, 
With  graceful  gesture  and  persuasive  hand  ; 
Whilst,  with  attention  deep,  the  list'ning  throng 
Admire  the  words  proceeding  from  his  tongue, 
Struck  by  his  arrows,  harden'd  sinners  start. 
Their  looks  betray  the  anguish  of  their  heart 
With  terror  flU'd,  to  God  they  lift  their  eyes, 
And  fill  His  ear  with  penitential  sighs." 


6i2  The  Life  of  Whitefidd. 


"  Through  his  abundant  toils,  with  fixt  amaze, 
We  see  reviv'd  the  work  of  ancient  days ; 
In  his  unspotted  life,  with  joy  we  see 
The  fervours  of  primeval  piety  : 
A  pattern  to  the  flock  by  Jesus  bought, 
A  living  witness  of  the  truths  He  taught, — 
He  shc\v"d  the  man  regenerate  from  above, 
By  fraudless  innocence,  and  childlike  love. 
For  friendship  form'd  by  nature  and  by  grace, 
(His  heart  made  up  of  truth  and  tenderness), 
Stranger  to  guile,  unknowing  to  deceive, 
In  anger,  malice,  or  revenge  to  live. 
Betwixt  the  mountain  and  the  multitude, 
His  life  was  spent  in  prayer  and  doing  good." 

"  Though  long  by  following  multitudes  admii-'d. 
No  party  for  himself  he  e'er  desir'd. 
His  one  desire  to  make  the  Saviour  known, 
To  magnify  the  name  of  Christ  alone  : 
If  others  strove  who  should  the  greatest  be, 
No  lover  of  pre-eminence  was  he. 
Nor  envied  those  his  Lord  vouchsaf'd  to  bless. 
But  joy'd  in  theirs  as  in  his  own  success, 
His  friends  in  honour  to  himself  preferr'd, 
And  least  of  all  in  his  own  eyes  appear' d." 

**  Single  his  eye,  transparently  sincere, 
His  upright  heart  did  in  his  words  appear, 
His  cheerful  heart  did  in  his  visage  shine; 
A  man  of  true  simplicity  divine, 
Not  always  as  the  serpent  wise,  yet  love 
Preserv'd  him  harmless  as  the  gentle  dove ; 
Or  if  into  mistake  through  haste  he  fell. 
He  shew'd  what  others  labour  to  conceal ; 
Convinc'd,  no  palliating  excuses  sought, 
But  freely  own'd  his  error,  or  his  fault." 

*'  Shall  I  a  momentary  loss  deplore. 
Lamenting  after  him  that  weeps  no  more  ? 
"What  though,  forbid  by  the  Atlantic  wave, 
I  cannot  share  my  old  companion's  grave, 
Yet,  at  the  trumpet's  call,  my  dust  shall  rise. 
With  his  fly  up  to  Jesus  in  the  skies. 
And  live  with  him  the  life  that  never  dies." 

Charles  Wesley  often  wrote  more  polished  poetry  than 
this,  but  his  loving  lines  truthfully  pourtray  some  of  the 
features    uf  Whitefield's   character,    and,   likewise,   shew   the 


Elegies.  6 1 3 

profound    affection    which     he     cherished    for    his     brother    ^77° 
George.  Age « 

Before  leaving  the  poets,  another  extract  may  be  welcome. 
There  is  no  evidence  to  shew  that  Whitefield  and  William 
Cowper  were  personally  acquainted,  but  John  Newton  and 
some  other  of  Cowper's  friends  were  among  Whitefield's 
most  ardent  admirers ;  and,  therefore,  it  is  not  surprising 
that  Cowper  should  have  enshrined  the  famous  preacher  in 
his  poesy.  Soon  after  Whitefield's  death,  Cowper  wrote  his 
well-known  poem,  entitled  "  Hope,"  in  which  Whitefield  was 
graphically  described  as  follows  : — 

"  Leuconomus  (beneath  well-sounding  Greek 
\  slur  a  name  a  poet  must  not  speak, 
Stood  pilloried  on  infamy's  high  stage, 
'^.nd  bore  the  pelting  scorn  of  half  an  age, 
The  very  butt  of  slander,  and  the  blot 
For  every  dart  that  malice  ever  shot. 

"  The  man  that  mention'd  him,  at  once  dismiss'd 
All  mercy  from  his  lips,  and  sneer'd  and  hiss'd  ; 
His  crimes  were  such  as  Sodom  never  knew, 
And  Perjury  stood  up  to  swear  all  true  ; 
His  aim  was  mischief,  and  his  zeal  pretence, 
His  speech  rebellion  against  common  sense  ; 
A  knave,  when  tried  on  honesty's  plain  rule, 
And  when  by  that  of  reason,  a  mere  fool ; 
The  world's  best  comfort  was,  his  doom  was  pass'd 
Die  when  he  might,  he  must  be  damn'd  at  last. 

"  Now,  Truth,  perform  thine  office  ;  waft  aside 
The  curtain  drawn  by  prejudice  and  pride, 
Reveal  (the  man  is  dead)  to  wondering  eyes 
This  more  than  monster  in  his  proper  g«ise. 

"  He  loved  the  world  that  hated  him  ;  the  tear 
That  dropp'd  upon  his  Bible  was  sincere 
Assail'd  by  scandal  and  the  tongue  of  strife. 
His  only  answer  was  a  blameless  life. 
And  he  that  forged  and  he  that  threw  the  dart, 
Had  each  a  brother's  interest  in  his  heart. 
Paul's  love  of  Christ,  and  steadiness  unbribed, 
Were  copied  close  in  him,  and  well  transcribed ; 
He  follow'd  Paul  ;  his  zeal  a  kindred  flame, 
His  apostolic  charity  the  same  : 
Like  him,  cross'd  cheerfully  tempestuous  seas. 
Forsaking  country,  kindred,  friends,  and  ease  ; 
Like  him  he  labour'd,  and,  like  him  content 
To  bear  it,  suffer'd  shame  where'er  he  w'ent. 


6 14  The  Life  of  White/it  Id. 

"  Blush,  Calumny;  and  write  upon  his  tomb, 
If  honest  eulogy  can  spare  thee  room, 
Thy  deep  repentance  of  thy  thousand  lies, 
Which,  aim'd  at  him,  have  pierced  the  offended  skies  ; 
And  say,  Blot  out  my  sin,  confess'd,  deplored,  , 

Against  Thine  image  in  Thy  saint,  O  Lord  !  " 

No  higher  eulogy  on  Whitefield  than  this  of  the  poet 
Cowper  can  be  properly  pronounced.  It  elaborates  that 
of  the  celebrated  Rev.  Benjamin  Grosvenor,  D.D.,  who,  after 
listening  to  one  of  Whitefield's  sermons  about  the  year 
1 74 1,  remarked,  "  If  the  Apostle  Paul  had  preached  to  this 
auditory,  he  would  have  preached  in  the  same  manner."  ^ 

"  If  you  should  die  abroad,"  said  Mr,  Keen,  "  whom  shall 
we  get  to  preach  your  funeral  sermon  .-*  Must  it  be  your  old 
friend  the  Rev.  Mr.  John  Wesley  .-•  "  This  question  was 
often  put,  and  as  often  Whitefield  answered,  "  He  is  the 
man."  ^ 

The  news  of  Whitefield's  death  reached  London  on 
November  5.^  At  the  time,  Wesley  was  at  Norwich  ;  but, 
five  days  afterwards,  he  wrote  : — 

"  Saturday,  November  10,  1770.  I  returned  to  London,  and  had  the 
melancholy  news  of  Mr.  Whitefield's  death  confirmed  by  his  executors, 
who  desired  me  to  preach  his  funeral  sermon  on  Sunday,  the  iSth.*  In 
order  to  write  this,  I  retired  to  Lewisham  on  Monday  ;  and,  on  Sunday 
following,  went  to  the  chapel  in  Tottenham  Court  Road.  An  immense 
inultitude  was  gathered  together  from  all  corners  of  the  town.^  I  was  at 
first  afraid  that  a  great  part  of  the  congregation  would  not  be  able  to  hear ; 
but  it  pleased  God  so  to  strengthen  my  voice,  that  even  those  at  the  door 
heard  distinctly.     It  was  an  awful  season  :  all  were  still  as  night ;  most 


1  Gillies'  "  Memoirs  of  Whitefield." 

2  Ibid. 

3  Ibid. 

*  The  following  appeared  in  one  of  the  London  newspapers  : — "  We 
hear  that,  on  Sunday  next,  funeral  sermons,  on  the  death  of  the  late  Rev. 
Mr.  Whitefield,  who,  it  is  said,  died  worth  £^0,000,  will  be  preached  at 
all  the  Methodist  meeting-houses  in  and  about  London,  particularly  the 
Tabernacles  in  Tottenham  Court  Road  and  Moorfields.  Yesterday,  a 
caveat  was  entered  at  Doctors  Commons  by  a  principal  creditor  of  the 
late  Rev.  Mr.  George  Whitefield." 

*  Lloyd's  Evcitiii^  Post  of  November  19,  1770,  remarked  :  "The  front 
of  the  gallery  round  the  chapel  was  quite  covered  with  black  cloth,  as 
were  the  pulpit,reading-desk,and  communion-table,  whichhad  escutcheons 
of  Mr.  Whitefield's  arms  and  crest.  The  many  thousands  who  attended 
was  almost  incredible,  who,  being  clothed  in  black,  chiefly  out  of  respect 
to  ihcir  much-loved  minister,  together  with  the  hangmg,  had  a  most 
uncommon  appearance." 


Funeral  Sernion  by    IVcs/cy.  615 

appeared  to  be  deeply  affected  ;  and  an  impression  was  made  on  many, 
which  one  would  hope  will  not  speedily  be  effaced. 

"  The  time  appointed  for  my  beginning  at  the  Tabernacle  was  half  an 
hour  after  five  ;  but  it  was  quite  filled  at  three  ;  so  I  began  at  four.  At  first, 
the  noise  was  exceeding  great ;  but  it  ceased  when  I  began  to  speak  ;  and 
my  voice  was  again  so  strengthened  that  all  who  were  within  could  hear, 
unless  an  accidental  noise  hindered  here  or  there  for  a  few  moments.  O 
that  all  may  hear  the  voice  of  Him  with  whom  are  the  issues  of  life  and 
death  ;  and  who  so  loudly,  by  this  unexpected  stroke,  calls  all  His  children 
to  love  one  another  !  " 

In  addition  to  the  services  on  November  18,  Wesley,  on 
two  other  occasions,  improved  the  death  of  his  old  and 
much-loved  friend.  Hence  the  following  extracts  from  his 
Journal : — 

"  Friday,  November  23.  Being  desired  by  the  trustees  of  the  Taber- 
nacle at  Greenwich  to  preach  Mr.  Whitefield's  funeral  sermon  there,  I 
went  over  to-day  for  that  purpose  ;  but  neither  would  this  house  contain 
the  congregation.  Those  who  could  not  get  in  made  some  noise  at  first ; 
but  in  a  little  while  all  were  silent.  Here,  likewise,  I  trust  God  has  given 
a  blow  to  that  bigotry  which  had  prevailed  for  many  years. 

"  Wednesday,  January  2,  1771.  I  preached,  in  the  evening,  at  Deptford, 
a  kind  of  funeral  sermon  for  Mr.  Whitefield.  In  every  place,  I  wish  to 
shew  all  possible  respect  to  the  memory  of  that  great  and  good  man." 

Wesley's  sermon  was  official ;  and  was  published,  with  the 
title,>, "  A  Sermon  on  the  Death  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  George 
Whitefield.  Preached  at  the  Chapel  in  Tottenham  Court 
Road,  and  at  the  Tabernacle  near  Moorfields,  on  Sunday, 
November  18,  1 770.  By  John  Wesley,  M.A.,  late  Fellow 
of  Lincoln  College,  Oxon,  and  Chaplain  to  the  Right 
Honourable  the  Countess-Dowager  of  Buchan,  1770." 
(Svo.  32  pp.) 

No  man  was  so  well  qualified  to  form  a  correct  estimate 
of  Whitefield's  life  as  Wesley  was.  For  thirty-seven  years, 
they  had  been  loving,  frank,  confiding  friends.  Wesley  was 
a  singularly  keen  observer  of  human  character ;  and,  more- 
over, he  was  without  envy,  was  incapable  of  using  flattery, 
and  was  far  too  honest  to  say  anything  but  what  he  thought. 
In  this  instance,  he  took  a  text  (Numbers  xxiii.  10)  without 
expounding  it.  His  sermon  was  simply  a  review  of  White- 
field's  "  life,  and  death,  and  character,"  with  an  enquiry  how 
his  sudden  removal  ought  to  be  improved.  The  first  dozen 
pages  are  filled  with  a  condensed  summary  of  Whitefield's 


6i6  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

^77°    Journals  down  to  the  year  1741 ; — "Journals,"  says  Wesley, 
Age  55   "  which,  for  their  artless  and   unaffected   simplicity,  may  vie 
with  any  writings   of  the   kind."      And   then,  in  reference  to 
Whitefield's  labours  already  sketched,  Wesley  adds  : — 

"  How  exact  a  specimen  is  this  of  his  labours,  both  in  Europe  and 
America,  for  the  honour  of  his  beloved  Master,  during  the  thirty  years 
that  followed  !  as  well  as  of  the  uninterrupted  showers  of  blessings  where- 
with God  was  pleased  to  succeed  his  labours  !  Is  it  not  much  to  be 
lamented,  that  anything  should  have  prevented  his  continuing  this  account 
till  at  least  near  the  time  when  he  was  called  by  his  Lord  to  enjoy  the  fruit 
of  his  labour  ?  If  he  has  left  any  papers  of  this  kind,  and  his  friends  count 
me  worthy  of  the  honour,  it  would  be  my  glory  and  joy  to  methodize, 
transcribe,  and  prepare  them  for  the  public  view." 

Wesley  then  gives  an  extract  from  the  Boston  Gazette, 
which  he  virtually  adopts  as  expressing  his  own  opinions: — 

"  In  his  public  labours,  Mr.  Whitefield  has  for  many  years  astonished 
the  world  with  his  eloquence  and  devotion.  With  what  divine  pathos  did 
he  persuade  the  impenitent  sinner  to  embrace  the  practice  of  piety  and 
virtue  !  Filled  with  the  spirit  of  grace,  he  spoke  from  the  heart ;  and, 
with  a  fervency  of  zeal  perhaps  unequalled  since  the  days  of  the  apostles, 
adorned  tlie  tiiiths  he  delivered  with  the  most  graceful  charms  of  rhetoric 
and  oratory.  From  the  pulpit  he  was  unrivalled  in  the  command  of  an 
over-crowded  auditory.  Nor  was  he  less  agreeable  and  instructive  m  his 
private  conversation :  happy  in  a  remarkable  ease  of  address,  willing  to 
communicate,  studious  to  edify." 

Wesley  next  proceeds  to  give  his  own  sketch  of  White- 
field's  character,  and  which,  abbreviated,  is  as  follows  : — 

"  Mention  has  already  been  made  of  his  unparalleled  zeal,  his  inde- 
fatigable activity,  his  tender-heartedness  \.o  the  afflicted,  and  charitableness 
toward  the  poor.  But  should  we  not  likewise  mention  his  deep  gratitude 
to  all  whom  God  had  used  as  instruments  of  good  to  him?  of  whom  he 
did  not  cease  to  speak  in  the  most  respectful  manner,  even  to  his  dying 
day.'  Should  we  not  mention,  that  he  had  a  heart  susceptible  of  the  most 
generous  and  the  most  ten^Qr  friends/iip  ?  I  have  frequently  thought,  that 
this,  of  all  others,  was  the  distinguishing  part  of  his  character.  How  few 
have  we  known  of  so  kind  a  temper,  of  such  large  and  flowing  afiections  ! 

'  Wesley  had  a  reason  for  thus  referring  to  himself  and  his  brother 
Charles.  At  his  Annual  Conference,  held  in  London  within  the  last  four 
months,  he  had  announced  his  Theses,  shewing  in  what  way  he  and  his 
preachers  had  "  leaned  too  much  toward  Calvinism."  This  hugely  offended 
the  Countess  of  Huntingdon  and  her  friends,  and  led  to  the  bitterest  con- 
troversy in  Wesley's  history. 


Funeral  Sermon  by    Wesley.  617 


Was  it  not  principally  by  this  that  the  hearts  of  others  were  so  strangely     i7" 
drawn  and  knit  to  him  ?     Can  anything  but  love  beget  love  ?     This  shone     .  ~ 
in  his  very  countenance,  and  continually  breathed  in  all  his  words,  whether       ^^ 
in  public  or  private.     Was  it  not  this,  which,  quick  and  penetrating  as 
lightning,  flew  from  heart  to  heart?  which  gave  life  to  his  sermons,  his 
conversations,  his  letters  ?     Ye  are  witnesses. 

"  He  was  also  endued  with  the  most  nice  and  unblemished  modesty. 
His  office  called  him  to  converse,  very  frequently  and  largely,  with  women 
as  well  as  men  ;  and  those  of  every  age  and  condition.  But  his  whole 
behaviour  toward  them  was  a  practical  comment  on  that  advice  of  St, 
Paul  to  Timothy,  ^ Intreat  the  elder  women  as  mothers,  the  yoiiugcr  as 
sisters,  with  all  purity.' ' 

"  Th.Q  frankness  and  openness  of  his  conversation  was  as  far  removed 
from  rudeness  on  the  one  hand,  as  from  guile  and  disguise  on  the  other. 
Was  not  this  frankness  at  once  a  fruit  and  a  proof  of  his  courage  and 
intrepidity?  Armed  with  these,  he  feared  not  the  faces  of  men,  but  used 
great  plainness  of  speech  to  persons  of  every  rank  and  condition,  high  and 
low,  rich  and  poor  ;  endeavouring  only  by  maiiifestation  of  the  truth  to 
commend  himself  to  every  man's  conscience  in  the  sight  of  God. 

*'  His  steadiness  appeared  in  whatever  he  undertook  for  his  Master's 
sake.  Witness  one  instance  for  all,  the  Orphan  House  in  Georgia,  which 
he  began  and  perfected,  in  spite  of  all  discouragements.  Indeed,  in  what- 
ever concerned  himself,  he  was  pliant  and  flexible.  In  this  case,  he  was 
easy  to  be  intreated,  easy  to  be  either  convinced  or  persuaded.  But 
he  was  immoveable  in  the  things  of  God,  or  wherever  his  conscience  was 
concerned.  None  could  persuade,  any  more  than  affright  him,  to  vary  in 
the  least  point  from  that  integrity,  which  was  inseparable  from  his  whole 
character,  and  regulated  all  his  words  and  actions. 

"  If  it  be  enquired,  what  was  the  foundation  of  this  integrity,  or  of  his 
sincerity,  courage,  patience,  and  every  other  valuable  and  amiable  quality 
it  is  easy  to  give  the  answer.  It  was  not  the  excellence  of  his  natural 
temper  ;  not  the  strength  of  his  understanding;  it  was  not  the  force  of 
education  ;  no,  nor  the  advice  of  his  friends.  It  was  no  other  than  faith 
in  a  bleeding  Lord  ;  faith  of  the  operation  of  God.  It  was  a  lively  hope 
of  an  inheritance  incorruptible,  tcndefiled,  atid  that  fa  del h  not  away.  It 
was  the  love  of  God  shed  abroad  in  his  heart  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  which  was 
^iven  unto  him,  filling  his  soul  with  tender,  disinterested  love  to  every 
child  of  man.  From  this  source  arose  that  torrent  of  eloquence  winch 
frequently  bore  down  all  before  it;  from  this,  that  astonishing  force  of 
pcrsuasio7i,  Avhich  the  most  hardened  sinners  could  not  resist.  This  it 
was,  which  often  made  his  head  as  waters,  and  his  eyes  as  afountaiii  of 
tears.  This  it  was,  which  enabled  him  to  pour  out  his  soul  m  prayer,  in 
a  manner  peculiar  to  himself,  with  such  fulness  and  ease  united  together 
with  such  strength  and  variety  both  of  sentiment  and  expression. 

"  I  may  close  this  head  with  observing,  what  an  honour  it  pleased  God 


'  This  was  a  dignified  rebuke  administered  to  the  inf;,mous  Samuel 
Foote,  and  the  admirers  of  his  profane  and  filthy  "  Minor." 


6i8  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

to  put  upon  His  faithful  servant,  by  allowing  him  to  declare  His  everlast- 
ing gospel  in  so  many  various  countries,  to  such  numbers  of  people,  and 
with  so  great  an  effect  on  so  many  of  their  precious  souls.  Have  we  read 
or  heard  of  any  person  since  the  apostles,  Avho  testified  the  gospel  of  the 
grace  of  God,  through  so  widely  extended  a  space,  through  so  large  a  part 
of  the  habitable  world  ?  Have  we  read  or  heard  of  any  person,  who  called 
so  many  thousands,  so  many  myriads  of  sinners  to  repentance?  Above  all, 
have  we  read  or  heard  of  any,  who  has  been  a  blessed  instrument  in  the 
hand  of  God  of  bringing  so  many  sinners  from  darkness  to  light,  and  from 
the  power  of  Satan  icnto  God?'" 

Like  all  Wesley's  writings,  this  sketch  of  Whitefield's 
character  is  concise,  but  terse,  pointed,  and  comprehensive. 
He  concludes  by  improving  Whitefield's  death.  The  grand 
lesson  to  be  learned  was  to  "  keep  close  to  the  grand  doc- 
trines which  "  Whitefield  "  delivered  ;  and  to  drink  into  his 
spirit','  a  lesson  which  the  Methodists  of  the  present  day 
have  more  need  to  study  and  to  lay  to  heart  than  the 
Methodists  of  any  previous  generation. 

The  ''grand  doctrines^'  specified  by  Wesley  were,  that 
"  There  is  no  poiver  (by  nature)  and  no  merit  in  man.  AH 
power  to  think,  speak,  or  act  aright,  is  in  and  from  the 
Spirit  of  Christ :  and  all  merit  is  in  the  blood  of  Christ. 
All  men  are  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins  :  all  are  by  nature 
children  of  ivrath  :  all  are  guilty  before  God,  liable  to  death, 
temporal  and  eternal.  We  become  interested  in  what  Christ 
has  done  and  suffered,  not  by  works,  lest  any  man  should 
boast ;  but  by  faith  alone.  We  conclude,  says  the  Apostle, 
that  a  man  is  justified  by  faitJi,  ivitJiout  the  works  of  the  law. 
And  to  as  many  as  thus  receive  Him,  giveth  He  power 
to  become  the  sons  of  God :  even  to  those  that  believe  in  His 
name,  zuho  are  born,  not  of  tJie  zvill  of  man,  but  of  God. 
And  except  a  man  be  thus  born  again,  he  cannot  see  the  king- 
dom of  God.  But  all  who  are  thus  born  of  the  Spirit,  have 
the  kingdom-  of  God  zvithin  thein.  That  mind  is  in  ihcni 
which  was  in  Christ  Jesus,  enabling  them  to  zualk  as  Christ 
also  walked.  His  indwelling  Spirit  makes  them  both  holy 
in  heart,  and  holy  in  all  manner  of  conversation." 

These  were  the  doctrines  of  Wesley,  Whitefield,  and  the  first 
Methodists,  par  excellence,  and  no  pulpit  of  the  present  age 
has  a  right  to  be  designated  Methodist,  in  which  these  doc- 
trines do  not  occupy  the   same  prominent  position.      "  May 


Fu7ieral  Sermon  by   Wesley.  619 


they  not,"  says  Wesley,  "  be  summed  up,  as  It  were,  in  two 
words,  "  The  nezv  birth,  ^.VlCh  justification  by  faith"  ? 

Immediately  after  the  publication  of  his  sermon,  Wesley 
was  attacked  by  the  Gospel  Magazine,  and  charged  "  with 
asserting  a  gross  falsehood,"  in  saying  that  "  the  grand 
fundamental  doctrines  which  Mr.  Whitefield  everywhere 
preached,"  were  those  just  specified.  In  an  unamiable  out- 
burst of  Calvinistic  zeal,  the  editor  maintained  that  White- 
field's  *'gran(4  fundamental  doctrines,  which  he  everywhere 
preached,  were  the  everlasting  covenant  between  the  Father 
and  the  Son,  and  absolute  predestination  flowing  there- 
from." 

To  this  Wesley  quietly  replied  : — 

"  I  join  issue  on  this  head.  Whether  the  doctrines  of  the  eternal  cove- 
nant, and  of  absolute  predestination,  are  the  grand  fundamental  doctrines 
of  Christianity  or  not,  I  affirm  again,  i.  That  Mr.  Whitefield  did  not 
everywhere  preach  these  ;  2.  That  he  did  everywhere  preach  the  new 
birth,  and  justification  by  faith. 

"  I.  He  did  not  everywhere  preach  the  eternal  covenant,  and  absolute 
predestination.  In  all  the  times  I  myself  heard  him  preach,  I  never 
heard  him  utter  a  sentence,  either  on  one  or  the  other.  Yea,  all  the  times 
he  preached  in  West  Street  chapel,  and  in  our  other  chapels  throughout 
England,  he  did  not  preach  these  doctrines  at  all, — no,  not  in  a  single 
paragraph  ;  which,  by  the  bye,  is  a  demonstration  that  he  did  not  think 
them  the  fundamental  doctrines  of  Christianity. 

"2.  Both  in  West  Street  chapel,  and  all  our  other  chapels  throughout 
England,  he  did  preach  the  necessity  of  the  new  birth,  and  justification 
by  faith,  as  clearly  as  he  has  done  in  his  two  volumes  of  printed  sermons. 
Therefore  all  that  I  have  asserted  is  true,  and  proveable  by  ten  thousand 
witnesses."' 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  add  to  Wesley's  delineation  of 
his  much-loved  friend  and  fellow-worker  ;  and  yet  there  are 
other  sketches,  by  those  who  were  intimately  acquainted 
with  the  great  evangelist,  which  may  be  briefly  noticed. 
*'  Funeral  sei'mons  were  preached  in  the  principal  cities  of 
America,"^  including  one  at  Newbury  Port,  by  the  Rev. 
Jonathan  Parsons  ;  three  at  Savannah,''  by  the  Rev.  Samuel 
Frink,    rector,    the    Rev.    Edward    Ellington,  and    the   Rev. 


'  Lloycfs  Evening  Post,  March  i,  177 1. 

^  Stevens's  "  History  of  Methodism,"  vol.  i.,  p.  467. 

*  Gospel  Magazine,  1 77 1 ,  p.  80. 


^20  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 


»7.7o  John  Joachim  Zubley/  Presbyterian  ;  two  at  Charlestown, 
AgTss  by  the  Revds.  Mr.  Whitaker,  and  Josiah  Smith;  at  least,  one 
at  Philadelphia,  by  the  Rev.  James  Sproat,  D.D.,  the  successor 
of  Gilbert  Tennent  ;  and  two  at  Boston,  one  by  the  Rev. 
Ebenezer  Pemberton,  D.D.,  and  the  other  by  the  Rev.  Samuel 
Cooper,  D.D.'^  In  England,  sermons  were  preached  by 
Wesley,  Venn,  Romaine,  Madan,  John  Newton,  Benidge, 
Haweis,  and  several  other  clergymen  of  the  Chureh  of 
England  ;  also  by  the  Rev.  Thomas  Gibbons,  D.D.  ;  the 
Rev.  John  Trotter,  D.D.  ;  the  Rev.  John  Langford  ;  the  Rev. 
Samuel  Brewer  ;  the  Rev.  Charles  Skelton  f  and  others 
among  the  Dissenters.'*  Besides  Wesley's,  the  following 
sermons  were  published : — I.  "To  Live  is  Christ,  to  Die  is 
Gain.  A  Funeral  Sermon  on  the  Death  of  the  Rev.  Mr. 
George  Whitefield,  who  died  suddenly  of  a  fit  of  the 
Asthma,  at  Newbury  Port,  at  six  of  the  clock,  Lord's-day 
Morning,  Sept.  30,  1770.  The  Sermon  preached  the  same 
day  (afternoon),  by  Jonathan  Parsons,  A.M.,  and  Minister 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church  there.  To  which  are  added.  An 
Account  of  his  Interment ;  the  Speech  over  his  Grave, 
by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Jewet ;  and  some  Verses  to  his  Memory, 
by  the  Rev.  Thomas  Gibbons,  D.D.  1771."  (8vo.  35  pp.) 
2.  "  Heaven,  the  Residence  of  the  Saints  :  a  Sermon,  de- 
livered at  the  Thursday  Lecture  at  Boston,  in  America, 
October  1 1,  1770.  By  Ebenezer  Pemberton,  D.D.,  Pastor 
of  a  Church  in  Boston,   1771."   (8vo.  31  pp.)      3.   "The  Re- 

'  Mr.  Zubley  was  first  minister  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  at  Savannah, 
and  entered  upon  his  charge  in  1760.  He  originally  came  from  Switzer- 
land, and  preached  in  English,  German,  and  French,  as  occasion  re- 
quired.    He  was  a  man  of  great  learning,  and  died  in  178 1. 

*  Dr.  Cooper  was  converted  by  Whitefield's  instrumentality,  and  became 
one  of  the  most  popular  preachers  in  America.  One  of  the  publications 
of  the  period,  in  describing  the  scene  in  Brattle  Street  Church,  when 
Cooper  preached  Whitefield's  funeral  sermon,  said  ;  "  Pews,  aisles,  and 
seats  were  so  crowded,  and  heads  and  shoulders  were  in  such  close 
phalanx,  that  it  looked  as  though  a  man  might  walk  everywhere  upon  the 
upper  surface  of  the  assembly,  without  finding  an  opening  for  descending 
to  the  floor." 

^  Mr.  Brewer  preached  in  Spitalfields,  from  Psalm  xxxvii.  37  ;  and  Mr. 
Skelton,  one  of  Wesley's  seceded  itinerants,  in  Maid  Lane,  Southwark, 
from  Acts  xiii.  36.     (Old  Newspaper.) 

"  As  a  curiosity,  the  following  may  be  added  :  "  Yesterday  morning, 
about  eight  o'clock,  a  man,  mounted  on  a  stool,  at  the  Seven  Dials, 
preached  a  funeral  sermon  on  the  death  of  his  dear  master,  Mr.  George 
Whitefield."     {Lloyd's  Evening  Post,  Monday,  Nov.  12,  1770.) 


Funeral  Sennojis  Published.  6:r- 


proach  of  Christ  the  Christian's  Treasure  :  a  Sermon  preached  ^77o 
at  Christ  Church,  Savannah,  in  Georgia,  on  Sunday,  Novem-  A^^e  55 
ber  II,  1770.  By  Edward  Ellington,  V.D.M.  London, 
1 77 1."  (8vo.  31  pp.)^  4.  "A  Minister  Dead,  yet  Speak- 
ing. Being  the  Substance  of  two  Discourses,  preached 
November  1 1,  1770.  By  the  Rev.  Mr.  D.  Edwards. 
London."  (8vo.  24  pp.)  5.  "A  Token  of  Respect  to  the 
Memory  of  the  Rev.  George  Whitefield,  A.M.  Being  the 
Substance  of  a  Sermon  preached  on  his  Death,  at  the  Right 
Hon.  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon's  Chapel  at  Bath,  the 
1 8th  of  November,  1770.  By  the  Rev.  Mr.  Venn,  London, 
1770."  (8vo.  20  pp.)  6.  "The  Exalted  State  of  the  Faithful 
Ministers  of  Christ,  after  Death,  described  and  considered. 
A  Sermon  preached  on  Sabbath-day  Evening,  December  2, 
1770.  By  John  Langford,  Minister  of  the  Gospel,  and 
Pastor  of  that  part  of  the  Church  of  Christ,  meeting  in 
Black's  Fields,  Southwark.  London,  1770."  (8vo.  40  pp.) 
7.  "  Grace  and  Truth,  or  a  Summary  of  Gospel  Doctrine, 
considered  in  a  Funeral  Discourse,  preached  on  the  Death 
of  the  Rev.  Mr.  George  Whitefield,  AB.  By  R.  Elliot,  A.B. 
London,  1770."    (i2mo.  46  pp.) 

From  these,  and  from  contemporaneous  publications, 
many  extracts  might  be  furnished.  Mr.  Parsons  told 
his  congregation  that  he  had  enjoyed  Whitefield 's  friend- 
ship for  thirty  years ;  and  that  it  was  by  Whitefield's 
**  advice  and  influence "  that  he  had  settled  at  Newbury 
Port  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago.  Mr.  Parsons  con- 
tinued : — 

"  When  Mr.  Whitefield  first  came  to  Boston,  Dr.  Coleman  wrote  to  me, 
that,  '  the  wonderful  man  was  come,  and  they  had  had  a  week  of  sabbaths; 
that  Mr.  Whitefield's  zeal  for  Christ  was  extraordinary ;  and  yet  he 
recommended  himself  to  his  thousands  of  hearers,  by  his  engagedness  for 
holiness  and  souls.'  I  soon  had  opportunity  to  observe,  that,  wherever  he 
flew,  like  a  flame  of  fire,  his  ministry  gave  a  general  alarm  to  all  sorts  of 
people,  though,  before  that,  they  had,  for  a  long  time,  been  sunk  into  dead 
formality.     Ministers  and  their  congregations  seemed  to  be  at  ease  ;  but 


'  Cornelius  Winter  says  that  he  himself  composed  and  wrote  the  sermon 
preached  by  Mr.  Ellington.  ("  Memoirs  of  Cornelius  Winter,"  p.  104.)  The 
letters  attached  to  Mr.  Ellington's  name  suggest  the  thought  that  Winter 
was  also  the  publisher  of  the  sermon. 


62  2  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 


Mr.  Whitefi eld's  preaching  appeared  to  be  from  the  heart.  We  were  con- 
vhiced  that  he  believed  the  message  he  brought  to  us,  to  be  of  the  last 
importance.  His  popularity  exceeded  all  that  I  ever  knew.  The  last 
sermon  that  he  preached  only  yesterday,  though  under  the  disadvantage 
of  a  stage  in  the  open  air,  was  delivered  with  such  clearness,  pathos,  and 
eloquence,  as  to  please  and  surprise  the  surrounding  thousands.  As,  for 
many  years,  he  had  been  waiting  and  hoping  for  his  last  change,  he  then 
declared  that  he  hoped  it  was  the  last  time  he  should  ever  preach.  His 
countenance  shcne  like  the  unclouded  sun." 

Dr.  Pemberton,  in   his  sermon,  founded   upon   i  Peter  i.  4, 
observes  : — 

"  I  am  not  fond  of  funeral  panegyrics,  which  are  oftener  adapted  to 
flatter  the  dead  than  to  instruct  the  living.     But  where  persons  have  been 
distinguishedly  honoured  by  heaven,  and    employed    to   do   uncommon 
service  for  God's  Church  on  earth,  it  would  be  criminal  ingratitude  to 
suffer  them  to  drop  into  the  dust  without  the   most  respectful  notice. 
Posterity  will  view  Mr.  Whitefield,  in  many  respects,  as  one  of  the  inost 
extraordinary  characters  of  the  present  age.     His  zealous,  incessant,  and 
successful  labours,  in  Europe  and  America,  are  without  a  parallel.     We 
beheld  here  a  new  star  arise  in  the  hemisphere  of  these  western  churches, 
and  its  salutarj' influences  were  diffused  through  a  great  part  of  the  British 
settlements  in  these  remote  regions.      We  heard   from  a  divine  of  the 
Church  of  England  those  great  doctrines  of  the  gospel,  which  our  ancestors 
brought  with  them  from  their  native  country.     In  his  repeated  progresses 
through   the   colonies,   he   was   favoured  with  the   same   success  which 
attended  him  on  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic.     He  preached  from  day 
to  day  in  thronged  assemblies  ;  yet  his  hearers  never  discovered  the  least 
weariness,  but  always  followed  him  with  increasing  ardour.     When  in  the 
pulpit,  every  eye  was  fixed  on  his  expressive  countenance  ;  eveiy  ear  was 
charmed  with  his  melodious  voice ;  all  sorts  of  persons  were  captivated 
with  the  propriety  and  beauty  of  his  address.     Many  in  all  parts  of  the 
land  were  turned  from  darkness  to  light,  and  from  the  power  of  Satan 
unto  God.    He  was  no  contracted  bigot,  bftt  embraced  Christians  of  every 
denomination  in  the  arms  of  his  charity,  and  acknowledged  them  to  be 
children  of  the  same  Father,  servants  of  the  same  Master,  heirs  of  the 
same  undefiled  inheritance.     He  was  always  received  by  multitudes  with 
pleasure  when  he  favoured  us  with  his  labours  ;  but  he  never  had  a  more 
obliging  reception  than  in  his  last  visit.    Men  of  the  first  distinction  in  the 
province,  not  only  attended  his  ministry,  but  gave  him  the  highest  marks 
of  respect.     With  what   faithfulness  did  he  declare  unto  us  the  whole 
counsel  of  God  !     With  what  solemnity  did  he  reprove  us  for  our  in- 
creasing degeneracy  !     With  what  zeal  did  he  exhort  us  to  remember 
from  whence  we  were  fallen,  and  repent  and  do  our  first  works,  lest  God 
should  come  and  remove  our  candlestick  out  of  its  place.      On  every 
occasion,  he  expressed  an  uncommon  concern  for  our  civil  as  well  as  our 
religious  privileges,  the  dear-bought  purchase  of  our  heroic  ancestors. 


Extracts  from  Funeral  Sei'mons,  623 


With  what  fervency  did  he  pray  that  they  might  be  transmitted  entire  to  1770 
the  most  distant  posterity  !  He  embraced  every  opportunity,  in  public 
and  private,  to  persuade  us  to  lay  aside  our  party  prejudices  and  passions,  ^^  •'^ 
that  with  undivided  hearts  we  might  unite  in  every  proper  method  to 
secure  our  future  prosperity.  Perhaps  no  man,  since  the  apostolic  age, 
preached  oftener,  or  with  greater  success.  If  we  view  his  private  character, 
he  will  appear  in  the  most  amiable  light  :  the  pohte  gentleman,  the  faithful 
friend,  the  engaging  companion — above  all,  the  sincere  Christian — were 
visible  in  the  whole  of  his  deportment.  With  large  opportunities  of 
accumulating  wealth,  he  never  discovered  the  least  tincture  of  avarice. 
What  he  received  from  the  kindness  of  his  friends,  he  generously  em- 
ployed in  offices  of  piety  and  charity.  His  benevolent  mind  was  per- 
petually forming  plans  of  extensive  usefulness.  I  have  not  drawn  an 
imaginary  portrait,  but  described  a  character  in  real  life.  I  am  not 
representing  a  perfect  man  ;  but  this  may  be  said  of  Mr.  Whitefield  with 
justice,  that,  after  the  most  public  appearances  for  above  thirty  years,  and 
the  most  critical  examination  of  his  conduct,  no  other  blemish  could  be 
fixed  upon  him,  than  what  arose  from  the  common  frailties  of  human 
nature,  and  the  peculiar  circumstances  which  attended  his  first  entrance 
into  public  life.  The  imprudences  of  inexperienced  youth  he  frequently 
acknowledged  from  the  pulpit  with  a  frankness  which  will  for  ever  do 
honour  to  his  memory.  He  took  care  to  prevent  any  bad  consequences 
that  might  flow  from  his  unguarded  censures  in  the  early  days  of  his 
ministi-y.  The  longer  he  lived,  the  more  he  evidently  increased  '\n  purity 
of  doctrine,  in  hiuniliiy,  meekness,  prudence,  patience,  and  the  other 
amiable  virtues  of  the  Christian  life.'" 

A  testimony  like  this,  coming  from,  not  only  a  distin- 
gnished  minister,  but  one  who  had  been  intimately  acquainted 
with  Whitefield  for  the  last  thirty  years,  is  of  more  than 
ordinary  importance. 

•The  sermon,  written  by  Cornelius  Winter,  and  preached 
by  the  Rev.  Edward  Ellington,  in  Whitefield's  old  church  in 
Savannah,  is  respectable,  but  contains  no  facts  not  already 
noticed.  The  same  may  be  said  respecting  the  Rev.  D. 
Edwards's  two  discourses. 

The  sermon  by  the  Rev.  Henry  Venn  is  what  m.ight  be 
expected  from  a  man  of  his  piety  and  talents  ;  and  as  he 
and  Whitefield  were  loving  friends,  and  Methodist  co-workers, 
ihe  following  extract  will  be  acceptable  : — 

"  Mr.  Whitefield's  doctrine  was  the  doctrine  of  the  Reformers,  of  the 
Apostles,  and  of  Christ ;  and  the  doctrine  which  he  preached,  he  emi- 
nently adorned  by  his  zeal,  and  by  his  works.  If  the  greatness,  extent, 
auccess,  and  disinterestedness  of  a  man's  labour  can  give  him  distinction 
amongst  the  followers  of  Christ,  we  are  warranted  to  affirm,  that  scarce . 


624  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 

any  one  of  His  ministers,  since  the  days  of  the  apostles,  has  exceeded, 
scarce  anyone  has  equalled,  Mr.  Whitefield." 

Venn  proceeds  to  state,  that,  for  many  years,  Whitefield 
preached  from  forty  to  sixty  hours  every  week,  besides 
"  offering  up  prayers  and  intercessions,  and  singing  hymns 
and  spiritual  songs  in  every  house  to  which  he  was  invited." 

Mr.  Langford's  sermon  supplies  no  additional  information 
respecting  Whitefield  ;  neither  does  Mr.  Elliot's.  Toplady 
wrote  : — 

"  I  deem  myself  happy  in  thus  publicly  avowing  the  inexpressible  esteem 
in  which  I  held  this  wonderful  man,  and  the  affectionate  veneration  which 
I  must  ever  retain  for  the  memory  of  one  whose  acquaintance  and  ministry 
were  attended  with  the  most  important  spiritual  benefit  to  me,  and  to  tens 
of  thousands  besides.  It  will  not  be  saying  too  much,  if  I  term  him  the 
apostle  of  the  English  empire,  in  point  of  zeal  for  God,  a  long  course  of 
indefatigable  and  incessant  labours,  unparalleled  disinterestedness,  and 
astonishing  extensive  usefulness.  If  the  most  absolute  command  over  the 
passions  of  immense  auditories  be  a  mark  of  a  consummate  orator,  he  was 
the  greatest  of  the  age.  If  the  strongest  good  sense,  the  most  generous 
expansions  of  heart,  the  most  artless  but  captivating  affability,  the  most 
liberal  exemption  from  bigotry,  the  purest  and  most  transpicuous  integrity, 
the  brightest  cheerfulness,  and  the  promptest  wit,  enter  into  the  composi- 
tion of  social  excellence,  he  was  one  of  the  best  companions  in  the  world. 
If  to  be  steadfast,  and  unmoveable,  always  abounding  in  the  work  of  the 
Lord  ;  if  a  union  of  the  most  briUiant  with  the  most  solid  ministerial  gifts, 
ballasted  by  a  deep  and  humbling  experience  of  grace,  and  crowned  with 
the  most  extended  success  in  the  conversion  of  sinners  and  the  edification 
of  saints,  be  signatures  of  a  special  commission  from  heaven,  Mr.  White- 
field  cannot  but  stand  highest  on  the  modern  list  of  Christian  ministers. 
He  was  the  prince  of  preachers.  On  the  whole,  he  was  the  least  imperfect 
character  I  ever  knew.  It  appears,  from  a  book  in  which  this  great  man 
of  God  minuted  the  times  and  places  of  his  ministerial  labours,  that  he 
preached  upwards  of  eighteen  thousand  sermons,  from  the  time  of  h's 
ordination  to  that  of  his  death.  To  which  we  may  add,  upwards  of  one 
thousand  four  hundred  and  sixty  letters,  written  to  his  friends  and 
acquaintance."' 

John  Newton,  in  a  sermon,  preached  in  his  church  ?t 
Olney,  on  November  11,  said  :  "  I  have  had  some  oppor- 
tunities of  looking  over  the  history  of  the  Church  in  past 
ages,  and  I  am  not  backward  to  say,  that  I  have  not  read  or 
heard  of  any  person,  since  the  days  of  the  apostles,  of  wh.om 


'  New  Spiritual  Magazine,  1783,  pp.  849  to  851. 


Extracts  from  Funeral  Sermons.  62- 


it  may  more  emphatically  be  said,  '  He  was  a  burning  and  ^77'' 
shining  light,'  than  of  the  late  Mr.  Whitefield.  The  Lord  Ag^e  3: 
gave  him  a  manner  of  preaching,  which  was  peculiarly  his 
own.  He  copied  from  none,  and  I  never  met  any  one  who 
could  imitate  him  with  success.  Those  who  attempted, 
generally  made  themselves  disagreeable.  Other  ministers, 
perhaps,  could  preach  the  gospel  as  clearly,  and  in  general 
say  the  same  things-;  but,  I  believe,  no  man  living  could  say 
them  in  his  way." 

"  I  bless  God,"  added  the  Olney  curate,  "that  I  have  lived  in  the  time 
of  Mr.  Whitefield.  Many  were  the  winter  mornings  in  which  I  got  up  at 
four,  to  attend  his  Tabernacle  discourses  at  five  ;  and  I  have  seen  Moor- 
fields  as  full  of  lanthorns  at  these  times  as,  I  suppose,  the  Haymarket  is 
full  of  flambeaux  on  an  opera  night.  If  any  one  were  to  ask  me  who  was 
the  second  preacher  I  ever  heard,  I  should  be  at  some  loss  to  answer  ; 
but,  in  regard  to  the  first,  Mr.  Whitefield  exceeded  so  far  every  other  man 
of  my  time,  that  I  should  be  at  none.  He  was  the  original  of  popular 
preaching,  and  all  our  popular  ministers  are  only  his  copies." ' 

Honest  Berridge  took  for  his  text,  at  Everton,  "  Help, 
Tord,  for  the  godly  man  ceaseth  ;  for  the  faithful  fail  from 
among  the  children  of  men."  He  told  his  hearers  that  the 
^1,500,  of  which  Whitefield  had  died  possessed,  was  money 
which  he  had  only  recently  received.  By  the  death  of  his 
wife,  two  years  ago,  he  had  become  entitled  to  iJ^Soo  ;  and 
the  remaining  i^/oo  had  been  bequeathed  to  him,  in  four 
separate  legacies,  by  friends  not  long  deceased.^ 

Many  of  the  newspapers  and  magazines  of  the  day  con- 
tained sketches  of  Whitefield's  career  and  character.  The 
following,  published  in  the  Scots  Magazine,  is  a  fair  specimen 
of  others  : — 

"  Mr.  Whitefield  was  well  known  over  all  the  British  empire,  as  a 
faithful,  laborious,  and  successful  minister  of  the  gospel  of  Christ.  The 
character  of  this  truly  pious  and  extraordinary  person  must  be  deeply  im- 
pressed upon  the  heart  of  every  friend  to  true,  genuine,  vital  Christianity. 
For  above  thirty  years,  he  has  astonished  the  world,  as  a  prodigy  of  elo- 
quence, by  which  he  was  enabled  to  melt  the  most  obdurate  and  stubborn 
sinners.  Though,  in  the  pulpit,  he  often  found  it  necessary  by  the  terrors 
of  the  Lord  to  persuade  men,  he  had  nothing  gloomy  in  his  nature,  being 
singularly  charitable  and  tender-hearted  ;  and,  in  his  private  conversa- 

'   "  Life  and  Times  of  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,"  vol.  i.,  p.  92. 
"  Lloyd's  Eve)iing  Post,  December  19,  1770. 

VOL.  n.  40 


626  Ihe  Life  of  Whiiefield. 

1770  tion,  cheerful,  communicative,  and  entertaining.  To  the  very  meanest,  he 
—  was  always  easy  of  access,  and  ever  ready  to  listen  to,  and  relieve  their 
■Age  55  -bodily  as  well  as  their  spiritual  necessities  ;  shewing  himself,  in  every 
respect,  a  faithful  steward  of  the  extensive  charities  he  drew  from  his 
numerous  and  compassionate  hearers.  He  constantly  enforced  upon  his 
audiences  every  moral  duty,  particularly  industry  in  their  different  callings, 
obedience  to  their  superiors,  and  in  a  most  especial  manner  loyalty  to  our 
amiable  Sovereign,  never  once  endeavouring  in  these  distracted  times  to 
make  a  factious  use  of  the  great  influence  he  held  among  his  numerous 
adherents." 

The  Pennsylvania  Journal  also  published  a  letter,  dated 
"Boston,  October  i,  1770,"  from  which  the  following  is  an 
extract  : — 

"  In  his  public  performances,  Mr.  Whitefield  has,  for  a  long  course  ot 
years,  astonished  the  world  as  a  prodigy  of  eloquence  and  devotion.  With 
what  divine  pathos  did  he  plead  with  the  impenitent  sinner  !  Filled  with 
the  spirit  of  grace,  he  spoke  from  the  heart  ;  and  with  a  fervency  of  zeal 
perhaps  unequalled  since  the  days  of  the  Apostles.  He  was  unrivalled  in 
the  command  of  an  ever-crowded  and  admiring  auditory;  nor  was  he  less 
entertaining  and  instructive  in  his  private  conversation.  Happy  in  a 
remarkable  ease  of  address,  willing  to  communicate,  studious  to  edify, 
and  formed  to  amuse — such,  in  more  retired  life,  was  he  whom  we 
now  lament."' 

Except  the  Wesleys,  perhaps  no  one  was  better  acquainted 
with  Whitefield  than  the  Rev.  Dr.  Gillies,  of  Glasgow,  whose 
"Memoirs  of  Whitefield"  were  published  in  the  month  of 
June,  1772.^  Omitting,  as  far  as  possible,  the  traits  of 
Whitefield's  character  already  noticed,  Dr.  Gillies'  sketch 
may  fitly  close  these  eulogies  by  Whitefield's  friends. 

"  Mr.  Whitefield's  person  was  graceful,  and  well  proportioned.  His 
stature  was  rather  above  the  middle  size.  His  complexion  was  very  fair. 
His  eyes  were  of  a  dark  blue  colour,  and  small,  but  sprightly.  He  had  a 
squint  with  one  of  them,  occasioned  either  by  the  ignorance,  or  careless- 
ness of  the  nurse  who  attended  him  in  the  measles,  when  he  was  about 
four  years  old.  His  features  were  in  general  good  and  regular.  His 
countenance  was  manly,  and  his  voice  exceeding  strong  ;  yet  both  were 
softened  with  an  uncommon  degree  of  sweetness.  He  was  always  very 
clean  and  neat,  and  often  said  pleasantly,  that  '  a  minister  of  the  gospel 
ought  to  be  without  spot.'  His  deportment  was  decent  and  easy,  without 
the  least  stiffness  or  formality  ;  and  his  engaging  polite  manner  made  his 
company  universally  agreeable.  In  his  youth,  he  was  very  slender,  and 
moved  his  body  with  great  agility  of  action,  suitable  to  his  discourse  ;  but 

'  Belcher's  "Biography  of  Whitefield,"  p.  446. 
*  Lloyd's  Evening  Post,  June  20,  1772. 


Rev.  Dr,   Gillies  on   Whitcfidd.  627 

about  the  fortieth  year  of  his  age,  he  began  to  grow  corpulent ;  which 
however,  was  solely  the  effect  of  his  disease,  being  always,  even  to  a 
proverb,  remarkable  for  his  moderation  both  in  eating  and  drinking. 
Several  prints  have  been  done  of  him,  which  exhibit  a  very  bad  likeness. 
The  best  resemblance  of  him  in  his  younger  years,  before  he  became 
corpulent,  is  that  mezzotinto  scraping  which  represents  him  at  full  length, 
with  one  hand  on  his  breast,  and  holding  a  small  Bible  in  the  other ;  but 
the  late  paintings,  the  one  by  Mr.  Hone,'  and  the  other  by  Mr.  Russell, 
are  certainly  the  justest  likenesses  of  his  person. 

"  In  reviewing  the  life  of  this  extraordinary  man,  we  are  struck  with  his 
unwearied  diligence.  Early  in  the  morning,  he  rose  to  his  Master's  work, 
and,  all  the  day  long,  was  employed  in  a  continual  succession  of  different 
duties.  When  he  was  visited  with  any  distress  or  affliction,  preaching,  as 
he  himself  tells  us,  was  his  catholicon,  and  prayer  his  antidote  against 
every  trial.  When  we  consider  what  exertion  of  voice  was  necessary  to 
reach  his  large  congregations, — also  that  he  preached  generally  twice  or 
thrice  every  day,  and  often  four  times  on  the  Lord's-day,  and  above  ali, 
the  waste  of  strength  and  spirits  every  sermon  must  have  cost  him, 
through  the  earnestness  of  his  delivery, — it  is  astonishing  how  his  consti- 
tution held  out  so  long. 

"  His  eloquence  was  great,  and  of  the  true  and  noblest  kind.  He  was 
utterly  devoid  of  all  appearance  of  affectation.  He  seemed  to  be  quite 
unconscious  of  the  talents  he  possessed.  The  importance  of  his  subject, 
and  the  regard  due  to  his  hearers,  engrossed  all  his  concern.  He  spoke 
like  one  who  did  not  seek  their  applause,  but  was  anxious  for  their  best 
interests.  And  the  effect,  in  some  measure,  corresponded  to  the  design. 
His  congregations  did  not  amuse  themselves  with  commending  his  dis- 
courses, but  entered  into  his  views,  felt  his  passions,  and  were  willing,  for 
the  time  at  least,  to  comply  with  his  requests.  This  was  especially  re- 
markable at  his  charity  sermons,  when  the  most  worldly-minded  were 
made  to  part  with  their  money  in  so  generous  a  manner,  that,  when 
they  returned  to  their  former  temper,  they  were  ready  to  think  that  it  had 
been  conjured  from  them  by  some  inexplicable  charm. 

"  He  had  a  strong  and  musical  voice,  and  a  wonderful  command  of  it. 
His  pronunciation  was  not  only  proper,  but  manly  and  graceful.  He  was 
never  at  a  loss  for  the  most  natural  and  strong  expressions.  The  grand 
sources  of  his  eloquence  were  an  exceeding  lively  imagination,  and  an 
action  still  more  lively.  Every  accent  of  his  voice  spoke  to  the  ear  ;  every 
feature  of  his  face,  and  every  motion  of  his  hands,  spoke  to  the  eye.  The 
most  dissipated  and  thoughtless  found  their  attention  involuntarily  fixed  ; 


■  At  the  founding  of  the  Royal  Academy,  in  1768,  Nathaniel  Hone 
was  chosen  one  of  the  members,  and  maintained  his  reputation  till  his 
death,  in  1784.  The  portrait  in  the  second  volume  of  this  work  is  a 
faithful  representation  of  a  ver>-  fine  engraving,  published  in  1  769,  and 
taken  from  the  painting  by  Hone.  The  portrait  in  the  first  volume  is 
copied  from  an  engraving,  published,  by  the  authority  of  Whitefield 
himself,  in  his  "  Christian's  Companion,  or  Sermons  on  several  subjects," 
in  1739-     (i2mo.  335  pp.) 


6 '8  The  Life  of  IVJiiieficld. 


1770  and  the  dullest  and  most  ignorant  could  not  but  understand.  Had  his 
natural  talents  for  oratory  been  employed  in  secular  affairs,  and  been 
■*  somewhat  more  improved  by  refinements  of  art  and  embellishments  of 

erudition,  it  is  possible  they  would  soon  have  advanced  him  to  distin- 
guished wealth  and  renown. 

"  But  not  to  dwell  longer  on  his  accomplishments  as  an  orator,  one 
thing  remains  to  be  mentioned  of  an  infinitely  higher  order,  namely,  the 
power  of  God,  which  so  remarkably  accompanied  his  labours.  It  is  here 
Mr.  Whitefield  is  most  to  be  envied.  When  we  consider  the  multitudes 
that  were  brought  under  lasting  religious  impressions,  and  the  multitudes 
that  were  wrought  upon  in  the  same  maimer  by  the  ministry  of  others, 
excited  by  his  example,  we  are  led  into  the  same  sentiment  with  Mr. 
Wesley  in  his  funeral  sermon,  '  What  an  honour  hath  it  pleased  God  to 
put  upon  His  faithful  servant  !' 

"  True,  this  excellent  character  was  shaded  with  some  infirmities. 
What  else  could  be  expected  in  the  present  condition  of  humanity  ?  But 
it  ought  to  be  observed,  that,  as  there  was  something  very  amiable  in 
the  frankness  which  prevented  his  concealing  them,  so,  through  his 
openness  to  conviction,  his  teachableness,  and  his  readiness  to  confess  and 
correct  his  mistakes,  they  became  still  fewer  and  smaller  as  he  advanced 
in  knowledge  and  experience. 

"  When  he  first  set  out  in  the  ministry,  his  youth  and  inexperience  led 
him  into  many  expressions  which  were  contrary  to  sound  doctrine,  and 
which  made  many  of  the  sermons  he  first  printed  justly  exceptionable  ; 
but  reading,  experience,  and  a  deeper  knowledge  of  his  own  heart,  con- 
vinced him  of  his  errors,  and,  upon  all  occasions,  he  avowed  his  belief  of 
the  Thirty-nine  Articles  of  the  Church  of  England,  and  the  Standards  of 
the  Church  of  Scotland.  '  He  loved  his  friend '  (Wesley),  '  but  he  would 
not  part  with  a  grain  of  sacred  truth  for  the  brother  of  his  heart."" 

My  task  is  nearly  ended.  I  am  not  conscious  of  having 
omitted  a  single  fact,  of  any  importance,  in  Whitefield 's 
liistory.  His  life  is  a  suggestive  one  ;  but  want  of  space 
prevents  enlargement  on  the  countless  incidents  in  his  re- 
markable career.  These  have  been  narrated  with  as  much 
clearness  as  the  writer  could  command.  The  reader  can  form 
his  own  reflections.  Preachers,  especially,  will  do  well  to  make 
Whitefield  the  subject  of  prayerful  study.  Let  them  try  to 
imitate   him  in  the  use  of  his  matchless  voice.      A  man   had 

'  Another  testimony  may  be  welcome.  The  celebrated  Benjamin  Frank- 
lin, in  a  letter  to  a  gentleman  in  Georgia,wrote:— "  I  cannot  forbear  express- 
ing the  pleasure  it  gives  me  to  see  an  account  of  the  respect  paid  to  Mr. 
Whitefield's  memory  by  your  Assembly.  I  knew  him  intimately  upwards 
of  thirty  years.  His  integrity,  disinterestedness,  and  indefatigable  zeal  in 
prosecuting  every  good  work,  I  have  never  seen  equalled,  and  shall  never 
see  excelled,"     (Belcher's  "  Biography  of  Whitefield,"  p.  447.) 


Concluding  Reiiarks.  62^ 


better  not  preach  at  all,  than  preach  so  mumblingly  that  only  »77o 
half  of  what  he  says  is  heard.  He  vexes  'his  hearers  without  Age  55. 
doing  them  any  good.  If  VVhitefield  had  tried  to  add  to  his 
facial  bcaut}^  by  omitting  to  shave  his  upper  lip,  even  he 
would  not  have  spoken  so  distinctly  and  audibly  as  he  did. 
Whitefield's  preaching  was  always  warm,  earnest,  pointed, — 
addressed  to  the  heart  rather  than  the  head.  He  left 
the  impression  that  he  intensely  believed  what  he  said, 
"  Clear  but  cold,  is  too  descriptive  of  much  modern  preaching. 
It  is  the  frosty  moonlight  of  a  winter's  night,  not  the  warm 
sunshine  of  a  summer's  day."  ^  If  such  had  been  Whitefield's 
preaching,  what  would  his  success  have  been  }  The  man's 
faith  filled  and  fired  him  with  enthusiasm.  On  themes  such 
as  the  ruin  of  man,  the  love  of  God,  the  death  of  Christ,  the 
salvation  of  souls,  the  felicities  of  heaven,  and  the  torments 
of  hell,  it  was  impossible  for  Whitefield  to  be  calm.  If  White- 
field  had  preached  on  little  snbjccts,  he  might  have  been  as 
cool  as  many  of  his  fellows,  and  might  have  courted  favour  by 
yielding  to  the  fastidious  tastes  of  respectable  congregations, 
desiring  the  sentimental,  the  picturesque,  and  the  imaginative, 
but  turning  with  disgust  from  the  solemn,  the  alarming,  the 
awakening.  Whitefield  was  not  a  coward.  No  fetters  of 
custom,  or  trammels  of  conventionality,  could  enslave  him. 
He  never  unmanned  himself  by  prophesying  smooth  things, 
for  fear  of  offending  his  auditors.  His  life  was  spent  in  testi- 
fying a.  fezu  great  truths  in  which  he  had  an  intense,  divinely 
given,  vivid  faith. — truths,  always  unpopular  among  philoso- 
phers, but  truths  everywhere  needed  by  human  beings, — the 
only  truths  which  meet  the  yearnings  of.  human  nature. 
Whitefield  had  no  time  for  lesser  truths.  He  durst  not 
amuse  his  hearers  by  preaching  them.  He  saw  the  people 
perishing,  and  he  had  not  the  hardihood  to  trifle  in  his 
attempts  to  save  them.  His  congregations  ahva3/s  knew 
what  would  be  the  substance  of  his  sermons.  Added  to 
all  this,  Whitefield  was  full  of  religious  feeling.  Except 
when  sleeping,  he  seemed  to  pray  and  praise  always  and 
everywhere.  He  was  "  full  of  faith  and  the  Holy  Ghost." 
A  vivid  spirituality  inflamed  his  soul.    His  ideas  of  God  and 


Rev.  John  Angell  James. 


630*  The  Life  of  Whifc field. 

^770  Christ,  of  sin  and  holiness,  of  faith  and  pardon,  of  heaven 
A're  55  and  hell,  were  not  merely  thoughts,  but  sentiments.  Without 
this,  Whitefield's  eloquence  would  only  have  been  elocution, 
and  his  sermons,  instead  of  being  "  mighty  through  God  to 
the  pulling  down  of  strongholds,"  would  have  been  —  what? 
— theatrical  orations  ! 

Whitefield  left  no  "  Societies"  as  his  friend  Wesley  did  ; 
but  Whitefield's  ministry  was  the  means  of  converting  tens 
of  thousands  of  sinners  from  the  errors  of  their  ways.  O 
that  this  could  be  said  of  twenty  of  the  preachers  of  the 
present  day  !  Their  influence,  direct  and  indirect,  would  set 
"  the  kingdoms  on  a  blaze."  Not  a  few  of  Whitefield's  con- 
verts became  ministers  ;  and,  as  children  often  resemble  their 
parents,  most  of  the  ministers  who  owned  Whitefield  as  their 
spiritual  father,  were,  though  in  an  inferior  degree,  a  resem- 
blance of  himself,  in  their  spirit,  labours,  and  success. 
Except  at  the  Tabernacle  and  Tottenham  Court  Road, 
Whitefield  created  no  "golden  candlestick  "  (Rev.  i.  20),  but 
he  everywhere  carried  a  torch  kindled  at  the  altar  of  heaven, 
and  with  it  lighted  "candlesticks  that  had  gone  out."  He 
is  inseparably  connected  with  the  history  of  the  evangelical 
party  of  the  Church  of  England,  beginning  with  men  like 
Berridge,  Venn,  Madan,  Romaine,  Newton,  and  others,  and 
resulting  in  a  fact  of  inconceivable  importance,  namely,  that, 
thousands  of  the  pulpits  of  tlie  Established  Church  are  now 
occupied  by  ministers  of  a  kindred  spirit.  Plenty  of  evidence 
has  been  furnished,  in  the  first  volume  of  the  present  work, 
of  the  apathy  and  worldliness  of  the  Congrcgationalists  of 
England  and  the  Presbyterians  of  Scotland.  The  contrast 
between  the  state  of  these  churches  in  1739  and  1876  is 
almost  a  contrast  between  life  and  death.  Whitefield  is 
credited  with  having  preached  for  the  Dissenters  of  England 
to  a  greater  extent  than  he  is  entitled  to  ;  but  he  did 
preach  for  them,  in  Northamptonshire,  Herts,  Gloucestershire, 
and  other  places,  and  they,  not  improperly,  attribute  much  of 
their  revived  religion  to  his  instrumentality.  His  u.sefulness 
in  Scotland  is  much  more  apparent  and  undoubted.  With 
no  wish  to  depreciate  the  Erskines  and  their  friends,  it  is  not 
too  much  to  say,  that,  Whitefield  was  the  first  great  agent  of 
that  resuscitation  of  religion,  which  has  effectually  counter- 


Concluding  Remarks.  631 

acted  the  Socinian  and  semi-Infidel  tendencies  which  pre-  ^77° 
vailed  in  the  Presbyterian  Churches  across  the  border,  and  Ai^e  55 
which  has  infused  into  them  the  new  and  universal  life  they 
now  exhibit.  Whitefield's  service  to  Ireland  was  small, — a 
contrast  to  that  rendered  by  his  friend  Wesley  ;  but  his  use- 
fulness in  Wales  was  incalculable.  Though  not  the  founder 
of  the  Calvinistic  Methodists,  he  was,  for  years,  and  until  he 
resigned  the  honour,  their  elected  moderator  ;  and,  to  the 
end  of  life,  he  took  a  warm  and  active  interest  in  their  welfare 
and  prosperity.  Their  chapels  are  found  in  every  town  and 
almost  every  village  of  the  Principality;'  their  ordained 
ministers  number  more  than  four  hundred  ;  their  communi- 
cants nearly  a  hundred  thousand  ;  and  their  hearers  about  a 
quarter  of  a  million.  What  is  called  "  Lady  Huntingdon's 
Connection  "  was  not  formally  established  until  thirteen  years 
after  Whitefield's  death  ;  but  Whitefield  chiefly,  in  connec- 
tion with  other  clergymen  of  the  Established  Church,  had 
prepared  the  way  for  this  ;  and  now,  in  the  days  of  its 
decline,  it  possesses  about  half  a  hundred  chapels,  and  its 
Cheshunt  College,  the  substitute  of  the  one  at  Trevecca, 
which  Whitefield  opened  two  years  before  he  died. 

In  other  ways,  Great  Britain  Vas  immensely  benefited 
by  Whitefield's  labours.  Methodists  especially,  and  other 
evangelists,  must  not  forget  that  Whitefield  was  the  first 
who  revived  the  good  old -practice  of  preaching  out  of 
doors.  He  was  not  formally  one  of  Wesley's  "  assistants  ;  " 
but,  for  many  years,  he  preached,  in  the  north  of  England, 
and  other  places,  to  Wesley's  congregations,  and  fostered  and 
promoted  their  religious  life.  His  enormous  collections,  also, 
were,  to  a  great  extent,  the  beginning  of  the  marvellous 
beneficence  which  now  distinguishes  the  British  churches. 
And,  once  again,  his  catholicity  of  spirit  greatly  tended  to 
usher  in  the  age  of  friendliness  among  professing  Christians. 
All  this  may  be  said  with  truthfulness  respecting  the 
influence  he  exerted  in  his  native  country  ;  but,  perhaps,  his 
usefulness  in  America  was  greater  even  than  in  England. 
An  American  author,^  of  great  eminence,  observes  : — 

" The  '  Great  Awakening '  here  had  commenced  before  his  arri\al,  but 
it  was  comparatively  local,  and  it's  visible  interest  at  least  had  mostly 


'  The  Rev.  Abel  Stevens.  LL.D. 


632  The  Life  of  Whitefield. 


^^'  subsided.  Edwards  and  some  of  his  ministerial  associates  were  yet 
■  ,,g  ce  praying  and  writing  respecting  it  in  New  England;  and  the  Tennents, 
Blairs,  Finley,  Rowland,  and  others,  were  devotedly  labouring,  in  detail, 
in  the  Middle  States,  against  the  moral  stupor  of  the  times  ;  but  White- 
field's  coming  at  once  renewed  the  revival  and  gave  it  universality,  if  not 
unity.  He  alone  of  all  its  promoters  represented  it  in  all  parts  of  the 
country  ;  and,  at  every  repeated  visit,  renewed  its  progress.  In  the  South, 
he  was  almost  its  only  labourer.  His  preaching,  and  especially  his  volume 
of  sermons,  read  by  Morris,  founded  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  Virginia; 
for,  before  that  period,  there  was  not  a  Dissenting  minister  settled  in  the 
colony.  In  the  JMiddle  States,  Whitefield's  labours  had  a  profound  effect. 
He  was  an  apostle  to  Philadelphia  ;  he  rallied  around  him  its  preachers, 
and  stimulated  them*  by  his  example.  In  New  Jersey  and  New  York,^e 
exerted  a  similar  influence  ;  and  the  frequent  repetition  of  his  visits 
through  about  thirty  years  did  not  allow  the  evangelical  interests  of  the 
churches  to  subside.  The  ministers  in  the  Synod  of  New  York  more 
than  tripled  in  seven  years  after  his  first  visit.  In  New  England,  the 
effects  of  Edwards's  labours  were  reproduced  and  rendered  general  by 
Whitefield's  frequent  passages.  One  hundred  and  fifty  Congregational 
Churches  were  founded  in  less  than  twenty  years  ;  and  it  has  been  esti- 
mated that  about  forty  thousand  souls  were  converted  in  New  England 
alone.  The  effects  of  the  great  revival,  of  which  Whitefield  had  thus 
become  the  ostensible  representative,  have  been  profound  and  permanent. 
The  Protestantism  of  the  United  States  has  taken  its  subsequent  character 
from  it  ;  and  the  '  Holy  Club  '  at  Oxford  maybe  recognized  as  historically 
connected  with  the  evangelical  religion  of  all  this  continent.  The  effect 
of  the  'awakening'  on  the  character  of  the  ministers  was  one  of  its 
greatest  results.  Since  that  period,  the  'evangelical'  character  of  the 
American  pastorate  has  not,  as  before,  been  exceptional,  but  general.  Its 
influence  on  the  discipline  of  the  Church  was  also  one  of  its  most  impor- 
tant blessings.  It  banished  the  '  Halfway  Covenant,'  which  had  filled  the 
eastern  churches  with  unconverted  inembers.  It  made  personal  regenera- 
tion a  requisite  among  the  qualifications  for  the  Christian  ministry ;  and 
it  introduced  that  general  and  profound  conviction  of  the  essential  spiri- 
tuality of  religion,  and  the  necessary  independence  of  Church  and  State, 
which  soon  after  began,  and  has  since  completed,  the  overthrow  of  all 
legal  connection  between  the  two  throughout  the  country.  It  gave  origin 
to  Princeton  College  and  its  distinguished  Theological  Seminary,  and 
also  to  Dartmouth  College  ;  for  both  were  founded  by  Whitefield's  fellow- 
labourers,  and  the  Methodists  of  England  contributed  their  money  to  both." 

This,  written  by  one  so  well  acquainted  with  the  history 
of  America  as  Dr.  Stevens,  deserves  more  than  ordinary 
attention.  One  more  fact  must  be  noticed,  though  included 
in  the  general  statement  just  given.  There  cannot  be  a 
doubt  that  Whitefield's  labours  in  America  prepared  the 
way  for  Wesley's   itinerants.      The  first  two,  Richard  Board- 


Concluding  Remarks.  633 

man  and  Joseph  Pilmoor,  arrived  before  his  last  visit  ;  and, 
in  Philadelphia,  he  gave  them  his  blessing.  That  was  in  the 
year  1769.  Now  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  alone  has 
12  bishops;*  81  annual  conferences;  10,923  itinerant 
preachers;  12,881  local  preachers;  1,580,559  church 
members;  15,633  church  edifices,  valued  at  $71,353,234; 
5,017  parsonages,  valued  at  $9,731,628;  19,287  Sunday- 
schools;  207,182  Sunday-school  officers  and  teachers; 
and  1,406,168  Sunday-school  scholars.  It  has  also  two 
large  "book  concerns,"  at  New  York,  and  at  Cincinnati;  and 
2.0  periodicals,  published  under  the  direction  of  the  General 
Conference,  besides  a  number  of  others  edited  and  published 
by  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  on  their 
own  responsibility.  It  has  publishing  houses  at  Bremen 
in  Germany  ;  Gottenberg  in  Sweden  ;  in  the  city  of 
Mexico  ;  and  at  Foochow  in  China.  It  has  seven  German 
conferences,  with  511  itinerant  preachers;  556  local 
preachers  ;  4'/,6g8  church  members  ;  610  church  edifices; 
294  parsonages  ;  940  Sunday-schools  ;  7,908  Sunday- 
school  officers  and  teachers  ;  and  46,998  Sunday-school 
scholars.  Its  Foreign  Missionary  Society  has  369  mission- 
aries and  assistant  missionaries;  310  teachers;  16,127 
church  members  ;  i  i  i  church  edifices,  valued  at  $396,171  ; 
55  parsonages,  valued  at  $70,750;  426  Sunday-schools; 
18,971  Sunday-school  scholars;  and  180  day-schools, 
with  5)329  pupils.  Besides  these,  the  same  Foreign  Mis- 
sionary Society  employs  251  missionaries  "among  foreign 
populations  in  the  United  States,"  and  2,307  "  dom.estic 
missionaries,"  who  have  under  their  care  unitedly  56,241 
church  members.  The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  has  its 
"Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society,"  with  19  mission- 
aries; 100  schools;  108  Bible-women  and  teachers  ;  159 
orphans  ;  and  an  annual  income  of  $64,309.  It  has  its 
"  Frcedmen's  Aid  Society,"  with  an  income  of  $86,560 
yearly.  It  has  a  "  Tract  Society,"  the  receipts  of  which,  for 
the  year  1874,  were  $19,840.  It  has  27  "universities  and 
colleges,"    with    216    "instructors,"    and     5,090     students; 

'  The  following  statistics  are  all  taken  from  "The  Methodist  Almanac, 
for  1876;  edited  by  W.  H.  De  Puy,  U.U.,"  and  published,  under  the 
direction  of  the  General  Conference  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 


634 


The  Life  of  Whitefield. 


^Tl°  also  69  "academies  and  seminaries,"  with  504  "instructors," 
Age  55  and  1 4, 1 00  students  ;  the  estimated  value  of  these  colle- 
giate properties  being  about  seven  million  dollars.  To  these 
must  be  added  the  "  Boston  University  School  of  Theology," 
with  90  students  ;  the  "  Drew  Theological  Seminary,"  with 
125  students;  the  "Garrett  Biblical  Institute,"  with  156 
students  ;  the  "  Martin  Mission  Institute,"  with  10  students  ; 
and  the  "India  Conference  Theological  Seminary,"  with  27 
students. 

These  statistics,  which  could  be  multiplied  if  it  were 
desirable,  belong  to  the  "  Methodist  Episcopal  Church." 
alone;  but,  since  it  was  founded  in  1769,  the  following 
Methodist  Churches  have  seceded  from  it,  namely  : — • 


Methodist,  Episcopal,  South 

Coloured  Methodist  Episcopal 

African  Methodist  Episcopal 

African  Methodist  Episcopal  Zion  . 

Evangelical  Association..  

United  Brethren  

The  Methodist  Church    , 

Methodist  Protestant  Church    

American  Wesleyan  Church 

Free  Methodists   

Primitive  Methodists  

Congregational  Methodists 


Itinerant 
Ministers. 


3485 
635 
600 

1,200 

835 
967 

775 

650 

250 

90 

20 

23 


Local 
Preachers. 


5,356 
683 

1,450 
800 

503 

1,709 

507 

200 

190 

80 

25 


Church 
Members. 


712,765 

80,000 

200,000 

225,000 

95>^53 
131,850 

55,183 

54,319 

20,000 

6,000 

2,800 

9,500 


The  financial  and  other  statistics  of  these  seceding  Method- 
ist Churches  might  easily  be  given  ;  but  it  is  enough  to  say, 
that,  including  the  mother  of  them  all,  "  The  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,"  there  are  now,  in  the  United  States  of 
America,  where  Whitefield  laboured  with  such  marvellous 
success,  20,453  ordained  Methodist  ministers  ;  24,384 
lay  preachers;  3,173,229  church  members;  and,  accord- 
ing to  the  returns  of  the  Government  census  of  I  870,  more 
than  six  millions  and  a  half  of  people,  who,  under  the  head 
of  "  Religious  Denominational  Preferences,"  entered  them- 
selves as  "  Methodists." 

Laiis  Deo  ! 


FINIS. 


INDEX. 


NAMES    OF    PERSONS    AND    PLACES. 


Aberdeen,  i.  522. 
Aberdeen,  Earl  of,  ii.  210. 
Aberford,  ii.  234,  464. 
Abergavenny,  i.    196,   530  ;  ii.  79,  87, 

225. 
Abingdon,  i.  264. 
Abingdon  (America),  i.  332,  374. 
Adam-,  Rev.  Dr.  William,  i.  10,  15. 
Adams,   Thomas,  ii.  57,   63,  114 — 119, 

148,    161,    224,  287,    317,  453,  462, 

488,  517,   532,  534,    558,    560,    562, 

569,  588,  609. 
Aglionby,  William,  i.  139. 
Ailesbury,  Lady,  ii.  407. 
Aldridge,  ii.  86. 
Allen,  William,  i.  378. 
Aliens  Town  (America),  i.  384. 
Allt,  William,  ii.  112. 
Alnwick,  ii.  285,  312,  412. 
Alpraham,  ii.  315,  316. 
America,  i.  127. 
Amwell  (Amei-ica),  i.  379. 
Ancaster,   Duchess  of,    i.   78,   160;  ii. 

209. 
Annapolis  (America),  i.  340. 
Appleton,  Rev.  Dr.  Nathaniel,  i.  423. 
Argyll,  Duchess  of,  ii.  209. 
Asbury,  Francis,  ii.  584. 
Ashby,  ii.  256,  258,  265,  269. 
Athlone,  ii.  238,  273—275   397. 
Attleborough  (America),  li.  592. 
Avebury,  ii.  iii. 
Axminster,  ii.  77. 

Baddiley,  Rev.  William,  ii.  242,  259. 

Badsey,  i.  200,  201. 

Ball,  Roger,  ii.  274. 

Bandon,  ii.  274,  275. 

Bangor.  Bishop  of,  ii.  39. 

Barber,  Jonathan,  i.  445,  460,  476  ;  ii. 

24,  60. 
Barker,  Rev.  John,  ii.  73. 
Barnard,  Rev.  John,  ii.  355,  357,  362. 


Barnardcastle,  ii.  313. 

Bartlctt,  Mr.,  ii.  603. 

Bascombe,  Judge,  ii.  i8r. 

Basingstoke,  i.  175,  264 — 267. 

Baskinridge  (America),  i.  433. 

Bass,  Rev.  Dr.  Edward,  ii.  boo. 

Bate,  Rev.  James,  i.  2S9. 

Bateman,  Rev.  Richard  Thomas,  ii.  62, 

160,  186,   189,  197,  214. 
Bath,  i.  2,  73,  7S,  106,  176,  184,   550  ; 

ii.  109,  161,  282,  345,  346,  374,  406, 

4?9>  493,  496,  500.  539.  557,  559- 
Bath,  Earl  of,  ii.  193,  211,  318. 
Bath,  Countess  of,  ii.  208,  249. 
Beard,  Thomas,  ii.  105. 
Beauclerk,  Lord  Sidney,  ii.  37.  t 

Beaulieu,  Earl  of,  ii.  210. 
Beaumont,  James,  ii.  IC9. 
Beaumont,  John  ii.  48,  49,  57. 
Bedford,  i.  231  ;  ii.  315,  410. 
Bedford,  Rev.  Arthur,  i.  74,  151. 
Bedford,  Duchess  of,  ii.  407. 
Belcher,    Hon.  Jonathan,    i.  410,  418, 

421,    425,   434  ;     ii.    227,    252,    255, 

334.  341.  342,  402. 
Beltast,  ii.  274,  276. 
Bell,  George,  ii.  492. 
Bell,  William,  ii.  304. 
Benezet,  Anthony,  i.  384. 
Bengeworth,  i.  200. 
Bennei,  John,  ii.  235. 
Bennet,  Rev.  Rlr.,  ii.  78,  253,  254. 
Bennett,  Mr.,  i.  173. 
Benson,  Bishop,  i.  43,  47,  72,  106,  157 

—  159,  261,  310,  349. 
Bermudas,  li.  179. 
Berridge,  Rev.  John,  ii.  410,  417,  441, 

452,  462,   504,  539—541,  57«,  5^4> 

620,  625,  631. 
Bertie,  Lady  Eleanor,  ii.  209. 
Berwick,  ii.  262.  285,  312. 
Bethel],  Mrs.  Bridget,  i.  106. 
Bevan,  Mrs.,  ii.  345,  346. 


636 


Index. 


Beveridge,  Bishop,  i.  88. 
Bexley,  i.  162,  239,  241 — 246,  249,272. 
Bidcford,  ii.  78,  102,  254,  270. 
Birmingham,   ii.   81,  82,  87,    113,  161, 

315- 
Birstal,   ii.  236,    2S5,    310,   315,   380 — 

3^3- 
Bishop  Auckland,  ii.  412. 
Bishop  Stoitford,  i.  251. 
Bissett,  Rev.  John,  i.  522  ;  ii.  \(^ 
Bissicks,  Thomas,  i.  530,  536. 
Blackheat'i,  i.  759,  2^  i,  244 — 246,  272, 

276,  277. 
BLackwell    Kbenezer,  i.  255,  309,  378  ; 

ii.  236,  280. 
Blair,  Rev.  Dr.  Robert,  ii.  72. 
Blair,  Rev.  Samuel,  i.  322,  386,  477. 
Blendon,  i.  239. 
Boardman,  Richard,  ii.  571,  586,  588, 

^33- 

Bohemia  (America),  ii.  170,  178,  337. 

Eohlcr,  Rev.  Peter,  i.  148,  379,  382, 
437;  ii-  303—305- 

Bolingbroke,  Lord,  ii.   194,  210,  215. 

Bolton,  ii.  259,  285,  315,  352. 

Bolton,  Duke  of,  ii.  37. 

Bolton,  Robert,  ii.  610. 

Bollzius,  Rev.  John  Martin,  i.  137,  141. 

Boscawen,  Mrs.,  ii.  209.  , 

Boston  (.^.merica),  i.  407 — 411,  417, 
424.  434«  476  ;  ii.  12,  130,  144— 
147,  152,  174,  335—337.  472,  475. 
592—596,  600. 

Boswell,  James,  ii.  544. 

Boulter,  Archbishop,  i.  147. 

Bovey-Tracey,  ii.  215. 

Bradbury,  Rev.  Mr.,  ii.  571,  572. 

Bradford  (Wilts),  ii.  374,  559. 

Bradford  (Yorkshire),  ii.  310,  352,  38 1. 

Brainerd,  Rev.  David,  ii.  152. 

Braintree,  ii.  112. 

Braithvvaite,  Booth,  ii.  549. 

Brattle,  Colonel,  i.  423. 

Brecon,  ii.  59. 

Brewer,  Rc\-.  Samuel,  ii.  620. 

Brewood,  ii.  112,  113. 

Brighton,  ii.  416,  515,  551. 

Brislington,  i.  185. 

Bristol,  i.  2,  7,  33,  36,  73,  77,  78,  106. 
177—186,  194,  258—263,  474,  477, 
— 4S3.  533.  540,  547  ;  ii-  54.  64,  109, 
161,  204,  206,  214,  216,  224,  229, 
249,  270,  282,  317,  345,  346,  354, 
363.  374,  377.  399,  406,  407,  419, 
427,  443,  452,  454,  487,  488,  493, 
496,  500,  539,  557,  605. 

Bristol  (.\merica),  i.  3.84. 

Broad-Oaks,  i.  249. 

Brockden,  Mr.,  i.  436. 

Bromsgrove,  ii.  82. 

Broughton,  Rev.  Thomas,  i.  14,  54,  56, 
60,  149,  349. 


Browne,  Rev.  Moses,  ii.  264,  265,  268. 
Bryan,  Hugh,  i.  349,  448,  449,  459, 
Bryan,  Jonathan,  ii.  23. 
Buchan,  Earl  of,  ii.  536 — 539. 
Buchan,  Lady,  ii.  560. 
Buckingham,    Duchess  of,   i.  78,   160 ; 

ii-  37- 
Bunyan,  John,  ii.  507. 
Ti.v-'l»r^  Rev.  George,  ii.  563. 
B.',>;i-s,  Rev.  Daniel,  ii.  365. 
Burlington,  Earl  of,  ii.  210. 
Burr,    Rev.  Aaron,    ii.  256.   337,   342, 

385,  402. 
Burscough,  Bishop,  i.  146. 
Bute,  Lord,  ii.  440. 
Butler,  Bishop,  i.  66,  182,  233,  349. 
Butterfield,  Colonel,  ii.  181. 
Byles,  Rev.  Dr.  Matthew,  i.  411. 
Byrom,  Dr.,  i.  254. 

Caerleon,  i.  167,  196. 

Caerphilly,  i.  530. 

Cambridge,  i.  516,  551. 

Cambridge  (America),  i.  409,  410,  418, 
421,  423,  477,  495  ;  ii.  592. 

Cambuslang,  ii.  2,  5,  6,  29,  454. 

Campbell,  Hon.  Hume,  ii.  366. 

Campbell,  Rev.  Mr.,  i.  379. 

Campbell,  Lady  Betty,  ii.  209. 

Canterbury,  ii.  266.  . 

Cape  Ann  (America),  ii.  592. 

Cape  Breton  (America),  ii.  149, 

Cardiff,  i.  188,  189;  ii.  58. 

Cardigan,  Lady,  ii.  209. 

Carmarthen,  ii.  58,  59,  226. 

Carolina  (.-Vmerica),  i.  129. 

Carteret,  Mrs.,  ii.  416. 

Castle-Combe,  ii.  559. 

Catbcart,  Lord,  ii.  391. 

Causton,  Thomas,  i.  142. 

Cennick,  John,   i.  467,  471,  483—485, 

490,    492,    508,    523,    536,  539,  548, 

553  ;    11.   4—6,   40,   48,    49,   61,    98, 

100,    103,    III,    113,    114,   147,   148, 

^  r^S,  174,  224,  238,  294. 

Chatlord  Common,  i.  258. 

Chalford,  i.  199. 

ChaniUer,  Dr.  Samuel,  i.  67. 

Ciiandler,  Rev.  Isaac,  i.  396. 

Chandler,  Rev.  James,  ii.  600. 

Chandler,  Rev.  Dr.  Thomas  Bradbury, 
ii.  520. 

Chapman,  Rev.  William,  i.  73,  193, 
550,  552  ;  ii.  54- 

Charleston  (America),  i.  345,  346,  357 
—359,  395.  401,  402,  404,  405,  44S 
—450,  459,  477;  ii.  169,  179,  278, 
279,  340,  4S4,  573,  585,  587. 

Cliarlestown  (  America  \  i.  592. 

Charlton,  i.  241,  254. 

Chatham,  i.  272  ;  ii.  264,  353,379,  380. 

Chauncy,  Rev.  Dr.  Charles,  ii.  125 — 130. 


Index. 


637 


Checkley,  Rev.  Samuel,  i.  409. 

Chelmsford,  ii.  112. 

Cheltenliam,  i.  199  ;  ii.  400,  401,  560. 

Chepstow,  i.  197. 

Chester,  ii.  316. 

Chester  (America),  i.  337,  3S6. 

Chesterfield,  Countess   of,  ii.  244,  245, 
415,  440. 

Chesterfield,  Earl  of.  ii.  194,  211,  318, 
345'  416. 

Cheyiie,  Dr.,  i.  106. 

Chinley,  ii.  2S5,  3S4. 

Chippenham,  ii.  77,  559. 

Christian  I'ridge  (America),  i.  339. 

Chubb,  Thomas,  i.  176. 

Church,  Rev.  Thomas,  ii.  95 — 97. 

Cirencester,  i.  255,  256,  264. 

Clap,  Rev.  Nathaniel,  i.  406. 

Clap,  R.ev.  Thomas,  i.430  ;  ii.  134,  138. 

Clapham,  ii.  385,  404. 

Clarke,  Rev.  .Samuel,  ii.  421. 

Clayton,  Rev.  John,  i.  14,  56,  14S,  149. 

Clements,  William,  ii.   108. 

Clive,  Catherine,  ii.  355. 

Coal-Pit  Heath,  i.  1S5. 

Cobham,  Lady,  i.  78,  160. 

Coc,  Captain,  i.  146. 

Cochrane,  Colonel,  i.  123. 
Cock  man,  Dr.,  i.  73. 
Cole,  Rev.  Thomas,  i.  41,  204,  349. 
Collet,  Mr.,  ii.  48c, 
Collumpton,  ii.  76. 

Colman,   Rev.    Dr.    Benjamin,   i.    330, 
352,  40S,  411,  417,  418,  425  ;  ii.  38, 
127,  144,  621. 
Columbine,  General,  i.  117. 
Comilioy,  i.  196. 
Concord  (America),  i.  425 
Conjuet,  Anthony,  ii.  107. 
Connolly,  Lady  Anne,  ii.  407. 
Conyers,  Rev.  Dr.,  ii.  506,  533. 
Cook,  George,  ii.  no,  in. 
Cooke,  Rev.  Samuel,  ii.  142. 
Cooper,  Rev.  Dr.  Samuel,  ii.  620. 
Cooper,  T.,  i.  118. 
Cooper,  Rev.  William,  i.  408,  422,  424, 

459- 
Corbusiers,  Colonel,  ii.  181. 
Cork,  ii.  238 — 241,  245,  261,  274,  275, 

397- 
Cottell,  Isaac,  ii.  in. 
Courcy,  Rev.  Richard  de,  ii.  516,  561, 

611. 
Coventry,  ii.  316. 
Coventry,  Lady,  ii.  407. 
Cowjier,  William,  ii.  613. 
Cox,  James,  ii.  367. 
Cox,  Lady,  i.  106,  349. 
Crane,  Mr.  J.,  ii.  564,  609. 
Cross,  George,  ii.  112. 
Cross.  Rev.  Mr.,  i.  433,  434,  477. 
Crosse,  Rev.  John,  ii.  584. 


Crossly,  Rev.  David,  ii.  105. 
Croswell,  A.,  i.  361. 
Cruttenden,    Robert,    ii.  98,   214,    217, 
^277. 

Cudworth,  William,  ii.  347,  34S. 
Cumberland,  Duke  of,  ii.  37. 
Cutler,  Rev.  Dr.  Timothy,  ii.  123 

Dacre,  Lady,  ii.  407. 

Dacre,  Lord,  ii.  407. 

Dagge,  Mr.,  i.  178,  179. 

Darien,  i.  139,  357. 

Darlington,  ii.  411. 

Darney,  William,  ii.  316. 

Darracott,  Rev.  Risdon,  ii.  75,  77,  113^ 

250.419. 
Dartmouth,  Countess  of,  ii.  415. 
Dartmouth,  Earl  of,  ii.  399 — 401,  415, 

495.  524^  525- 
Davenport,  Rev.  James,  i.  446  ;  ii.  126, 

397- 
Davies,  Rev.  Elenry,  ii.  48. 
Davies,    Rev.   Howell,    ii.  48,    57,    62, 

187,  1 88,  493.  500,  518,  588,  609. 
Davies,  Rev.  James,  ii.  48. 
Davies,  Rev.  Samuel,  ii.  166,  322 — 324, 

338- 
Deal,  i.  113,  114;  ii.  184,  571. 
Delamotte.  Charles,  i.  60,  75.  130,  135, 

250. 
Delamotte,  Miss  Elizabeth,  i.  369. 
Delamolle,  Mr.,  i.  241,  244,  246,248 — 

251,  271,  272,  370. 
Delamotte.  William,  i.   250,   355,  394, 

415- 
Delany,  Rev.  Dr.,  i.  147. 
Delitz,  Countess,  ii.  209,  216,  225,  265, 

406. 
Deptford,  i.  109,  272,  485. 
Derby  (America),  i.  386. 
Dickenson,  Rev.  Jonathan,  i.  331;  ii. 

.342- 
D'inwiddie,  Governor,  ii.  338. 
Dirleton,  Lady,  i.  533. 
Dixon,  Rev.  Dr.,  ii.  543. 
Dixon.  Thomas,  ii.  559.  564.  610. 
Doddridge,  Rev.  Dr.  Philip,  i.  66,  220, 

231.  313;   ii.   34,    71—77.   19s.  207, 

255,  256,  260,  279,  290. 
Dodkigton,  George  Bubb,  ii.  210. 
Dorchester  (America),  i.  397. 
Dorrell,  Captain,  ii.  181. 
Downes,  Rev.  John,  ii.  422. 
Downing,  Rev.  Mr.,  ii.  399 — 401,  415. 
Dublin,  i.   147  ;   ii.  235,  238,  273—275, 

286,  394—397- 
Dudley,  ii.  316. 
DuUvich,  i.  .^41,  244. 
Dummer,  i.  56 — 60,  62,  64.  176. 
Durant.  Rev.  Mr.,  i.  173. 
Durell.  Rev.  Dr.,  ii.  543 — 547. 
Durham,  ii.  412. 


638 


Index. 


Dursley,  ii.  53,  54,  559,  605. 

East,  Rev.  Mr.,  ii.  605. 

Ebenezer  (America),  i.  392. 

Edgecumbe,  Lord,  ii.  407. 

Edinburgh,  i.  518,  524,  528;  ii.  4.  6, 
161,  196—200,  261,  276,  277,  284, 
311,  312,  3S2,  391,  393,  394,  410,  411, 

4i9>  445>  454-  464.  554- 
Edwards,  Rev.  D.,  ii.  621,623. 
Edwards.  Elizabeth,  i.  I. 
Edwards.  Rev.  Jonathan,  i.  274,  426 — 

429  ;  ii.  19,  22,  32,  138,  343.  410. 
Edwards,  John,  ii.    HI,   161,  179,286, 

287.  352,  396,  487- 
Edwards,  Peter,  ii.  609. 
Edwin,  Mrs.,  ii.  173. 
Eells,  Rev.  Nathaniel,  ii.  130,  139. 
Egmont,  Earl,  i.  241. 
Elberton,  i.  185. 
Elizabeth  Town  (America),  i.  331,  383  ; 

ii-  334- 
Ellington,   Rev.  Edward,  ii.  576.  609, 

619,  621,  623. 
Elliott,  Rev.  R.,  ii.  558,  621,  624. 
Emerson.  Rev.  Daniel,  i.  410. 
Emerson.  Rev.  Mr.,  ii.  144. 
Epworth,  ii.  285. 
Erskine,  David,  i.  516. 
Er.skine,  Lady  Anne,  ii.  559,  560. 
Erskine,  Lord  Chancellor,  ii.  537. 
Erskine,  Rev.  Ebenezer,  i.   274,  497 — 

510,  516  ;   ii.  9.  22,  32. 
Erskine,  Rev.  Ralph,  i.  216,  267 — 270, 

274,3".  333-  352,  376,  461.497-- 

510,  517  ;   \\.  15. 
Essex,  Lady,  ii.  407. 
Evans,  John,  ii.  108. 
Everton,  ii.  410,  462,  464. 
Evesham,  i.  200,  257. 
Exeter,  ii.  67,  77,  1 13 — 119,  215,  217, 

230,  232.  254,  270,  398,  399,  498. 
Exeter  (America),  ii.  593,  596,  597. 

Fagg's  Manor  (America),  i.  386. 

Falmouth,  i.  459. 

Fawcett,  Rev.  Dr.  John.  ii.  381,  497. 

Fawcett,  Rev.  Mr.,  ii.  75,  77. 

Fello«s,  Mr.  John,  ii.  610. 

Ferrers,  Earl,  ii.  425. 

Ferrers,  Lady,  ii.  209. 

P'inlev,  Rev.  Dr.  Samuel,  ii.  167. 

Fisher,  Rev.  James,  i.  497. 

Fitch,  Rev.  Jabez,  ii.  121. 

Fitzroy.  General  George,  ii.  373. 

Fitzwalter.  Lady.  ii.  209. 

Fletcher,   Rev.  John,  ii.   415,  417,  499, 

502,  51S.  520,  535.  539.  542.  543.  578. 
Foote,  Samuel,  ii.  355,  428—439,  505. 
Fox,  Hon.  Charles,  ii.  440. 
Foxcroft,  Rev.  T homaSj  i.  409.  410  ;  ii. 

140. 


Foxe,  Rev.  John,  ii.  417. 
Francke,  Professor,  ii.  405. 
Frankland.  Lady  Anne,  i.  159. 
Franklin.  Benjamin,   i.   337— 339t  360, 

374'  377,  439  ;  ii.  228,  250,  283,  378, 

539-  629. 
Frederica  (America),  i.  138,  357  ;  ii.  97. 
Frederick,  King  of  Prussia,  ii.  395,441. 
Frederick,  Prince  of  Wales,  ii.  37. 
Free,  Rev.  Dr.,  ii.  413.  422. 
Freehold  (America),  i.  325.  326.  384. 
Frelinghuysen,  Rev.  T.  J.,  i.  331, 
Frenchay,  i.  186. 
Frey,  Andrew,  ii.  308. 
Frink.  Rev.  Samuel,  ii.  559,  619. 
Frome,  ii.  374,  559. 

Gadsby,  Edward,  ii.  417. 

Galatin,  Colonel,  ii.  237,  259.  276,  346. 

Galatin,  Mrs.,  ii.  237. 

Gambold,  Rev.  John,  i.  14. 

Garden,  Rev.  Alexander,   i.    142,  357, 

359—364,  396—400,  404,  405,463, 

477,  539- 
Gardiner,  Colonel,  ii.  33,  46. 
Gardiner.  Lady  Frances,  ii.  33,  37,  262. 
Garrick,  David,  ii.  355,  390,  433. 
Gee,  Rev.  Joshua,  i.  409  ;  ii.  144. 
Georgia  (America),  i.  12S,   140 — 142  ; 

,  ii.  23,  334. 
Germain,  Lady  Betty,  ii.  209,  216. 
German  Town  (America),  i.  337,  374. 
Gibb,  Rev.  Adam,  i.  509 — 513;   ii.  22, 

200. 
Gibbons.  Rev.  Dr.  Thomas,  ii.  204,  214, 

374,  571,  620. 
Gibbs,  Rev.  Mr.,  i.  177,  180. 
Gil)raltar,  i.  116 — 121. 
Gibson,  Bishop,  i.  65,  74,  157,  291,  310, 

^405,  546;  ii.  87—94,  197- 
Gibson,  James,  ii.  550. 
Gideon,  Miss,  ii.  405. 
Gidley,  Gustavus,  ii.  498. 
Gifford,  Rev.  Dr.,  ii.  243,  244,  374,  461. 
Gilbert,  Colonel,  ii.  181. 
Gill,  Rev.  Dr.  John,  i.  67. 
Gillies,  Rev.  John,  i.  I  ;   ii.  262,  284,  293, 

312,   316,    323,    336,   356,   397,   398, 

410,  412,  419,  442,  445,  495,  627. 
Gillman,  Captain,  ii.  597. 
Gladman,  Captain,  i.  308,  339,  383. 
Glascott.  Rev.  Mr.,  ii.  584. 
Glasgow,  i.  51S  ;   ii.  5,  197 — 199,  262, 

276,    277,    284,    311— 314,  382,  392, 

399,  410,  411,  419.454,  465. 
Gloucesler,   i.   i — 3,  7,   33,  48 — 53,  79, 

106,    197,   256—258,   263,    480,  539, 

540,  548  ;   ii.  52,  59,  S3,   85,  87,  204, 

206.    213,    224,   249,    316,    345,    374 

406,  517,  559. 
Gloucester  (America),  i.  374. 
Godwin,  E.,  ii.  109,  no. 


Index. 


^)39 


Grafton,  Duke  of,  ii.  440. 

Grafton,  Duchess  of,  ii.  407. 

Granville,  Madam,  i.  106 

Graves.  Rev.  Charles  Caspar,  ii.  260. 

Gravesend,  i.    ill,  162,  239,  241,  272; 

ii.  568,  569. 
Green,  Bishop,  ii.  450. 
Green,  Rev.  Mr.,  ii.  558. 

Green,  William,  ii.  257. 

Greenwich  (America),  i.  374. 

Grenaw,  Rev.  Mr.,  i.  141. 

Grevil,  Mrs.,  i.  167. 

Grey,  Rev.  Dr.  Zachary,  ii.  124,  125. 

Grigg,  Rev.  Mr.,  ii.  253. 

Grigsby,  Rev.  \V.,  ii.  291. 

Grimshaw,  Rev.  William,  ii.  218,  219, 
234,  258,  293,  383,  384. 

Grinfield,  Mrs.,  ii.  282,  322,  345,  346. 

Grosvenor,  Rev.  Dr.  Benjamin,  ii.  374, 
614. 

Grove,  Thomas,  ii.  543. 

Gumley,  Colonel,  ii.  249. 

Gurney,  Joseph,  ii.  401,  565. 

Gvvennap,  ii.  253. 

Habersham,  James,  i.  84,  no,  113,  114, 
119,  122,  125,  140,  350,  351,  388, 
395,  461,  465,  476,  485,  491,  493, 
517, 531.  53S  ;  ii-  23,  25,  31,  36,  60, 
148,  248,  3.?4,  468,  469,  475,  480, 
575,  579,  6bS,  609.  __ 

Haddington,  Earl  of,  ii.  210. 

Haime,  John,  ii.  108,  232. 

Halifax,  ii.  285. 

Halifax,  Lord,  ii.  440. 

Hall,  Westley,  i.   14,  62,  75,  155,  176, 

349'  473- 

Hally,  Rev.  William,  ii.  32. 

Hamilton,  Duchess  of,  ii.  407. 

Hamilton,  Lady  Mary,  i.  550 ;  ii.  269. 

Hampstead  (America),  i.  416. 

Hampton  (America),  i.  416. 

Hampton  Common,  i.  256. 

Hampton,  ii.  54,  63,  87. 

Hanway,  Jonas,  ii.  448. 

Hardy,  Charles,  ii.  457,  464,  475,  485, 
566,  609. 

Harman,  John,  ii.  448,  486. 

Harrington,  Lady,  ii.  440. 

Harrington,  Lord,  ii    244,  245. 

Harris,  Gabriel,  i.  34,  47,  74,  106,  157, 
204,  206,  230  ;  ii.  608. 

Harris,  Howell,  i.  167 — 171,  188 — 190, 
196,  197,  204,  310,  314,  349,  356, 
413,  435,  471,  478.  486,  493,  515, 
535—537.  541,  552,  560,  561  ;  ii.  28. 
30.  36,  40,  47-52.  57.  58,  79,  84, 
148,  158—160,  163,  167,  168,  171 — 
I75>  i79>  187— 191,  202,  203,  213, 
224,  229,  234,  236,  247,  282,   531, 

541- 
Harris,  Rev.  Sampson,  i.  34,  76. 


Hartfort,  Mrs.  Frances,  ii.  609. 

Hartlepool,  ii.  532,  533. 

Hartley,    Rev.    Thomas,   ii.    256,    265, 

270,  2yo,  347. 
Harvard  College,  ii.  473. 
Hastings,  ]^ady  Anne,  ii.  345. 
Hastings,  Lady  Betly,  i.  5b,  349. 
Hastings,  Lady  Frances,  ii.  265,  269. 
Hastings,  Lady  Selina.  ii.  269. 
Haughton,  John,  ii.  241,  245. 
Haven,  Rev.  Dr.  Samuel,  ii.  592.  600, 
Haverfordwest,  ii.  226,  517,  51S. 
Havveis,  Rev.  Dr.  Thomas,  ii.  375,  620. 
Hawkins,  Rev.  William,  ii.  549. 
Haworth,  ii.  234,   2s8.  259,   285,   315, 

381,  383- 

Healey,  Jonathan,  ii.  238. 

Henchman,  Rev.  Nathaniel,  ii.  137, 

Henderson,  Miss,  ii.  420. 

Herring,  Archbishop,  ii.  365. 

Hertford,  i.  231,  249. 

Hertford,  Coimtess  of,  i.  282  ;  ii.  407. 

Hertford,  Lord,  ii.  407. 

Hervey,  Rev.  James,  i.  14.  55.  60,  64, 
184,  201,  314;  ii.  47,  71.  78,  186, 
195,  212,  222,  226,  233,  256,  259, 
263,    265,   270,   279,   281,   290,  341., 

347—352,  385,  413- 
Hervey.  Lady,  ii.  407. 
Hervey,  Lord.  ii.  37. 
Higson,  Mr.,  ii.  543. 
Hill,    Rev.    Rowland,    i.  469 ;  ii.    503, 

516,  519,  529,  530,  535,  544,  551. 
Hill,  Sir  Richard,  ii.  495.  529,  544. 
Hinchinbioke,    Lady,    i.    78,    161  ;    ii. 

210. 
Hinton,  Rev.  Mr.,  ii.  605. 
Hitchin,  i.  231,  232. 
Holiby,  Rev.  William,  ii.  141. 
Hoblin,  Rev.  Mr.,  ii.  253. 
Hodges.  Rev.  John,  ii.  48. 
Holdernesse,    Earl,   ii.    210,  366,    367, 

416,  440. 
Holiday,  Rev.  Mr.,  ii.  180,  181,  217. 
Holland,  William,  ii.  247. 
Holyoke,  Rev.  Edward,  ii.  132 — 134. 
Hone,  Nathaniel,  ii.  557,  627. 
Hood,  Rev.  Paxton,  ii.  204. 
Hook,  Rev.  John,  ii.  317. 
Hooker,  Mr.,  i.  91,  174,  456,  494. 
Hopper,     Christopher,    ii.     259,     396, 

397- 
Horneck,  Dr ,  i.  88. 
Horsley,  ii.  312 
Hotham,  Sir  Charles,  ii.  416. 
Hotham,  Lady  Gertrude,  ii.   258,  263, 

345,  346.  416,  440. 
Hoxton.  i.  558. 
Huddersfield,  ii.  533. 
Hume,  Baion,  ii.  210. 
Hume,  David,  ii.  210. 
Humphreys,  J'  seph,  i.  223 — 227,  471 


640 


Index. 


480,  483,  495,  530,  536 ;  ii.  48,  49, 
294. 

Hunter,  Mr.,  ii.  24. 

Huntingdon,  Earl  of,  i.  58,  158  ;  ii.37. 

Huntingdon,  Countess  of,  i.  78,  159  ; 
ii.  37,  16S,  187,  1S8,  192—194,  197, 
198,  202,  203,  206,  208,  212,  214, 
216,  223,  224,  226,  227,  229,  232, 
234,  237,  239,  243,  249,  253,  255 
— 264,  269,  270,  274—277,  282,  284, 
288—290,  293,  314,  318,  .^20,  322, 
333,  341,  343>  345.  346,  348-  352— 
356,  36t3,  372,  376,  377,  379,384,  390, 
400,  407,  414,  425,  427,  430,  440, 
454,  489,  496,  497,  502,  515,  517, 
518,  520,  532,  537,  541,  542.  5Si> 
555,  558—560.  578,  583,  584,  60S. 

Hutchins,  Rev.  Dr.  Richard,  i.  14,  56, 
62,  155.  176,  186,  193,  310,  312,482. 

Hutchinson,  John,  ii.  321. 

Hutton,  James,  i.  102,  109,  112,  118, 
349,  390,  392,  437,  450.  465  ;  ii-  68, 
158,  292,  303,  304,  307. 

Hutton,  Rev.  John,  i.  82,  109. 

Hyndford,  Earl  of,  ii.  210. 

Hyndford,  Lady,  ii.  209. 

Ingham,  Rev.  Benjamin,  i.  33,  45,  233, 
234,  236,  258,  352,  380,  3S4,  427  ; 
ii.  14,  75,  141,  .I55-  161,  250,  311, 
349,  355- 367,  415- 

Ingram,  James,  ii.  109,  218,  219. 

Ipswich  (Americ.i),  i.  416;  ii.  592,  597. 

Irvine,  ii.  276. 

James,  T.,  ii.  49,  57. 

Jenkins,  Herbert,  ii.  48,  49,  51,  57,  108, 

109,  113,  161,  169,  174. 
Jennys,  Soame,  ii.  440. 
Jesse,  Rev.  Mr.,  ii.  500. 
Jewet,  Rev.  Jedediah,  ii.  600,  620. 
Johnson,   Dr.   Samuel,  i.    10,    15.  178, 

220;  ii.  544. 
Jones,  J.,  ii.  48,  49. 
Jones,  Mrs.,  ii.  247. 
Jones,   Rev.   Griffith,  i.  169,    184,  189; 

ii.  48,  1 87,  222, -345. 
Jones,  Rev.  Lewis,  ii.  48. 
Jones,  Rev.  Thomas,  ii.  341,  415. 
Jones,  Thomas,  ii.  542. 
jortin,  Dr.,  i.  66. 
Joss,  Captain  Torial,  ii.  500,  553,  555, 

560,  562,  609. 

Kay,  Benjamin,  ii.  542. 

Keen,  Robert,  ii.  445,  454, 457. 458, 465, 
466,  468,  469,  472,  476,  485,  487, 
490,  493,  500,  517,  532,  533,  554, 
560,  565,  570—573,  585,  587—589, 
593,608.  609,  614. 

Ken,  Bishop,  i.  5  ;  ii.  344. 

Kcr-dal,  ii.  259,  277. 


Kennedy,  Mr.,  ii.  114,  116. 

Keppell,  Lady  Elizabeth,  ii.  407. 

Kettering,  ii.  256,  315. 

Keynsham,  i.   185. 

Kidderminster,  ii.  82,  316, 

Kilrush.  i.  146. 

Kilsyth,  ii.  2,  5,  32. 

Kinchin,   Rev.  Charles,  i.    14,   58 — 60, 

64,  155,  176,  201—203,  349- 
Kingsbridge,  ii.  103,  1 13,  114,  215. 
Kingston,  ii.  425. 
Kingston,  Duke  of,  ii.  210, 
Kingswood,  i.  179,  187,  190,  195,   259, 

268,  271,  467,  490  ;    ii.  346,  406,  539. 
Kinsale,  ii.  274,  275. 
Kinsman,    Rev.  Andrew,  ii.   216,  455» 

456,  488,  554,  566. 
Kirkby,  Rev.  John,  ii.  266. 
Kirkland,  Rev.  Samuel,  ii.  589. 
Kittery  (America),  ii.  336,  592. 
Knight,  Rev.  Titus,  603,  610. 

Land,  Rev.  Tristram,  i.  286. 
Langdon,  Rev.  Dr.,  ii.  592. 
Langford,  Rev.  John,  ii.620,  62I,  624. 
Langworthy,  Edward,  ii.  609. 
Lardner,  Dr.  Nathaniel,  i.  66. 
Lauderdale,  Earl  of,  ii.  210. 
Lavington,   Bishop,  i.  il,  282;  ii.  20I, 

219 — 222,  230,  271. 
Lavington,  Rev.  Mr.,  ii.  403. 
Law,    Rev.  William,  i.  16,  59,  281  ;  ii. 

259,  377- 
Lee,  Jesse,  ii.  588,  602. 
Leechman,  Rev.  Dr.  William,  ii.  391. 
Leeds,  ii.  234 — 236,  258,  2S5,  286,  310, 

312,  215,   352,   380,   3S3,   384,    412, 

444,  445,  453,  462,  464,  532- 
Leicester,  ii.  284,  310,  502. 
Leigh,  Lady  Barbara,  i.  159. 
Leominster,  ii.  59,  109. 
Leven,  Earl  of,  i.   519,  523,  524,   530, 

531- 

Lewes,  ii.  551- 
Lewis,  J.,  ii.  48,  49,  57. 
Lewis,  Rev.  Thomas,  ii.  48,  51,  57, 
Lewis,  Thomas,  ii.  1 12. 
Lewis  Town  (America),  i.  388. 
Lewisham,  i.  244. 
Liddiard,  i.  i. 

Limerick,  i.  146;  ii.  274,  275,  397. 
Lincoln,  Lady,  ii.  209. 
Lindsay,  Rev.  Henry,  i.  501. 
Lisbon,  ii.  325—332. 
Lisburn,  ii.  274. 
Lisburne,  Lady,  i.  78,  161, 
Liverpool,  ii.  316,  352. 
Llanelley,  ii.  58. 
Locke,  John,  i.  129. 
Log  College,  i.  325,  332 
London,    i.   55,   74,  82—87,    '^'^^,    M9, 
150— I S7,   161,  171— 175,  204,  214, 


Index, 


641 


233,  267,  273,  466,  477,  485,  538,  551  ; 
ii.  45. 60, 193,  218,  232,  239,  263,  266, 
270,  282,  286,  300,  315,  322,  324, 
343.  346,  353.  354,  376,  379,  3S4, 
397,  399,  401,  412,  421,  453,  457. 
459,488,491,518,  52S,  550,  557. 

Long  Acre  Chapel,  ii.  355—365. 

Longden,  Mr.,  i.  2. 

Long  Island,  i.  383. 

Lonsdale,  Lord,  ii.  37. 

Lothian,  Marquis  of,  i.  515  ;  ii.  342. 

Ludlow,  ii.  109. 

Lumley,  Lady  Henrietta,  i.  159. 

Lunell,  William,  ii.  238 — 240,  244,  245, 

273,  279. 
Lurgan,  ii.  274. 
Lutterworth,  ii.  284. 
Luxborough,  Lady,  ii.  209. 
Lyman,  Rev.  Mr.,  ii.  592. 
Lyttelton,  Lord,  ii.  210,  407. 

McCulloch,  Rev.  William,  i.  528 ;  ii. 
2,  5,  6,  30,  224,  255,  338. 

Mackay,  Captain,  i.  123,   [24. 

McLaurin,  Rev.  John,  ii.  22. 

McLeod,  Rev.  Mr.,  i.  139,  141,  357. 

McMahon,  Mr.,  i.  145. 

Madan,  Rev.  Martin,  ii.,  263,  265,  34I, 
398—401,  404,  407,  415,  417,  434, 
454,  490-  499,  548,  620,  631. 

Maddock,  Rev.  Abraham,  i.  400. 

Madeley,  ii.  518,  520. 

Maidenhead  (America),  i.  331. 

Maidstone,  ii.  379. 

Mair,  Rev.  Thomas,  i.  497. 

Majendie,  Rev.  J.,  i.  173,  174. 

Maiden  (America),  ii.  592. 

Malmesbury,  i.  264. 

Manchester,  i.  148  ;  ii.  237,   258,   259, 

285,  315,  352,  383,  384. 
Manchester,  Duchess  of,  ii.  209. 
Mansfield,  ii.  257. 

Marble  Head  (America),  i.  417  ;  ii.  592. 
March,  Earl  of,  ii.  210. 
Margate,  i.  112  ;  ii.  572. 
Marlborough  (America),  i.  425  ;  ii.  138. 
Marlborough,  Duchess  of,  i.  160  ;  ii.  37. 
Marsden,  Rev.  Joshua,  ii.  182. 
Marychurch.  ii.  215. 
Maryland  (America),  ii.  164. 
Mather,  Rev.  Eleazar,  i.  426. 
Matheson,  Rev.  Dr.,  ii.  605. 
Matthews,  James,  ii.  542. 
Maxfield,  Thomas,  i.  166,  180  ;  ii,  40, 

415,  491. 
Medford  (America),  ii.  592. 
Meriton,    Rev.  John,  i.    558 — 560  ;  ii. 

39,  44- 
Middleton,  Rev.  Erasmus,  ii.  543. 
Middleton,  Mr.,  ii.  556. 
Milner,  Rev.  J.,  ii.  384. 
Milton  (America),  ii.  592. 

VOL.  n. 


Minchin, Hampton,  ii.  63 — 67. 
Molther,    Rev.    Philip  Henry,  i.    392, 

394-. 
Moncrieff,  Rev.  Alexander,  i.  497. 
Monson,  Lady,  ii.  209. 
Montagu,  Duchess  of,  ii.  209. 
Moody,  Rev.  Samuel,   i.  416;  ii.    175, 

177. 
Moon,  Mrs.,  ii.  534. 
Morgan,  Rev.  Charles,  i.  56,  173,  174, 
Morgan,  William,  i.   14. 
Morpeth,  ii.  2S5. 
Morris,  Samuel,  ii.  166. 
Muir,  Rev.  Dr.,  i.  528. 
INTuirhead,  Rev.  John,  i.  376 
Murray,  Grace,  ii.  235, 
Musselburgh,  ii.  276. 

Nairn,  Rev.  Thomas,  i.  497. 

Nantwich,  i.  147;  ii.  315,  316. 

Nazareth  (America),  i.  3S2. 

Neal,  Rev.   Daniel,  1.  67. 

Neal,  Nathaniel,  ii.  74. 

Nelson,  John,  ii.  69. 

Nesbit,  Mr.,  i.  543. 

Neshaminy  (America),  i.  325,  332,  379. 

New  Brunswick  (America),  i.  327,  328, 

331,  379;  "•  333- 
Newbury   (America),   i.    416;    ii.   17^ 

336. 
Newbury  Port  (America),  ii.  592,  596, 

597,  602,  606,  607. 
Newcastle  (America),  i.  339,  371,  386. 
Newcastle,  Duke  of,  ii.  245. 
Newcastleon-Tyne,    ii.   33,   34,  234 — 

236,284—286,  311,   312,    316,   352, 

353,  380.  410,  412,  445-  464,  532. 
New  Haven    (America),    i.   429,   477, 

495- 
New  Haven  College,  ii.  476. 
Newport  (America),  ii.  592. 
Newton,  Rev.  John,  ii.  316,  424,  519, 

543,  620,  624,  631. 
Newtown  (America),  i.  344;  ii.  592. 
New  York,  i.   328,  335,  383,  430 ;  ii. 

152,   162,    172,    175,   332,    469,  476, 

486,  589,  590,  592. 
Nimmo,  James,  ii.  261. 
Nimmo,  Lady  Jane,  ii.  262,  366. 
Nitschmann,  Bishop,  i.  89,  382. 
Nitschmann,  Hannah,  ii.  302. 
Niven.  James,  ii.  284. 
Nixon,  Mr.,  i.  457. 
Noble,  Mr.,  i.  328,  341,  356,  403.430, 

509,  SSI- 
Norris,  Rev.  Mr.,  i.  351,  354. 
North,  Lord,  ii.  210. 
Northampton,  i.  231  ;  ii.  71,  256,  310, 

315,352,410,532, 
Northampton  (America),  i.  426 — 429. 
Northampton,  Lord,  ii.407. 
North  East  (America),  i.  339. 

41 


642 


Index. 


Northumberland,  Lady,  ii.  407. 
Norwich,   ii.   299,  300,   317,  347,  348, 

408,  516. 
Nottingham,  ii.  256,  310,  315. 
Nottingham  (America),  i.  386. 
Nowell,  Dr.,  ii.  543,  544. 

Occum,  Samson,  i.  384;  ii.  493. 
Ogilvie,  Rev.  Mr.,  i.  514,  522,  528. 
Oglethorpe,  General,  i.  74,  76,  77,  82, 

109,  1 10,  130,  132,  134,  141,  347.  351. 

357.  364,  447  ;  ii-  2,  3,  26. 
Olivers,  Thomas,  i.  395,  470  ;  ii.  204, 

531- 
Olney,  i.   231;  ii.  1 12,  196,   256,   310, 

315.  410. 

Orchard,  Paul,  i.  184,  315. 

Orphan  House,  i.  347 — 352,  355,  359, 
368,  380,  390,  434,  441—445.  492— 
494,  519—521.  543;  ii-  35.  36,  43. 
^.  97.  '53 — 158,  169,  205,  278,  280, 
287,  292,  332,  339,  377,  397,  413, 
421,  470,  475,  479— 4S4,  491,  523— 

528,  559.  573— 58i. 
Osgood,  Rev.  John,  i.  397. 
Osmotherley,  ii.  312,  313. 
Ottery,  ii.  78. 
Owen,  E.,  ii.  90. 
Oxenhall,  i.  199. 
Oxford,,  i.  9,  14,  15,    16,  53,  56,57,  62, 

74,  79,  io6,  157,  203;  ii.  542. 
Oxford  Methodists,  i.  18,  31,  57. 

Painswick,  i.  199,  256,  263  ;  ii.  559. 

Palmer,  Rev.  Henry,  ii.  48. 

Paul,  Rev.  Mr.,  ii.  181. 

Paulet,  Lady  Rebecca,  ii.  407. 

Park,  Rev.  Mr.,  i.,  257. 

Parker,  Mr.,  i.  364. 

Parsons,  Rev.  Jonathan,  i.  422  ;  ii.  597, 

599,  600,619 — 621. 
Pearce,  Bishop,  ii.  355 — 364,  368. 
Pearsall,  Rev.  Richard,  ii.  250. 
Pemberton,  Rev.  Dr.  Ebenezer,  i.  329, 

333.  335.  341,  384,  430;  ii-  227,  255, 

335,  620,  622. 
Pembroke,  ii.  226,  517. 
Pembroke,  Lady,  ii.  407. 
Penn,  William,  i.  320—323. 
Pennsylvania,  i.  320—323,  377,  380. 
Penrose,  Rev.  Mr.,  i.  180. 
Pentycross,  Rev.  Thomas,  ii.  530. 
Pepperell,   Sir   William,    ii.    121,    149, 

175.  336.  350- 
Periam,  Joseph,  i.  227 — 230,  308,  315, 

316,  476. 

Perronet,  Rev.  Vincent,  ii.  221. 

Pershore,  i.  257. 

Petersham,  Lady  Caroline,  ii.  209. 

Philadelphia  (America),  i.  320 — 323, 
327,  328,  331,  332,  336,  337,  372, 
3S4,  3S7,  433,  435,  436  ;  ii.  163,  164, 


171,    175,   228,    250,   333,  468,  476, 

589. 
Philips,  Sir  John,  i.  42,  44,  56,  57. 
Pickering,  Kev.  Theophilus,  ii.  139. 
Piercy,  Rev.  Mr.,  ii.  584. 
Pierpont.  Mr.,  i.  429. 
Piers,    Rev.    Henry,    i.    148,    239,  241, 

244.  272,  349. 
Pilmoor,  Joseph,  ii.  571,  5S6,  588,  633. 
Pitt,  Hon.  Mrs.,  ii.  209. 
Pitt,   William   (Earl    of   Chatham),    ii. 

210,  440. 
Placey,  ii.  312. 
Plymouth,    100 — 104,    113,    120,    162, 

216,    230,    252,  270,  313,    398,   399, 

443,  455,  487. 
Pomfret,  Countess  of,  i.  282. 
Pontypool,  i.  196,  314. 
Pope,  Ale.xander,  ii.  83. 
Port  Arlington,  ii.  397. 
Porter,  Dr.  Ebenezer,  ii.  604. 
Porter,  Rev.  John,  i.  422. 
Portsmouth,  ii.  161,  224,  254,  256,  263, 

280,  282,  310,  375. 
Portsmouth  (America),  i.  416  ;  ii.  121, 

122,  175,  336,  592,  593,  596. 
l^otter.  Archbishop,  i.  74. 
Powell,  Rev.  J.,  ii.  49. 
Powley,  Rev.  Mr.,  ii.  506. 
Powys,  Thomas,  ii.  495,  499,  506. 
&-ince.  Rev.  Thomas,  i.  423,  424,  539  J 
Vii.  127,  131,  146. 
Prince,  Thomas,  ii.  121. 
Proudfoot,  Rev.  Dr.,  ii.  603. 
Providence  (America),  ii.  592. 
Publow,  i.  185. 
Pugh,  F.,  ii.  112. 
Pugh,  Rev.  Philip,  i.  48. 
Purfleet,  i.  lio. 

Queensbury,  Duchess  of,  i.  71,  l6l  ;  ii. 
209. 

Rae,  Lord,  i.  515,  518,  539  ;  ii.  3. 

Raikes,  Robert,  i.  47,  87,  106. 

Rambach,  Rev.  J.,  ii.  439. 

Ramsgate,  ii.  571,  572. 

Randall,  Rev.  Benjamin,  ii.  601. 

Randvvick,  i.  256,  263. 

Rankin,  Thomas,  ii.  393. 

Redding  (America),  i.  418. 

Redford,  Rev.  Dr.,  ii.  605. 

Redruth,  ii.  253,  254. 

Reed,  Rev.  Dr.  Andrew,  ii.  607, 

Reedy  Island  (America),  i.  38S. 

Rees,  Rev.  Lewis,  ii.  48. 

Relly,  James,  ii.  161. 

Rhode    Island  (America),    i.    406 ;    ii. 

335.  336. 
Rhodes,  Henjamin,  ii.  310. 
Rich,  John,  ii.  355. 
Rich,  Miss,  ii.  209. 


Index. 


643 


Richards,  John,  ii.  48.  62. 
Richmond,  Duchess  of,  ii.  407. 
Rimmius,  Henry,  ii.  301,  304  306,  307. 
Robe,  Rev.  James,  ii.  2,  7 — 9. 
Robinson,    Rev.    Robert,   ii.   229,  347, 

407. 
Rock,  Dr.,  i.  206  ;  ii.  446. 
Rockhampton,  i.  i. 
Rockingham,  Lady,  ii.  209. 
Rodborough,  ii.  453,  517,  559. 
Rodgers,  Rev.  John,  ii.  592. 
Roe,  Rev.  Samuel,  ii.  548. 
Rogers,  Rev.  Daniel,  ii.  600. 
Rogers,  Rev.  Jacob,  i.  231. 
Romaine,  Rev.  William,   ii.  341,   343, 

375,   400,  407,  415,   417,   420,   454, 

490,  495,  499,  532,   542,  543,    548, 

558,  620,  631. 
Rooker,  James,  ii.  402. 
Ross,  Rev.  Dr.,  ii.  605. 
Rotheiham,   ii.    257,    285,    310,   315, 

412. 
Rowel,  Jacob,  ii.  610. 
Rowland,  Rev.  John,  i.  331,  379. 
Rowlands,   Rev.  Daniel,  i.    169,    171, 

487,  541  ;  ii.  48,49-  51.  52,  187. 
Rowley  (America),  ii.  592. 
Roxbury  (America),  i.  410  ;  ii.  592. 
Royal,' Isaac,  ii.  175. 
Rudge,  Mr.,  i.  233. 
Rundle,  Bishop,  i.  147. 
Ryland,  Rev.  John,  ii.  349. 

Sabine,  Governor,  i.  117,  119,  120. 

Saffron  Walden,  i.  251. 

St.  Albans,  i.  232. 

St.  Gennys,  ii.  79,  253. 

St.  Ives  (Cornwall),  ii.  253. 

St.  John,  Lady,  ii.  209. 

St.  John,  Lord,  ii.  210,  214. 

St.  Mary  de  Crypt,  i.  5. 

St.  Neots,  ii.  410. 

Salem  (America),  i.  416  ;  ii.  336,  592. 

Salisbury,  i.  176. 

Salmon,  Matthew,  i.  62,  148. 

Sandwich,  Earl  of,  ii.  210. 

Savage,  Richard,  i.  178. 

Savannah  (America)  i.  122,  125,  130 — 
140,  143,  157,  171,  347,  351,  354, 
364.  388,  390.  40^.  434,  437.  446— 
448 ;  ii.  97,  573,  585,  587,  588,  601. 

Sawyer,  Dr.,  ii.  599. 

Schaubs,  Lady,  ii.  210. 

Scott,  Captain,  ii.  502,  519,  520,  532. 

Scott,  Dr.  John,  ii.  96. 

Scott,  Lady  Jane,  ii.  407. 

Seagrave,  Rev.  Robert,  i.  212,  278, 
285  ;  ii.  294. 

Seeker,  Archbishop,  i.  66,  157 ;  ii. 
399,  523—528. 

Selwyn,  George  Augustus,  ii.  210. 

Selwyn,  Lady,  i.  41,  106. 


Sewall,  Rev.   Dr.  Joseph,  i.  408,  41 1 « 

417,  418;  ii.  131,  144,  335. 
Seward,  Benjamin,  i.  163,  166,  200,  349. 
Seward,  Henry,  i.  164 — 166. 
Seward,  Rev.  Thomas,  i.  163,  251. 
Seward,  William,  i.  164 — 16S,  175,  179, 

186—188,   192,    194,    197,  200,    204, 

230,  251,   30S,   319,   3:18,  349,    365, 

371-373,    378,    381,  382,   388,    412, 

466,    548. 
Shackerly,  ii.  3S4. 
Sharon  (America),  ii.  591. 
Sheerness,  ii.  380,  492. 
Sheffield,  ii.  257,   2S5,  2S6,  310,   315, 

417.,  462,  532. 
Shenstone,  William,  i.  15. 
Shcnt,  William,  ii.  319,  533. 
Shepherd,  Miss  Molly,  ii.  403. 
Sherburne,  Mr.,  121,  151. 
Sherlock,  Bishop,  i.  66,  71  ;  ii.  42. 
Shields,  ii.  380. 
Shipman,  Joseph,  ii.  543. 
Shippack  (America),  i.  379. 
Shirley,  Lady  Fanny,  ii.  209,  225,  237, 

265,  268,  290,  440. 
Shirley,  Rev.  Walter,  ii.  490,  537,  584, 

6ir. 
Shrewsbury,  ii.  1 61. 
Shurtleff,  Rev.  William,  ii.  12 1. 
Shuter,  Edward,  ii.  390. 
Shutlif,  Rev.  Mr.,  i.  416. 
Sibree,  Rev.  Mr.,  ii.  605. 
Silvester,  Rev.  Tipping,  i.  15 1. 
Simpson,  Rev.  Mr.,  ii.  260. 
Sinclair,  Major,  i.  117. 
Skelton,  Rev.  Charles,  ii.  620. 
Skerret,  Rev.  Dr.,  i.  254. 
Sladden,  John,  ii.  219. 
Smalbroke,  Bishop,  ii.  99,  147. 
Smith,  Rev.  Cotton  Mather,  ii.  59I. 
Smith,  James,  ii.  608. 
Smith,  Rev.  John,  i.  530. 
Smith,  Rev.  Joseph,  i.  357. 
Smith,  Rev.  Josiah,  i.  421,  49 1;  ii.  620, 
Smith,  Richard,  ii.  573,  598,  609. 
Smith,  Rev.  Dr.  William,  ii.  477. 
Smyth,  Aquila,  i.  454. 
Smythe,  Sir  Sidney  Halford,  ii.  416. 
Somerset,  Duchess  of,  i.  280 ;  ii.  f  09, 

268. 
Somerset,  Duke  of,  ii.  268. 
Sproat,  Rev.  Dr.  James,  i.  328;  ii.  620. 
Stanhope,  Dean,  i.  71. 
Staten  Island  (America),  i.  433. 
Stearns,  Rev.  Dr.,  ii.  606. 
Stebbing,  Rev.  Dr.,  i.  261,  286. 
Stephens,   William,    i.    131,    140,    351, 

360,  395- 
Stephenson,  Rev.  John,  ii.  182. 
Stevens,  Dr.  Abel,  i.  451;  ii.  631,  633. 
Stevens,  James,  ii.  610. 
')  Steward,  Rev.  Mr.,  ii.  298, 


644 


Indtx. 


StillingHeet,  Rev.  James,  ii.  399,  400. 
Stinchcombe  Hill,  ii.  604. 
Stirk,  Benjamin,  ii.  609. 
Stockport,  ii.  285,  315,  384, 
Stockton-on-Tees,  ii.  312. 
Stoddard,  Rev.  Solomon,  i.  426,  428. 
Stokesley,  ii.  533. 

Stonehouse,  i.  76,  77,  106,  199  ;  ii.  54. 
Stonehouse,  Rev.  Dr.  James,  ii.  195,  200, 
,  213,  233,  256,  279,  290. 
Stonehouse,  Rev.  Mr.,  i.  148,  204,  205, 

234,  393- 
Stroud,   i.   106,   199,   256,   548  ;  ii.   53, 

54- 
Suffield  (America),  i.  428. 
Sunderland,  ii.  286,  315,  380,  454,  532, 

533- 
Sutherland,  Countess  of,  ii.  493. 
Sutherland,  Earl  of,  ii.  493. 
Sweetly,  Rev.  Thomas,  ii.  48. 
Swindells,  Robert,  ii.  266. 
Swindon,  ii.  40,  41. 
Syms,  John,  ii.  57,  68,  160,  308. 

Tabernacle  (London),  i.  484 ;  ii.  45, 
290,  291,  293.  298,  310,  374 

Tadcaster,  ii.  380. 

Tailfer.  Dr.,  i.  447. 

Talbot,  Rev.  Dr.  William,  ii.  399 — 
401. 

Tanner,  Rev.  Henry,  ii.  104. 

Taylor,  I^avid,  ii.  59,  300. 

Taylor,  liev.  Dr.,  ii.  384. 

Tauntc>n,  ii.  250,  270. 

Tavistock,  ii.  217. 

Tavistock,  Lord,  ii.  407. 

Tedbury,  i.  264. 

Tennent,    Rev.    Charles,    i.    325,    371, 

431- 
Tennent,    Rev.    Gilbert,    i.    326,    32S, 

33i>  332.  335,  352,  376.  379,  380, 

384,  423,  433,  434,  476,  496,  531, 

54S,  549;  ii.  12,  14,  31,  125,  127, 
128,  153,  164,  268,  322-324,  333 

Tennent,  l-lev.  John,  i.  325. 

Tennent,  Rev.  William,  i.  324,  325, 
332. 

Tennent,   Rev.   William,   jun. ,   i.  326, 

332,  339,  356,  384,  477  ;  ii-  152,  590- 
Tewkesbury,  i.  257  ;  ii.  j6i. 
Thanet,  Lady,  ii.  209. 
Thaxted,  i.  251. 
Thirsk,  ii.  533. 
Thomas,  1].,  ii.  49. 
•  Thomas,  Rev.  John,  ii.  47. 
Thomas,  Lady  Sophia,  ii.  209. 
Thompson,    Rev.   G.,    i.   106,    184  ;   ii. 

78,  79,  231,  253,  254. 
Thompson,  Rev.  James,  i.  497. 
Thomson,  Mrs.,  ii.  608. 
Thornbury,  i.  196,  261,  263. 
Thornlon,  John,  ii.  <04,  416. 


Thorold,  Sir  John,  i.  59,  349. 

Thorpe,  Rev.  John,  ii.  257. 

Tibbut,  R.,  ii.  48. 

Tilling,  Robert,  ii.  426. 

Tillolson,  Archbishop,  i.  360,  372,  452 

—454.  466. 
Tilly,  Rev.  Mr.,  i.  402. 
Tomo  Cliici,  i.  132 — 135. 
Topclifife,  ii.  198,  312. 
Toplady,  Rev.  Augustus,  ii   624, 
Tottenham  Court  Road  Chapel,  ii.  368, 

372—374,  376,  3S4,  389- 
Townsend,  Rev.  Joseph,  ii.  490,  493. 
Townshend,  Charles,  ii.  210. 
Townshend,   Lady,  i.  78,  160 ;  ii.  211, 

407. 
Townshend,  Marquis  of,  ii.  210. 
Trafford,  Lord,  ii.  407. 
Trapp,   Rev.   Dr.,  i.    206 — 214,   236— 

238,  279,  454. 
Trelegg,  1.  197. 

Trent  (America),  i.  328,  332  ;  ii.  333. 
Trentham,  Viscount,  ii.  210. 
Trevecca,   ii.   62,    187,    191,    541,    555, 

570,  584- 
Trigg,  William,  ii.  609. 
Trotter,  Rev.  Dr.  John,  ii.  620. 
Tucker,  Rev.  Josiah,  i.  253,  287;  ii.  16. 
Tunbridge  Wells,  ii.  551,  560. 
Tujiper,  Rev.  Thomas,  ii.  417. 
Tweeddale,  Marquis  of,  ii.  210. 
Tytherton,  ii.  40 — 43,  77,  So,  100. 

Ulverstone,  ii.  261. 

Upper  Marlborough  (America),  i.  340, 

342. 
Usk,  i.  196. 

Venn,  Mr.,  i.  172. 

Venn,    Rev.   Henry,  ii.  3S5,  398,  400, 

407,  415,  417,   444,   454,   490,    506, 

53'4,  539,  542,  55S,  620,  621,   623, 

631. 
Villiers,  Lord,  ii.  440. 
Vincent,  Henry,  ii.  607. 
Virginia  (America),   ii.  165,   338,  467, 

478. 

Wakefield,  ii.  285,  286. 
Waldegrave,  Lady,  ii.  407. 
Wales,  Rev.  Mr.,  i.  379. 
Walker,  Rev.  Samuel,  ii.  375,  400. 
Walter,  Rev.  Nehemiah,  i.  409. 
Wantage,  i.  i. 

Warburton,  Bishop,  i.  281;  ii.  462. 
Warminster,  ii.  375. 
Warne,  Rev.  Jonathan,  1.  285. 
Waterford  (VVales),  ii.  54. 
Waterland,  Dr.,  i.  66. 
Watts,  Rev.  Dr.  Isaac,  i.  66 — 71,  137, 
162,  330;  ii.  72,  203,  294. 


Index. 


645 


Webb,  Rev.  John,  i.  409,  417,  425  ;  ii. 
144. 

Webster,  Rev.  Alexander,  i.  527  ;  ii.  29. 

Wednesbury,  ii.  81,  82,  86,  316. 

Well,  Rev.  Nathaniel,  i.  187. 

Wellington,  ii.  77,  113,  230,  250,  270. 

Wells,  Samuel,  ii.  400. 

Welstead,  Rev.  Mr.,  i.  41 1. 

Wesley,  Rev.  Charles,  i.  12,  14,  16,  17 
— 20,  23,  28,  32,  53,  59,  60,  62,  75, 
87 — 89,  112,  138,  142,  148,  149,  155, 
161,  164,  166,  167,  192,  204,  216,  234, 
239,  240,  245,  250,  251,  267,  307,  309, 

347,  392,  411,  450,  464,  476,  47S— 
482,  535—538,  547;  ii-  34,  69,  86, 
176,  177,  184,  218,  229,  235,  236,  238, 
246,  247,  263,  288,  289,  294,  298,  299, 
310,  311,  319,  320,  339,  349,  373,  383, 
401,  415,  425,  470,  496,  497,  558,  570, 
574,  603,  609,  611. 

We.sley,  Rev.  John,  i.  12,  14,  23,  28,  32, 

33,  39,  42,  46,  53,  56,  60,  65,  75,  87, 
93,  97,  103,  "4,  "5-  130,  133,  135, 
142,  148,  149,  155,  161,  167,  192 — 
195,  222,  226,  244,  245,  250,  252,  258 
—263,  268,  275,  292,  294,  334,  360, 
366,  389,  403,  412 — 415,  432,  435, 
439,  440,  450,  462—476,  479,  482, 
484,  530,  535—538,  546,  553  ;  ii-  33, 

34,  69,  72,  80,  96,  160,  165,  176,  184, 
189,  214,  218,  221,  229,  235,  238,  243, 
245 — 247,  261,  263,  266,  275,  276, 
279,  288,  289,  294 — 296,  299,  30S, 
310,  313,  317,  319,  320,  322,  347— 
349,  352,  355,  365,  368,  373,  377,  383, 
395,  397,  406,  414,  415,  444,  462— 
464,  477,  490-492,  496,  497,  515, 
531,  534,  542,  548,  557,  558,  568,  570, 
574,  5S6,  603,  607,  609,  614 — 620, 
631. 

Wesley,  Mrs.  Susannah,  i.  12,  176. 
West,  Daniel,  ii.  458,  566,  609. 
Westbury,  ii.  374. 
Weston-Faveli,  ii.  348,  351,  410. 
Weymouth  (America),  ii.  137. 
Weymouth,  Lord,  ii.  407. 
Whealley,  Rev.  Charles,  i.  288. 
Wheatley,    James,    ii.    299,    317,    347, 

348,  409. 

Wheelock,  Rev.  Dr.,  ii.  473,  589. 
Whitaker,  Rev.  Mr.,  ii.  620. 
Whitaker,  Samuel,  ii.  381. 
White,  Rev.  George,  ii.  218. 
Whiteclay    Creek    (America),    i.    325, 

339,  386. 
Whitefield,  Andrew  (brother),  i,  2. 
AVhitefield,  Elizabeth  (sister),  i.  2. 
Whitefield,   James   (brother),   i.    2  ;   ii. 

492. 
Whitefield,  John  (brother),  i.  2. 
Whitefield,  Richard   (brother),  i.  2  ;  ii. 

608. 


Whitefield,  Thomas  (father),  i.  i. 

Whitefield,  Thomas  (brother),  i.  2  ;  ii. 
608. 

Whitefield,  Elizabeth  (mother),  i.  i ;  ii. 
28,  240,  281. 

Whitefield,  Elizabeth  (wife),  i,  530 — 
533;  ii-  5,  36,  71,  85,  87,  120,  122, 
168,  170,  171,  173,  180,  226,  268,  269, 
272,  275,  298,  309,  316,  554,  558. 

Whitehead,  Dr.  John,  i.  463. 

Whitelamb,  Rev.  Jolin,  i.  14. 

Whitemarsh  (America),  i.  374. 

Whiting,  Captain,  i.  116. 

Whitmore,  Mr.,  ii.  608. 

Wickwar,  ii.  no,  in. 

Wigglesworth,  Rev.  Dr.  Edward,  ii, 
132,  135,  136. 

Wilder,  Rev.  John,  i.  287. 

Willard,  Josiah,  i.  408. 

Williams,  Colonel,  ii.  255. 

Williams,  Joseph,  ii.  63,  82,  83. 

Williams,  Rev.  Peter,  i.  541. 

Williams,  T.,  ii.  49,  57,  238. 

Williams,  Rev.  William,  i.  541;  ii.  48, 

49,  51,  57- 
Williamsburg  (America),  i.  343. 
Williamson,  William,  i.  447. 
Willis,  Rev.  Mr  ,  i.  185. 
Willison,  Rev.  Mr.,  i.  514,  529;  ii.  2, 

21,  26. 
Wilmington  (America),  i.  339,  372,  3S6. 
Wilson,  Bishop,  ii.  344. 
Wilson,  Rev.  William,  i.  497,  518. 
Winder,  Mr.,  ii.  608. 
Windsor,  i.  175. 
Winter,  Cornelius,  i.  532  ;  ii.  346,  492, 

508—515,  573,  578,  609,  610,  623. 
Winterbourne,  i.  186. 
Witton,  Rev.  Mr.,  ii.  72. 
Woffington,  Margaret,  ii.  355. 
Wolverhampton,  ii.  112,  113,  315. 
Wood,  Elizabeth,  ii.  455,  456. 
Woodbridge  (America),  i.  3S3. 
Woodstock,  ii.  517. 
Worcester,  ii.  83. 
Wrentham  (America),  ii.  592. 
Wrexham,  ii.  315,  316. 
Wright,  Ambrose,  ii.  608,  609. 
Wright,  Sir  James,  ii.  523 — 528,  575. 
Wright,  Mr.,  ii.  564,  573,  578.  593. 
Wynn,  Sir  Watkin  William,  ii.  203. 

Yale  College  (America),  ii.  138. 

Yarm,  ii.  380,  412,  532—534. 

York,   ii.  285,  286,  311,  312,  315,  352," 

380,  532,  533. 
York  (America),  ii.  121,  178,  592,  593 

Ziegenhagen,  Rev.  F.  M.,  i.  137. 
Zinzendorf,  Count,  i.  89  ;  ii.  68,  gi,  291, 

292,  301,  304,  306,  307,  389. 
Zubley,  Rev.  John  Joacliim,  ii.  620. 
Zububuhler,  Rev.  Mr.,  ii.  526. 


